Corporate Relocation to Asunción: A 2026 Guide for HR Teams

By Corporate Stays Editorial Team · Last updated November 2026

Paraguay received close to 50,000 residency applications in 2026 by late October, the highest total on record. The figure comes from the head of the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM). Most applicants are Brazilian, but the queue is shared, and anyone your company sends to Asunción joins it.

That changes how a corporate relocation to Asunción should be planned. Documents need more lead time than they did two years ago. Housing should be settled before the first appointment at Migraciones, because the application includes a sworn declaration of the assignee’s address in Paraguay.

Corporate Stays began operating in Asunción on November 1, 2025. This guide combines what our team has learned in that first year with the current rules and figures HR and mobility teams need.

Why companies are placing people in Asunción

Paraguay’s economy grew 6.6% in 2025, the fastest pace in Latin America according to Fitch Ratings. In October 2026 the Banco Central del Paraguay raised its 2026 forecast from 4.5% to 5.0%. It pointed to services and higher output from the Itaipú and Yacyretá hydroelectric dams.

Two of the three major rating agencies now place Paraguay at investment grade. Moody’s moved it to Baa3 in 2024, and S&P raised it to BBB- in late 2025. Fitch confirmed BB+ with a positive outlook in September 2026, one notch below.

Manufacturing is the second driver. Exports under Paraguay’s maquila regime reached US$1,148 million between January and September 2026, up about 25% year on year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC). Mercosur markets received 74% of those shipments.

One detail in the MIC data shapes housing decisions. Its July 2026 maquila report places 48% of approved maquila programs in Alto Paraná and 28% in the Central department, against 8% in the capital. Regional managers, finance and legal staff usually base themselves in Asunción. Plant-facing staff often live in the city and commute into Central, so the drive to Luque, San Lorenzo or Limpio belongs in the housing brief.

Residency: the steps your assignee will follow

Paraguay’s Migration Law, Law 6984/2022, sets out three residence categories, and most corporate assignees start with temporary residence. According to the DNM’s May 2026 guidance, it lasts up to two years and can be extended once for the same period. It is also the required step before permanent residence.

The part employers care about starts on the day of filing. Applicants receive “residente precario” status while the file is processed. With it, they can work and study legally and leave and re-enter Paraguay.

Documents to prepare before departure. The DNM’s list for general temporary residence includes:

• A valid passport or national ID from the country of origin
• A birth certificate, plus a civil status certificate where it applies
• Criminal or police record certificates from the country of origin or of recent residence
• Proof of entry into Paraguay
• An Interpol certificate and a certificate for foreigners from Paraguay’s National Police
• Sworn declarations on compliance with Paraguayan law, the planned activity and the address in Paraguay

Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled, and documents in another language need an official translation. The procedure is personal and in person, so the assignee has to attend. Children also need their parents’ documents, proof of relationship and, if a parent is not travelling, a legal authorization.

Fees and the Mercosur route. The general temporary residence fee is G. 2,787,550, roughly US$455 to US$480 at early-November 2026 exchange rates. Citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador can apply under the Mercosur Residence Agreement instead. That route has simpler requirements and a G. 2,230,040 fee, but it lasts two years and cannot be extended.

Processing volume. The DNM received 33,243 applications in the first half of 2026, 62% more than a year earlier. It responded with longer staff hours and weekend shifts to shorten response times. For HR teams, the practical step is to order apostilles before the move date is final.

Assignments that may become permanent face a stricter test. Resolution DNM 407/2026 changed how permanent-residence applicants prove their income and the activity they declared. Any case expected to run past the temporary period should go to local immigration counsel. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Practical details that catch assignees off guard

Time zone. Since October 2024, Law 7354 has kept Paraguay on UTC-3 all year, with no clock changes. From November to March, Asunción is two hours ahead of Toronto and Montreal and five hours ahead of Vancouver. During Canadian daylight saving time, each gap shrinks by one hour.

Currency. Fitch reports that the guaraní gained 26% against the US dollar between March 2025 and September 2026. On November 1, 2026, banks in Asunción quoted the dollar at G. 5,790 to buy and G. 6,120 to sell. A cost-of-living allowance fixed in dollars in 2025 now buys noticeably less, so review it before a new assignment starts. Inflation itself is low, at 1.5% in August 2026.

Heat. Summer runs from roughly November to March, and the first week of November 2026 brought forecast highs of 38 to 39°C in Asunción. Check that air conditioning covers both the bedroom and the work area before signing anything.

Flights. Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Luque handles about 95% of Paraguay’s air passengers. It passed 1.3 million passengers in 2025, and the civil aviation authority, DINAC, expects about 1.5 million in 2026. LATAM plans to go from 27 to 32 weekly frequencies with more flights to Lima and São Paulo. It will also open a five-weekly Montevideo route from late March 2027.

Where assignees live in Asunción

Staff who commute to plants in Central usually travel along Avenida Mariscal López or Avenida Eusebio Ayala. Test the route at peak hours before choosing an address.

Housing for the first months

The first 60 to 90 days of an assignment rarely match the final plan. Residency is still in process, schools may not be confirmed, and the assignee is still learning the city. A furnished apartment on a flexible term covers that period without tying the company to a long lease too early.

In Asunción, check these points before booking:

• Air conditioning in every room used for sleep or work
• A dedicated workspace and a stated internet speed; several of our Asunción units list 200 Mbps Wi-Fi
• A 24-hour doorman or controlled building access
• Parking, if the assignee will drive, since some central buildings have none
• In-building laundry, a pool and a gym, which matter on long assignments in the heat

Corporate Stays entered Paraguay by acquiring an established furnished rental operator in downtown Asunción. Our apartments range from studios to two-bedroom duplexes in Villa Morra, Recoleta, Mburucuyá, the Santa Teresa corridor and near Avenida Mariscal López. A local team of more than 25 people supports guests on the ground, and our multilingual housing specialists work with HR teams in Canada and across Latin America. Rates are available on request. You can read more about the launch in Corporate Stays Expands to Paraguay and browse furnished apartments in Asunción.

A planning timeline for HR teams

1. Eight to ten weeks before the move: order apostilled birth, marriage and criminal record certificates, and arrange official translations.
2. Four to six weeks before: confirm furnished housing so the assignee has an address for the domicile declaration.
3. First week in Asunción: obtain the Interpol and Paraguayan police certificates, then file in person at the DNM. Residente precario status applies from filing.
4. After approval: apply for the Paraguayan identity card (cédula), which carries the same validity as the residence.
5. Around month 18: decide between extension, permanent residence or return, and brief counsel on Resolution 407/2026 if the stay will continue.

Asunción’s rules are published, its economy is growing, and most delays we see trace back to documents ordered too late. Our team in Paraguay can take the housing side off your list, from the first night to the end of the assignment.