Buy Paraguayan ID Card: What to know before you get one

Alright, so, I was looking into getting a Paraguayan ID card, you know, the “Cédula de Identidad” thingy. Seemed like a bit of a process, but I was determined. Here’s how it went down.

First off, I dug around to figure out what I needed to do. Turns out, there are a couple of ways to go about it. One is the whole naturalization route, where you live there for three years, get a temporary residence permit for two years, then either find a job or start a business. Yeah, that’s the long game. I also found out about this “family ties” thing, which is quicker if you have some kind of connection to Paraguay. Luckily, I did not, so it was the long road for me.

Then there’s the whole dual nationality thing. From what I gathered, Paraguay is cool with it, but only if there’s some kind of international treaty or agreement between countries. Article 149 of their Constitution, or something like that.

So, I started gathering my documents. I needed my ID from back home, a copy of my consular visa, you know, the usual stuff. I made sure everything was valid and up to date. Then I submitted my application to the foreigners’ card office after getting my residency sorted. The wait time was supposed to be about 10 days, but who knows with these things?

The tricky part was when I actually got there. I was missing some document that nobody told me about. Not even the agent I hired to help me out! Classic, right? Anyway, I had to go back and get that sorted, which was a pain in the butt.

• Step 1: Research the requirements and different paths to getting a Paraguayan ID card.
• Step 2: Gather all necessary documents, like my home country ID and a copy of my consular visa.
• Step 3: Apply for residency, wait 10 days or so.
• Step 4: Go to the foreigners’ card office to submit my application for the ID card.
• Step 5: Deal with the unexpected hiccup of a missing document.
• Step 6: Get the missing document and go back to the office.
• Step 7: Finally, submit the complete application and wait for processing.
• Step 8: Collect my new ID card.

After jumping through all those hoops, I finally got my hands on that ID card. It was a bit of a headache, but hey, now I have a “Cédula de Identidad” and can prove my identity and residence in Paraguay. All in all, it was an interesting experience. If you’re thinking about doing this, just be prepared for some bumps along the way. And make sure you have all your paperwork in order!

I hope this little adventure of mine is helpful to someone out there. It’s definitely doable, but be ready for a bit of a wild ride.