The consulates put it plainly: for an official or notarised document issued in the United States to be valid in Paraguay, it must carry the Hague Apostille. There is no consular substitute, and a document without one will not be accepted.
Quick facts
A practical convenience worth knowing: where you cannot attend in person, the consulates accept documents by mail or courier, provided the outbound shipment has a tracking number and you include a prepaid return envelope that also has one. The shipping risk is yours.
Fees breakdown
| Item | Cost | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Apostille on a U.S. state document | $3–$25 per document | Secretary of State of that state |
| Apostille on a U.S. federal document | $20 per document | U.S. Department of State |
| Apostille on a Paraguayan document | Charged in Paraguay | Foreign ministry |
| Consular legalisation of documents | Published tariff | Money order only |
| Certified translation | Per page | Into Spanish |
Payment is by money order or cashier check made out to the consulate. No post in the network takes cash, personal checks or cards.
How to prepare a document for Paraguay
- Order a certified copy from the issuing office, or notarise the private document.
- Obtain the apostille from the Secretary of State of the issuing state.
- Arrange the Spanish translation where the receiving office requires one.
- Book the online appointment, or prepare a courier shipment with tracking.
- Include a prepaid return envelope with its own tracking number.
- Pay by money order made out exactly as instructed.
Required documents
- Original document with the apostille attached.
- Spanish translation where required.
- Copy of your identification.
- Money order or cashier check for the fee.
- Prepaid tracked return envelope for postal filings.
What the consulates do
They issue consular passports, register births and other civil events, legalise documents, execute powers of attorney and provide assistance to Paraguayans in difficulty.
Additional notes
The postal route is genuinely useful
With only four posts in the country, many Paraguayans are hundreds of miles from one. Filing by courier avoids a long journey for document work.
Tracking on both legs
Both the outbound shipment and the return envelope need tracking numbers. Missing either is a common reason a file is not processed.
Order two copies
Paraguayan offices keep what they receive, and apostilles are cheap to obtain twice and slow to repeat.
Never apostille a photocopy
The certificate attaches to an original or a certified copy from the record keeper.