Going to au Paraguay: Formalities and administrative steps
Organize your stay au Paraguay
Money au Paraguay
The official currency is the Guarani (PYG), noted Gs in this guide, as it is displayed in everyday life. Bills of Gs 2,000 (purple), Gs 5,000 (red), Gs 10,000 (brown), Gs 20,000 (celestial blue), Gs 50,000 (beige) and Gs 100,000 (green). The bills are all the same size, and given the number of zeros, it's easier to distinguish them by their colors than by counting the zeros! The Gs2,000 and Gs5,000 bills, the most widely circulated, are made of polymer (plastic), which makes them more resistant, especially to moisture. Gs50, Gs100, Gs500 and Gs1,000 coins. Cents are no longer used.
Credit cards are widely used in Asunción and the major cities, but less so in the countryside. Visa cards are accepted everywhere, while some ATMs also accept MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro. Outside the departmental capitals, there are few ATMs, or only those belonging to the Banco Nacional de Fomento, which do not accept international cards. Most ATMs issue either guaranies or US dollars. If you need to send or receive money, there are Western Union and MoneyGram agencies everywhere. Paraguayans make greater use of money transfers(giro) via banking services or applications such as Giro Tigo from telephone operator Tigo. Even without a Tigo phone line, you can visit a "Punto Tigo Money" shop. Tigo generally charges 4% of the transfer amount if the transaction is between telephones, and 5% if it is made from a Punto Tigo Money.
Currency exchange. The guarani is one of Latin America's oldest (1943) and most stable currencies. In July 2025: 1 € was worth around 8,800 Gs, 1 US$ around 7,500 Gs.
It is not advisable to exchange currency in the street, as counterfeit bills are common. Currency exchange bureaus(casas de cambio) are concentrated mainly in Asunción, Ciudad del Este and Encarnación, with very few to be found in the rest of the country. Please note that only bills in good condition can be exchanged (no writing or tears). With regard to US $100 bills, only new bills can be exchanged, as the older versions(billetes "blancos") are more easily falsified.
Budget & Tips au Paraguay
Life in Paraguay is very affordable for the European or North American tourist. Asunción is reputed to be one of the cheapest capital cities in the world for expatriates, and is a very affordable destination even for backpackers on a tight budget. National museums are free, and public transport, hotels and restaurants are very inexpensive. What weighs most heavily on a travel budget is car hire (from US$50 per day) and guided excursions to isolated rural areas requiring extensive logistics, such as the Chaco or the Pantanal.
Budget ideas. By eating locally, traveling by bus and sleeping in hostels and posadas turísticas, you can travel for around 20 euros per person per day. For more comfort and leisure, you can expect to pay between €25 and €60. For top-of-the-range travel, with accommodation in luxury hotels or estancias, car rental and wildlife safari-type excursions, expect to pay between €60 and €250. The euro/guarani exchange rate will significantly affect the cost of your stay, as will the season (prices triple in some Encarnación hotels during Carnival, for example).
Tipping. In restaurants worthy of the name, it is customary to leave 10% of the cost of the meal for service(propina). Many museum guides are volunteers. They will only be paid what you give them. 30,000 Gs is a reasonable tip, but you can obviously give more, especially in a group.
Haggling is not common in Paraguay, even in the markets. On the other hand, you may be able to negotiate a fare for a cab ride that seems overpriced (if there's no meter, which is often the case in the countryside, and before you actually make the trip).
Taxes. Prices generally include IVA(Impuesto al Valor Agregado). This value-added tax is one of the lowest in Latin America: 5% on certain everyday consumer goods, otherwise 10%.
Passport and visas au Paraguay
Your passport must be valid for more than 180 days from the date of entry into the country. No visa is required for European Union citizens or Canadians for a stay of less than 90 days. For longer stays, a visa can be obtained after completing a few formalities at the Dirección General de Migraciones in Asunción - Caballero 201 c/ Eligio Ayala - www.migraciones.gov.py.) You can also leave the country and return with a new entry stamp, which is often simpler..
As in most Latin American countries, you may be asked for proof of exit (a return ticket or a ticket to another country).
As for the international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever, it is required for travellers coming directly from certain countries considered to be at risk, such as Brazil or Bolivia, but it is quite rare in practice for you to be asked to present it.
Driver's license au Paraguay
Your national driver's license is valid for 90 days, so the police officer(policia de transito) will also ask for your passport and check the date of entry into Paraguay. An international driver's license or a translation of your national license is not required.
Health au Paraguay
The main tropical diseases present in Paraguay are transmitted by mosquitoes. With regard to malaria, the WHO certified Paraguay as a malaria-free country in 2018, the first country in the Americas to obtain this certification in over 40 years. There have also been no cases of yellow fever since 2009.
Dengue fever is endemic in Paraguay, causing a flu-like syndrome (fever, headache, severe joint and muscle pain) that leads to thousands of hospitalizations and even deaths every year. The virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries the Zika and chikungunya viruses, which are sporadic in Paraguay. Two preventive vaccines against dengue fever are currently available, but their use is limited and regulated. Ask your doctor or an international vaccination center for advice. The best prevention remains protection against bites, especially during the day (Aedes aegypti is active during the day), with covering clothing and effective anti-mosquito lotion. In the event of fever, it is strongly recommended to consult a doctor, rest and drink water regularly, and avoid aspirin, which increases the risk of bleeding.
Mandatory vaccination au Paraguay
No vaccinations are required to enter Paraguay. However, it is advisable to check for booster doses of the universal vaccines: DTP (diphtheria-tetanus-poliomyelitis), typhoid, hepatitis A and B, and, for children, rubella-mumps-measles (MMR). Vaccination against yellow fever is compulsory for travellers from Brazil and certain high-risk countries. Vaccination certificates can be requested by the authorities at the border (vaccinations must be taken at least 10 days before entering the country). It can be obtained free of charge in Asunción, from the Ministry of Health (Av Pettirossi esq. Brasil). The rabies vaccine is recommended for specific conditions of stay.
Security au Paraguay
The Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs advises against travel to certain isolated areas in the north-east of the country, due to the presence of drug traffickers and the terrorist group "Paraguayan People's Army" (EPP - Ejército del Pueblo Paraguayo), a guerrilla group believed to number only a few individuals. Further information: www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs
Time difference au Paraguay
Since 2025, there has been no time change in Paraguay. The country is now on summer time (GMT -3) all year round. This means a 5-hour difference with metropolitan France in summer (March to October) and a 4-hour difference in winter (October to March). In July, when it's 4pm in Paris, it's 11am in Asunción. In January, when it's 4pm in Paris, it's 12pm in Asunción.
Spoken languages au Paraguay
Paraguay is one of the few states with two official languages: Spanish and Guarani. These languages are usually mixed in a dialect called Jopará. In Asunción, Spanish and Jopará are more widely spoken than in the rest of the country, where Guarani is much more widely used. The wealthier urban classes speak more Spanish than Guarani, while the opposite is true of the working classes. In some colonies, German, Plattdeutsch (a Mennonite language) or Japanese are spoken as first languages. Brazilian Portuguese is widely spoken, due to the presence of many "Brasiguayos " (Paraguayans of Brazilian origin) in the border zone. English is rarely spoken, and French even less so!
Communication au Paraguay
If you haven't yet installed WhatsApp, you'll want to think about it: in Paraguay, this application is much more widely used than traditional telephone communications. Fixed-line telephony is gradually disappearing, as the mobile network is fairly well developed, even if many rural areas are not yet covered. As for the fixed-line Internet network, few homes in rural areas are equipped, and broadband is still a rare commodity outside major cities. With the development of mobile Internet and free Wi-Fi in certain public places and most hotels, there are fewer and fewer cybercafés. Last but not least, Paraguayans don't open their mailboxes much, but are completely addicted to social networking. In fact, most hotels and restaurants no longer have websites, as Instagram and the like do just fine.
Electricity and measurements au Paraguay
The current is 220 V / 50 Hz, almost the same as in France (230 V / 50 Hz), so no transformer is needed. The wall sockets (type C) are compatible with the male plugs of our devices. No need for an adapter, and if you need one, it's easily found at local hardware stores. Weight is measured in kilograms, volume in litres and distances in metres and derivatives. Temperatures are given in degrees Celsius.
Luggage au Paraguay
In summer and mid-season, pack light, loose-fitting clothes that dry easily, a pair of flip-flops, a swimsuit and a little wool for air-conditioned areas. In winter (late May-early September), bring warm clothes for mornings and evenings. A few accessories are always useful: first-aid kit, headlamp, Swiss Army knife, padlock, binoculars, meat bag, sleeping mask, earplugs®, sun cream, sunglasses, headgear, umbrella... All these can be found on site if required.
Daily life au Paraguay
Hello? au Paraguay
One of the first things to do when you arrive in Paraguay, if you can't do without your smartphone, is to go to a cell phone store (with your passport) and buy a SIM card(el chip) from a local operator (less than €2 with credit for 24 hours). You'll then have a local number and it will cost you much less than using your usual operator's roaming. Ask for help if you need to activate an unlimited Internet package for a given period (7 days, 15 days...) for a few extra euros. There's no point in taking out a subscription(plan) if you're not settling in the country. If you need to top up your mobile data afterwards, simply go to a phone store, cybercafé or grocery store displaying your operator's logos, and ask for a(mini or maxi) carga. Give your phone number and tell the seller how much you want to be credited. Four companies share the Paraguayan market: Tigo, Personal, Claro and Vox (the national company, not widely used).
For communication in Paraguay, the WhatsApp application is much more widely used than traditional telephone communication. If you don't have a cell phone, you can call from call centers(centro de llamadas, cabinas or locutorio), which have individual booths with a counter indicating call time and cost. However, they are becoming increasingly rare.
To call France (landline or mobile) from Paraguay: 002 + 33 (international code for France), followed by the correspondent's number without the leading 0.
To call a landline in Paraguay from Europe: 00 + 595 (Paraguay's international code) + city code (2 or 3 digits) + correspondent's number (6 or 7 digits). Example for a call from Paris to the Asunción tourist office: 00+595+21+441 530.
To call a Paraguayan cell phone from Europe: 00 + 595 + correspondent's number without the first 0. Example: 00+595+984 xxx xxx. Cell phone numbers all start with 09 and are followed by 8 digits, the first of which identifies the operator (a priori, as it is now possible to change operator while keeping the same number): 097 (Personal), 098 (Tigo), 099 (Claro), 096 (Vox).
Calling in Paraguay from one city to another (landline): 0 + city code + number. For example, from Ayolas to Asunción: 0 + 21 + 441 530. Within the same city, dial the correspondent's number directly, e.g. 441 530.
Accessibility au Paraguay
Paraguay is not an easy country for people with reduced mobility or visual or hearing disabilities. In the tourism sector, however, more and more efforts are being made to improve things, particularly in certain hotels, museums and tourist sites. The Jesuit missions of Trinidad and Jesús, for example, are now accessible to people with disabilities, with the installation of access ramps, information panels in Braille, and guided tours and videos in sign language.
The Saraki Foundation (saraki.org) works to raise the awareness of the authorities and public opinion, for a more inclusive and supportive society. It can be a source of information (in Spanish) if required.
Health au Paraguay
While the "tereré" experience is a must, and the water in Asunción and the main Paraguayan cities is drinkable, it is not advisable for the frail to drink tap water. In a country with a subtropical climate, you must of course observe basic rules of hygiene and be aware that eating in the street(comida callejera) always entails risks of "tourista" (traveler's diarrhea).
It's also important to protect yourself from mosquitoes (loose-fitting clothing, repellents), especially during the summer months (when it's hotter and rainier) when dengue fever epidemics are rife.
A list of medical specialists in Paraguay can be downloaded from the website of the French Embassy in Paraguay.
Among the hospital establishments recommended by the embassy are: Centro Médico La Costa (✆ +595 21 217 1717 - www.lacosta.com.py), Centro Médico Bautista (✆ +595 21 688 9000 - www.cmb.org.py), Instituto de Medicina Tropical, in case of dengue or other infectious diseases (✆ +595 21 292 464 - www.mspbs.gov.py) and Hospital de Trauma (road accident for example ✆ +595 21 204 800 - www.htrauma.gov.py). Please note that hospitalization costs can be very high in private hospitals, and we strongly advise you to take out serious insurance cover for medical expenses and medical repatriation.
Emergency numbers au Paraguay
Medical emergencies: 141
National police: 911
Fire department: 131/132
Securty au Paraguay
Paraguay does not have a high level of insecurity, especially when compared with its Latin American neighbors. Attacks on tourists are rare, but there has been an increase in common crime. It is therefore advisable to take the usual precautions as a traveler, who is always an easy target in a foreign country. Be vigilant and discreet, don't show signs of wealth by wearing valuables, be vigilant when leaving exchange offices or ATMs, and avoid groups of drunken supporters on match nights!
When you're not traveling around the country, leave your passport in a safe place and take a photocopy with you (main page + Paraguay entry stamp).
Certain popular districts and suburbs of the capital should be avoided day and night. La Chacarita, for example, in the heart of Asunción, should only be visited as part of an organized tour such as Chaca Tours. As a general rule, avoid deserted streets at night, as cabs and Uber are there to take you home.
If you are mugged, don't resist - robbers can be armed and panic. Always have a small sum of money to give them just in case. In the event of robbery or assault, the police authorities (911) are competent to receive your complaint (useful for your insurance).
LGBTQ au Paraguay
Paraguay is far from being a model of respect for LGBTQI+ rights. The legacy of the dictatorship still weighs heavily, and society remains deeply conservative. Even in Asunción, it's often frowned upon to openly display one's sexual orientation, at the risk of being mocked or insulted (physical assaults remain rare). Fortunately, attitudes are gradually changing, thanks to the work of associations committed to a more inclusive society. The somosgay.org website is a good source of information.
Embassies and consulates au Paraguay
There has beenno consulate in Asunción since 2016; the French Consulate General in Buenos Aires has jurisdiction over Paraguay (ar.ambafrance.org/-Consulat-général-à-Buenos-Aires-). The French Embassy in Paraguay (Avda General Santos 465 c/ España, Asunción) is not open to the public and should be contacted by e-mail. In the event of an absolute emergency (serious accident, assault, terrorist attack, disappearance, etc.), the Embassy can be reached on +595 971 995 656 from Monday to Thursday, from 07:30 to 12:30 and from 13:30 to 16:00, and on Friday from 07:30 to 14:00. Outside these hours, please contact the Consulate General in Buenos Aires on +54 9 11 4470 3202.
In the event of passport loss or theft, the embassy can only issue a "laissez-passer", to enable imminent travel. Buenos Aires is responsible for issuing a new passport. To facilitate this type of procedure, it is important that the consulate be informed of your presence in Paraguay via the Ariane website: pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fildariane/dyn/public/login.html
If you are settling in Paraguay for more than 6 months, it is advisable to register with the Register of French nationals established outside France, online: ar.ambafrance.org/Inscription-au-Registre-des-Français
The Union des Français au Paraguay - instagram.com/uniondesfrancaisduparaguay - is an unofficial volunteer organization whose aim is to help, inform, support and unite French people in Paraguay. Its president is Emmanuelle Boucardeau Carrière +595 973 104104
The Swiss Regional Consular Center in Buenos Aires - www.eda.admin.ch/eda/fr/dfae.html - provides protection and assistance to Swiss nationals in Paraguay.
The Belgian Embassy in Buenos Aires +54 11 4313 7272 - argentina.diplomatie.belgium.be/en - is the Belgian diplomatic representation for Paraguay. Consular section in Capiatá (Ruta 2, km 17,5 - Mrs. Ana Ceuppens +595 982 759 006 - [email protected]
The Canadian Embassy in Buenos Aires is Canada's diplomatic representation in Paraguay. Canada has a consulate in Asunción, Edificio Citicenter, Av. Mcal López 3794 - +595 21 227207 - [email protected]
Mail au Paraguay
To send a letter or postcard, go to Correos del Paraguay (Pte Franco N° 982 c/ Colon - correoparaguayo.gov.py) weekdays from 7am to 1pm. Between Europe and Paraguay, mail takes around 3 weeks. Count 19,000 Gs for a postcard or letter weighing less than 20 g. Postal mail is not widely used in Paraguay. To send letters or parcels locally, Paraguayans use theencomienda service provided by certain bus companies (such as NSA). FedEx and DHL are also present in Paraguay.
Local media au Paraguay
The main dailies, sold in the morning at traffic lights or in kiosks, are ABC Color, Última Hora and La Nación. They are owned by powerful businessmen who own soccer clubs, TV channels and telephone operators. Among the sensationalist newspapers, Crónica is the most full of hemoglobin photos, which should be avoided if you don't want to become paranoid. There are also German-language newspapers, due to Paraguay's large German-speaking community.
