Order Paraguayan driving license: What you need to know

So, I’ve been meaning to sort out my driver’s license situation here in Paraguay. It’s been on my to-do list for a while, and I finally got around to doing it. I figured I’d share my experience in case any of you are in the same boat.

First things first, I did some digging online to get a feel for what I needed to do. Turns out, as a foreigner, you gotta have a valid international driving permit (IDP) along with your driver’s license from back home. Makes sense, right? It’s like a universal translator for your license, especially if it is not in English or Spanish. And it is useful when renting a car.

I started by figuring out where to get this IDP thing sorted. In my case, it was straightforward – any American Auto Club office. I think I paid around 30 bucks for it? Not too shabby. It is said that the lowest driving age is 17 and below in some countries like Australia, Canada and so on.

With my IDP in hand, I felt like I was halfway there. But I still needed to get the actual Paraguayan license. Some folks online mentioned that you gotta head to Asuncion to get your photo taken. I booked a trip, snapped a pic, and boom, one step closer.

• Step 1: Gathered necessary documents, including my passport and driver’s license from my home country.
• Step 2: Obtained an International Driving Permit (IDP) from the American Auto Club office.
• Step 3: Traveled to Asuncion to get my photo taken for the Paraguayan driver’s license.

Once you’ve got your cedula (which is like your ID here), getting the license is a piece of cake. They say you can get it done in a single day. I mean, it was super-fast. I went in, filled out some forms, paid the fee—which, by the way, was around G$ 75 thousand for private cars and G$ 70 thousand for motorcycles—and waited a bit.

Oh, and you gotta be at least 18 and know how to read and write in Spanish or Guarani, unless you’re a foreigner, then I guess they let it slide. And I saw some folks breezing through the process, so I figured it’d be a walk in the park.

The Final Stretch

Before I knew it, they handed me my shiny new Paraguayan driver’s license. It felt good to finally have it in my hands. Now I can hit the roads here without any worries. Well, except for the usual driving stuff, you know?

Anyway, that’s my little adventure in getting my driver’s license sorted out in Paraguay. If any of you are planning to do the same, hopefully, my experience can be of some help. Just remember to do your research, gather your documents, and be prepared for a bit of waiting around. You’ll get there eventually!