Just Landed in Paraguay? Your First 7 Days

Mobile coverage is strong across Asunción, Central department, Ciudad del Este and Encarnación, and thinner in the Chaco and remote rural areas. Prepaid SIMs are cheap, quick and passport-registered. Home fibre is widely available in cities but installation can take one to two weeks and usually starts with a visit or WhatsApp exchange with the provider.

Typical cost: A prepaid SIM costs a few thousand guaraníes, and a monthly data package with 10-20GB runs roughly PYG 60,000-120,000 (about USD 8-16). Home fibre of 100-300 Mbps from Tigo or Personal typically costs around PYG 200,000-350,000 per month (about USD 27-48).

The guaraní is a low-denomination currency, so you will routinely handle notes in the tens and hundreds of thousands (the largest note is PYG 100,000, worth roughly USD 13). Cards work in supermarkets, malls and chain restaurants, but neighbourhood shops, markets, buses, taxis and many landlords are cash-only. QR payments through bank apps are growing fast, especially with Ueno.

Opening an account: Opening a local account as a foreigner generally requires a cédula (residency ID) plus proof of address and income, so most newcomers wait until residency is granted and use cash and dollars in the meantime. Ueno Bank is the most digital-first and popular with new arrivals; Banco Continental, Itaú, Sudameris and Banco Familiar are the other common choices. Some residency routes require depositing qualifying funds locally as part of the application.

Cash: Paraguay runs on cash. Keep a stock of small and mid-size notes for buses, kiosks, market stalls and taxis, as vendors frequently cannot break a PYG 100,000 note. Withdraw in advance for weekends, since ATMs run dry and impose low per-transaction limits.

Tipping: Tipping is modest and not obligatory. Leaving around 10% in sit-down restaurants is appreciated (check whether a service charge is already added), rounding up is normal for taxis, and small tips for delivery riders, hairdressers and petrol attendants are common courtesy.

Paraguay has no local address-registration requirement equivalent to a European padrón or German Anmeldung; you do not register your home address with a town hall. Your obligations are immigration-based. Under Law 6984/2022 the main routes are a temporary residency that converts to permanent after around two years, and the SUACE investment route, which can grant permanent residency and a cédula more directly. You complete the process through the Dirección General de Migraciones and obtain your cédula from the Departamento de Identificaciones of the National Police. Timelines vary widely: temporary residency approval commonly takes a few months, and the full path from first document to cédula in hand often runs several months. Use a lawyer or gestor to navigate the queues.

Where: Dirección General de Migraciones and the Departamento de Identificaciones (Policía Nacional), both in Asunción; investment applications route through the SUACE one-stop system.

Asunción has cheap city buses (colectivos) paid with the rechargeable Más card, but they are slow, crowded and confusing for newcomers, and coverage thins fast outside the centre. There is no metro or train network. Ride-hailing is the practical default, and many residents eventually buy a car (imported vehicles are pricey but running costs and fuel are moderate) because distances and heat make walking impractical.

From the airport: Silvio Pettirossi International Airport (ASU) sits in Luque, about 15-20km from central Asunción. A Bolt or MUV ride to a central barrio costs roughly PYG 60,000-100,000 (about USD 8-14) and takes 25-45 minutes depending on traffic; app cars usually meet you at the designated pick-up point. Official airport taxis are pricier and quote flat rates, so use an app or agree the fare in advance and avoid unmarked touts.

Rentals are advertised on InfoCasas and Clasipar, through Facebook expat and housing groups, and via local inmobiliarias (agencies). Furnished flats and apart-hotels are common in central Asunción and suit newcomers; unfurnished long-term leases usually run one to two years, are priced in guaraníes (higher-end places sometimes in US dollars), and often involve an agency fee of about one month's rent.

Typical rent: A modern one-bedroom flat in a good Asunción barrio such as Villa Morra or Las Mercedes runs roughly PYG 3,000,000-5,000,000 per month (about USD 400-700); outside the centre, in Central department and in cities like Encarnación it is noticeably cheaper, and unfurnished older flats can be found well below that.

Deposit norm: Expect one to two months' rent as a deposit plus the first month upfront, and often an agency commission. Long unfurnished leases frequently require a local guarantor (garante) with a property title, which is a genuine hurdle for newcomers; furnished short-to-medium lets and apart-hotels usually waive the guarantor in exchange for a larger deposit.

Healthcare is split between an under-resourced but free public system, the contributory IPS (social security) scheme, and private hospitals. Most expats and middle-class Paraguayans rely on private hospitals in Asunción, which are affordable by international standards and generally good, with short waits and same-day access for routine care.

How to access it: For anything routine you can book or walk in directly at a private hospital such as Sanatorio Migone, Hospital Bautista, Sanatorio San Roque or the public teaching Hospital de Clínicas. There is no gatekeeping GP referral system; you contact the relevant specialist or clinic yourself, often via WhatsApp, and pay per visit or through a local plan. Consultations are inexpensive by North American or European standards.

Insurance: Local prepaid medical plans (medicina prepaga) from providers such as Asismed, San Roque, Migone Prepaga or Sanatorio Español are cheap but commonly have waiting periods, pre-existing-condition exclusions and age limits. Newcomers typically keep international or travel health insurance until a local plan is arranged, and residents may also register with IPS through formal employment.

• Greet warmly before getting to business: a handshake with new acquaintances, and a single kiss on the cheek between friends and once you are introduced socially.
• Learn a few words of Guaraní, such as 'mba'éichapa' for 'how are you', because locals genuinely light up when foreigners try, even in Spanish-speaking Asunción.
• Accept and share tereré, the cold yerba mate passed around a shared cup with a metal straw (bombilla); joining in is a core social ritual and refusing outright can feel standoffish.
• Expect and extend a relaxed sense of time. Social invitations run late, appointments slip, and building slack into your day is normal rather than rude.
• Keep interactions personal and unhurried; small talk, patience and a friendly tone open doors that brusque efficiency will close, especially in offices and with officials.
• Dress modestly and neatly for official appointments and business; presentation matters and being visibly respectful helps things go smoothly.
• Use titles and courtesy (señor, señora, don, doña) with older people and officials, and default to the polite 'usted' until invited to be informal.

• Bureaucracy is personal and slow; bring patience, printed copies of everything, and ideally a Spanish-speaking gestor or lawyer to smooth the process.
• Summer heat is severe from December to February and can top 40°C; avoid midday errands, stay hydrated, and confirm any home, car or rental has working air-conditioning.
• Guaraní is woven into everyday speech even in cities, so basic Spanish alone will not always be enough in markets, rural areas and casual conversation.
• Cash shortages catch people out: ATMs impose low limits, run dry at weekends, and cards are refused in many small businesses, so plan withdrawals ahead.
• Avoid discussing the country's civil-war history and politics carelessly, and never make light of the Chaco War or the Triple Alliance War, which remain sensitive.