Equipo ViaParaguay
Paraguay ranks 6th in the Global Retirement Report 2026, the index from international mobility consultancy Global Citizen Solutions (GCS) that compares 46 residency programs designed for retirees, passive-income earners and non-lucrative visas, one per country. Paraguay scores 98.2 points, according to GCS.
The ranking: who is on top
The index was updated on October 12, 2026. According to GCS, the top five are Uruguay (99.9), Mauritius (99.8), Spain (99.6), Costa Rica (99.5) and Portugal (99.3). Paraguay (98.2) comes sixth, ahead of Latvia, Andorra, Italy and Greece, which complete the top 10. In the previous edition Paraguay was 13th with 85.77 points; the seven-place jump comes with a methodology GCS updated this year.
What the index measures
GCS weighs five factors: procedure, citizenship and mobility, quality of life, tax optimization, and costs and investment. In the areas the consultancy highlights for Paraguay, the country ranks 8th on procedure and scores 97.7 points on costs and investment. On tax, GCS describes a territorial system, with income tax of up to 10% and no inheritance tax; property tax and a 10% value-added tax (VAT) also apply. For the details of the regime, see our guide to personal income tax (IRP).
What the path to residency looks like today
The legal basis is Migration Law 6984/2022. The usual path starts with temporary residency and, after that period, applicants request permanent status. At that second stage, Resolution 407/2026 of the National Directorate of Migration (DNM), the agency that handles residencies, now applies: signed on May 28, 2026 and applicable to applications filed from July 6, it brings rules previously spread across six different instruments into a single annex and organizes the proof of economic solvency into 12 categories. Retirees and pensioners are among them and present a certificate of retirement or pension showing the amount received and the payment channel. Temporary-residency requirements do not change.
There is also a direct route: the Paraguay Investor Pass, launched on April 17, 2026, which grants direct permanent residency, without going through temporary status, to those who make a verifiable investment in the country, starting at USD 70,000 in productive investment.
Where to go next
For anyone considering a move, the residency guide by nationality details the steps by country of origin, and the fiscal residency guide explains how immigration residency differs from tax residency. If you want help building your case, contact us.