Working in Paraguay: no work visa needed, but a residencia, IPS and recognised diplomas
In Paraguay you need no separate work permit: as soon as your application for the residencia temporal is running, you may work. Since 1 July 2026 the minimum wage is 3,044,000 guaraní a month. As an employee you pay 9 % to the IPS, and income tax only above 80,000,000 guaraní a year. You have a foreign diploma recognised by the CONES.
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In Paraguay you do not apply for a separate work permit. Work depends on your residence: as soon as your application for the residencia temporal is running, you are a residente precario, and according to the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones you may then work. Your employer must let the migration service know that he employs a foreigner. Since 1 July 2026 the minimum wage is 3,044,000 guaraní a month.
| What | Amount or deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage, other occupations | 3,044,000 guaraní a month, since 1 July 2026 | MTESS |
| Minimum daily wage | 117,077 guaraní | MTESS |
| IPS, your share | 9 % of your wage | IPS |
| IPS, employer's share | 14 % plus 2.5 % | IPS |
| Income tax on wages | only above 80,000,000 guaraní gross a year | Ley 6380 |
| Rates | 8 % up to 50 million, 9 % up to 150 million, 10 % above | Ley 6380 |
| Thirteenth month, aguinaldo | exempt from income tax | Ley 6380 |
What do you need to be allowed to work?
A pending application for the residencia temporal, and then the residencia itself. When you apply, you declare under oath which profession or occupation you will practise in Paraguay. The migration law forbids discrimination against a foreigner with a residencia on the labour market, and obliges the employer to report to the migration service that he hires an immigrant. How to apply for the residencia is covered in the residence routes.
What counts when switching to permanent?
After two years you switch to the residencia permanente, and then you show what you live on. The migration service lists per occupational group what you hand in:
- Employee: proof of registration with the IPS, or an employment contract endorsed and registered by the Ministry of Labour.
- Self-employed: your registration as a taxpayer and your VAT returns for the last three months or your IRP return for the last year, with proof that you meet your tax obligations.
- Graduate or technician: your diploma, registered and endorsed by the Ministry of Education, plus proof that you actually practise the profession. The diploma alone is not enough.
- Remote worker: a statement from your employer with your income and the way it is paid, with an apostille and translation.
Have your Dutch employer or client draw up that statement the way the DNM asks for it: with the amount and the account it is paid into. A general employer's statement without income does not count as proof of means of support.
How does tax on wages work?
The personal income tax, the IRP, applies to wages for work in Paraguay. You fall under it as soon as your gross income from work in a year exceeds 80,000,000 guaraní. From then on you pay on your net income 8 % up to 50 million, 9 % on the part up to 150 million and 10 % above that. The thirteenth month, the aguinaldo, is exempt. To register with the tax authority you need a RUC; see registration and numbers.
If you work remotely for a Dutch employer, have an adviser in both countries work out where your wages are taxed. There is no tax treaty between the Netherlands and Paraguay; see AOW, pension and tax in Paraguay.
How do you have your diploma recognised?
You have a higher education diploma recognised by the CONES, the council for higher education. The list of documents is in Resolución 227 of 2024, the fees in Resolución 91 of 2024. The application runs online, through the government portal SPI.
For a health profession there is an extra step. The Ministry of Health only registers a doctor or nurse with a foreign diploma after an examination by the Instituto Nacional de Salud, with the CONES recognition and the homologation by the Ministry of Education attached. If you have already worked in the Netherlands, you also hand in a statement from your professional register.
Can you start a business?
Yes, and for investors there is a fast route. Anyone setting up a company through SUACE, the one-stop shop for new businesses, can get the residencia permanente straight away. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade you then have to show that you can invest at least 70,000 dollars within two years, and commit to at least five jobs for Paraguayans.
Your medical costs as an employee are covered in healthcare in Paraguay. The order of all the steps is in the route to Paraguay.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 2 of 5 of the journey, step 2.1: 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 2.1 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.
- Dirección Nacional de Migraciones — the residencia temporal, working as a residente precario — migraciones.gov.py
- Dirección Nacional de Migraciones — the annex with proof of income per category for the residencia permanente — migraciones.gov.py
- Ley 6984/2022 de Migraciones, article 7 — the employer reports a foreign employee (BACN) — bacn.gov.py
- Ministry of Labour — Resolución 670/2026, the minimum wage from 1 July 2026 — mtess.gov.py
- IPS — questions and answers for employees and employers, with the contributions — portal.ips.gov.py
- Ley 6380/2019, articles 56, 62 and 69 — the IRP on wages, the threshold and the rates (BACN) — bacn.gov.py
- CONES — recognition of foreign higher education diplomas — cones.gov.py
- Ministry of Public Health — registration of health professionals with a foreign diploma — controldeprofesiones.mspbs.gov.py
- Ministry of Industry and Trade — guide for foreign investors, 70,000 dollars and five jobs — mic.gov.py
- DNIT — the IRP, the rates of 8, 9 and 10 % on income from work — dnit.gov.py
- DNIT — Ley 6380/19, income from activities in Paraguay — dnit.gov.py
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