Car and driving licence in Paraguay: ten years old is the limit, your licence lasts three months
A used car may only enter Paraguay if it is no older than ten years, counted from the year it was built. It does not fall under the exemption for your household goods. Your Dutch driving licence is valid for three months after arrival. After that you need a licence from your municipality; the traffic agency mentions no exchange agreement with the Netherlands.
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A used car may enter Paraguay if it is no older than ten years. That is set out in Ley 4333 of 2011, and it is counted from the year it was built to the year it is shipped from the country of origin. Your Dutch driving licence is valid for three months after arrival. After that you get a licence from the municipality. The traffic agency's page on exchanging driving licences lists only Chile, not the Netherlands.
| What | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Age of a used car | at most 10 years, from year built to shipment | Ley 4333/11 |
| Classic sports car | older is allowed, if customs recognises it as a collector's item | Ley 4333/11 |
| Steering wheel | on the left, or moved to the left | Ley 4333/11 |
| Exemption as removal goods | no, cars are excluded | DNIT |
| Dutch driving licence | 3 months after arrival | Ley 5016/14 |
| Driving licence category Extranjero | valid for 1 year | Ley 5016/14 |
| Paraguayan driving licence | valid for up to 5 years | Ley 5016/14 |
| Exporting at the RDW | € 12.00 | RDW |
May your car come along?
Only if it is young enough. Ley 4333 prohibits the import of used vehicles more than ten years old, from any origin. The exception is a classic sports car, if customs recognises it as a collector's item that is only driven on special occasions. The law further requires that the steering wheel is on the left, or is moved to the left, and that the air conditioning does not use CFC-11 or CFC-12.
Customs classifies a car as new or used. A car that has driven more than 150 kilometres counts as used.
Your car does not fall under the exemption for your household goods. The DNIT expressly excludes cars, motorbikes and motorhomes from the luggage scheme, and for the exemption for people coming to live it only lists furniture, household goods and tools. Have a customs broker, a despachante de aduana, work out in advance what import duties you will pay for your car.
How do you register it?
At the Registro de Automotores, which falls under the judiciary. For the first registration you hand in the deed, two certified copies of the certificado de nacionalización, the proof that the car was imported, and a verification certificate from an inspection station.
What do you arrange with the RDW?
You deregister the car for export, at an RDW location or an approved export company. At the RDW that costs € 12.00. You receive the export certificate, registration certificate part II, and you need it together with your registration card to register the car abroad. You can no longer apply for a new registration certificate after the export.
After deregistration you may drive in the Netherlands for 14 more days with an export plate. Because Paraguay is outside the EU, you also file an export declaration with Dutch Customs.
How long is your Dutch licence valid?
Under Ley 5016 a foreign driving licence is valid for at most three months, counted from your arrival. It must be valid, and you may drive in the category shown on it.
After that there are two routes. The law has a driving licence in the Extranjero category. You get it on showing your foreign licence and your carnet from the migration service. It is valid for one year, for a car or a truck up to 2,000 kilos. Or you obtain a regular Paraguayan licence, which is valid for up to five years.
What does the municipality ask for?
The municipality issues the licence. The law lists a medical examination, a theory and a practical test, proof of first-aid knowledge and proof of your blood group. Anyone who cannot read and write Spanish or Guaraní does not get a regular licence; for the Extranjero category that requirement does not apply. Which tests the municipality sets for the Extranjero category is not stated in the law. Ask your municipality.
The number of your licence is the number of your cédula or of your carnet de residencia. See registration and numbers.
What else do you bring?
What may and may not go with your removal goods is covered in household goods to Paraguay. The order of all the steps is in the route to Paraguay.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.3: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Paraguay or go straight to step 4.3 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Ley 4333/11 — import ban on used cars older than ten years (BACN) — bacn.gov.py
- DNIT — frequently asked questions, cars fall outside the exemption for luggage and household goods — dnit.gov.py
- DNIT — Resolución General 31/25, how customs classifies a car as new or used — dnit.gov.py
- Poder Judicial, Registro de Automotores — the documents to register a car — pj.gov.py
- Ley 5016/14 Nacional de Tránsito y Seguridad Vial, articles 24 to 27 — the driving licence (BACN) — bacn.gov.py
- Agencia Nacional de Tránsito y Seguridad Vial — exchanging driving licences, only Chile on the page — antsv.gov.py
- RDW — exporting a vehicle, costs and export certificate — rdw.nl
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