RESIDENCE or CITIZENSHIP?

Residence, settlement and citizenship are legally equivalent terms in Paraguay.

From a legal point of view, when one obtains residence, they acquire the status of Paraguayan citizen for civil and commercial purposes, with all the rights and duties of any other citizen.

But beware: settling or obtaining residence in Paraguay does not equate to having Paraguayan nationality. To be able to apply for citizenship, a naturalization process is necessary, which requires a minimum stay of three years as a temporary resident.

The difference between having nationality – or citizenship – and residence, whether temporary or permanent, lies in the fact that with the latter