Apostille and Sworn Translation for Paraguay Residency

Foreign documents for Paraguay residency must be apostilled in the country that issued them (or legalized through the Paraguayan consulate if that country is not in the Hague Apostille Convention), then translated into Spanish. Portuguese-language documents issued by Brazil are the exception: they need the apostille but usually no translation (Migraciones can still ask for one if a document is unclear).

The short answer

Get each original document apostilled by the designated authority in the country that issued it. Then have it translated into Spanish. Ley 6984/2022 (Art. 50) accepts a Spanish translation by a traductor público matriculado in Paraguay, or by a public translator authorized in the country where they work; in that case the translation itself must be apostilled or legalized. Our strong recommendation: whenever the Supreme Court register has a sworn translator for your document's language, have the translation done in Paraguay. A translation from abroad is best kept for languages with no registered translator.

Which documents need an apostille

For ordinary temporary residency, the documents issued abroad that need an apostille or legalization are:

Birth certificate.
Criminal record certificate, national or federal level, from the country where you lived for the last 3 years. Required from age 14. From Canada, see how to get the RCMP check from Paraguay.
Civil status certificate, if it applies: marriage certificate, divorce decree, or your spouse's death certificate.

Your passport is not apostilled; Migraciones asks for the original plus a notarized copy. Temporary residency does not require proof of economic solvency. See the full list on our checklist and in our residency guide.

Teens: the criminal record is required from age 14, and under 14 no criminal record is needed. Teens aged 14 to 18 can be exempt when the issuing country does not issue the certificate at that age (Resolución DNM N° 858/2024, Arts. 1 and 2). That applies to teens from Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela, or from other countries with a document showing their country does not issue one at that age.

Apostille vs consular legalization

What an apostille is and who issues it

An apostille is a certificate under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention that lets a public document from one member country be used in another. It is issued by the designated authority in the country where the document comes from, never in Paraguay. Paraguay's own apostille is only valid abroad, not inside Paraguay. Migraciones accepts documents apostilled in a Hague member country without any further legalization.

When you need consular legalization instead

If the issuing country is not a party to the Convention, the document is legalized instead: first at the Paraguayan consulate in the issuing country, then at the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores in Asunción. You can check your country on the HCCH status table. Membership alone is not always enough: the Convention applies between Paraguay and another member only if that country did not object to Paraguay joining (Apostille Convention, Art. 12). Germany objected, so German documents needed consular legalization until the Convention took effect between the two countries on 6 January 2022; since then the apostille is enough, plus the Spanish translation, which we recommend having done in Paraguay by a registered sworn translator (HCCH notifications for Paraguay).

Common mistake: apostilling the wrong thing

Apostille the original official document, not a photocopy, and not only the translation. Some authorities will apostille a certified true copy of a birth certificate, but we recommend always using originals.

Translating into Spanish

The rule: two accepted options

Ley 6984/2022 (Art. 50) accepts a Spanish translation by a traductor público matriculado in Paraguay, or by a public translator authorized in the country where they work; in that case the translation itself must be apostilled or legalized. Our strong recommendation: whenever the Supreme Court register has a sworn translator for your document's language, have the translation done in Paraguay. A translation from abroad is best kept for languages with no registered translator. The Migraciones temporary residency checklist states the same rule. Registered translators in Paraguay are listed by the Corte Suprema de Justicia; you can check the official dataset. No apostille is needed on a translation made by a registered translator in Paraguay.

Translating abroad

You can also have the document translated abroad by a public translator authorized in the country where they work. In that case, the translated version must itself be apostilled or legalized.

Two more routes Migraciones accepts

A Migraciones resolution on accepting documents in residency files adds two narrower routes (Res. DNM 754/2024, Annex I, Art. 6):

Through another language: a translation into a language other than Spanish, made abroad and legalized or apostilled, then translated into Spanish in Paraguay. This route is accepted only when the Corte Suprema de Justicia's register has no traductor público matriculado for the language of the original document.
By your country's authority: a Spanish translation made by the competent authority of your country based in Paraguay, or accredited to Paraguay from another country, legalized by the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.

Neither route replaces the two options above. The "no registered translator" condition applies only to the route through another language, not to a translation made abroad directly into Spanish.

Brazilian documents in Portuguese: usually no translation

Migraciones exempts Portuguese-language documents issued by Brazil from translation (Migraciones temporary residency checklist). It can still ask for a translation if a document is unclear, and other Brazilian documents, such as income proofs for permanent residency, may need one: the 2000 Mercosur agreement on translation of immigration documents covers the passport, ID card, birth and marriage certificates and the criminal record certificate, and lets the authority ask for a translation when there are well-founded doubts about a document's content (Mercosur agreement of 15 December 2000, Arts. 2 and 4). They still need the apostille.

Step by step: the correct order

Order the original document from the issuing authority.
Apostille it in the issuing country (or legalize it at the Paraguayan consulate if the country is not in the Convention).
Translate it into Spanish, with a traductor público matriculado in Paraguay or with a public translator authorized in the country where they work. If you translate abroad, apostille or legalize the translation too.
Make notarized copies in Paraguay (copias autenticadas at an escribanía) of the full chain: the original, its apostille and its translation. Migraciones asks for original plus copy and returns originals only against notarized copies.
File with Migraciones in person at the head office in Asunción.

Timing and validity

Your criminal record must still be valid (vigente) when you file. If the certificate states no validity period, Migraciones counts it as valid for 6 months from its date of issue (Res. DNM 754/2024, Annex I, Art. 4.1). An expired certificate can still be accepted if it was valid when you entered Paraguay, it expired no more than 12 months ago, and you have not left Paraguay since you entered (up to one year), as your migration record or other documents must show (Art. 4.2). Order it last.

Mistakes that get applications rejected

Missing apostille or legalization on a foreign document.
A translation made abroad without its own apostille or legalization.
The wrong level of certificate: the criminal record must be national or federal. Mexico is a special case and needs both the federal and the state certificate (Resolución DNM N° 1272/2024, Art. 1), for Mexican citizens and for anyone who lived there more than a year in the last 3 years.
Bringing originals without notarized copies.

How Clarity Paraguay helps with your documents

Not sure which authority apostilles your documents? As part of our residency services, Clarity Paraguay reviews each document before you order it, coordinates the translation in Paraguay, and checks everything against Migraciones requirements. We work with clients of any nationality and documents in any language. See temporary residency and permanent residency, or book a free 15-minute call.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get my documents apostilled in Paraguay?
No. Foreign documents are apostilled by the designated authority in the country that issued them. Paraguay's apostille is only for Paraguayan documents used abroad.

Do I need to translate my documents into Spanish for Paraguay residency?
Yes, if they are not in Spanish. The exception is Portuguese-language documents issued by Brazil, unless Migraciones asks for a translation because a document is unclear.

Who can translate documents for Paraguayan immigration?
Ley 6984/2022 (Art. 50) accepts a Spanish translation by a traductor público matriculado in Paraguay, or by a public translator authorized in the country where they work; in that case the translation itself must be apostilled or legalized. Our strong recommendation: whenever the Supreme Court register has a sworn translator for your document's language, have the translation done in Paraguay. A translation from abroad is best kept for languages with no registered translator. A Migraciones resolution also accepts two narrower routes: a translation through another language, only when no registered translator exists for the original language, and a translation by your country's authority in Paraguay legalized by the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Res. DNM 754/2024, Annex I, Art. 6).

Do Brazilian documents need translation in Paraguay?
Usually not: Portuguese documents issued by Brazil are exempt from translation. Migraciones can still ask for a translation if a document is unclear, and other Brazilian documents, such as income proofs for permanent residency, may need one. They still need the apostille.

What if my country is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention?
Legalize the document at the Paraguayan consulate in your country, then at the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores in Asunción.

Can I translate my documents at home before traveling?
Yes. A public translator authorized in your country can translate them, and the translation itself must then be apostilled or legalized (Ley 6984/2022, Art. 50). Our strong recommendation: whenever the Supreme Court register has a sworn translator for your document's language, have the translation done in Paraguay. A translation from abroad is best kept for languages with no registered translator.

Does my teenager need a criminal record certificate?
From age 14, yes. Teens aged 14 to 18 can be exempt if their country does not issue the certificate at that age, with proof where required.

Do I apostille the original or a copy?
The original. Some authorities will apostille a certified true copy of a birth certificate, but we recommend originals. In Paraguay you then make notarized copies of the whole chain for Migraciones.

This article is general information and not legal advice. Requirements change; confirm with the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones before you act.

Official sources

How to Apostille and Translate Your Documents for Paraguay Residency