Paraguay issues consular passports to natural-born and naturalised Paraguayans alike, and children born abroad to a Paraguayan parent are registered through the consulates. What governs everything afterwards is the record held by the identity department of the national police.
Quick facts
The verification chain is set out openly: the consulate sends the file to the foreign ministry’s passport office, which sends it to the identity department of the national police to confirm identity and personal details before anything is printed.
The sequence
| Step | What it produces | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Birth registration abroad | Paraguayan record | $20 |
| Identity card | National identification | Charged in Paraguay |
| Consular passport | Travel document | $55 |
| Name corrections | Through the police identity department | In Paraguay |
| Verification | Ministry, then national police | Part of every application |
Because the name recorded by that department is authoritative, fixing a discrepancy is done there and not at a consular counter, whatever the circumstances.
How to proceed
- Register the child’s birth at the post covering your area.
- Check that the registered name matches the parents’ documents.
- Arrange the identity card, which is handled in Paraguay.
- Apply for the consular passport once the card exists.
- Resolve any name discrepancy with the police identity department directly.
- Keep every document consistent from the beginning.
Required documents
- Child’s U.S. birth certificate, apostilled.
- Paraguayan parent’s identity card or passport.
- Proof of residence in the consular district.
- Photographs to the post’s specification.
- Completed forms for the specific service.
- Money order for the applicable fee.
Where to apply
At the embassy or a consulate general, which forward files to the authorities in Paraguay.
Additional notes
Get the name right at registration
It is far easier to register the correct name once than to correct it later through an office in Paraguay.
Naturalised citizens qualify too
The consular passport is available to naturalised Paraguayans as well as those born there.
Travel documents
Dual nationals enter and leave Paraguay on the Paraguayan passport and the United States on the U.S. one.
Four posts only
With such a small network, combining several procedures into one visit is worth planning.