This guide outlines how a property purchase works in Paraguay and who handles each part. I help with the search and coordinate with the professionals involved. The deed is drawn up by a notary (escribano), and the legal or tax side of your case is handled by someone qualified to do it.
Who can buy
Paraguay's Constitution guarantees private property (art. 109) and the equality of persons (art. 46). In the official laws we reviewed, the only nationality-based restriction we found is Law 2532/05, which sets a 50 km border security zone.
Under that law, within the zone, nationals of neighbouring countries (and companies mostly made up of them) cannot own, co-own or hold usufruct over rural property unless the Executive authorises it by decree. It refers to rural property, not to city apartments. Even so, the notary confirms each case before signing.
Who is involved
- The seller: the current owner or, for an off-plan purchase, the project's developer.
- The notary: checks the property's paperwork and draws up the public deed.
- The General Directorate of Public Registries (Dirección General de los Registros Públicos): part of the judiciary under the Supreme Court, it runs the Real Estate Registry where the deed is recorded.
- DNIT (the national tax authority) and the municipality, for taxes.
- Me, as a real estate advisor: I help you search and compare, arrange viewings and the reservation, and put you in touch with the notary or any other professional you need. I am not a notary, lawyer or paperwork agent.
The steps, in general terms
- Choose and reserve. Once you pick a unit, you sign a reservation with the seller. Read what happens to the deposit if the purchase does not go ahead.
- Check the title and registry reports. Before the deed, the notary checks that the seller is the registered owner and the property's status in the Registry (for example, mortgages or liens).
- Sign the deed. Buyer and seller sign before the notary, and the agreed payment is made.
- Record it in the Registry. The deed is recorded in the Real Estate Registry of the General Directorate of Public Registries.
- Settle the taxes that apply, as outlined below.
Why recording matters: in a ruling published by Paraguay's judiciary, the Supreme Court notes that unrecorded acts and contracts cannot be enforced against third parties. Until it is recorded, your purchase is not protected against others.
Buying off-plan
For a project under construction, you usually sign a purchase agreement with the developer (boleto de compraventa) and pay in instalments during construction. The deed comes later, when the contract says.
The agreement does not make you the owner yet: in the same ruling, the Court states that it gives the buyer no rights in rem over the property. So it is worth having a notary or lawyer you trust read the agreement before you sign, especially the deadlines, what happens if construction runs late and when the deed is signed.
Taxes and fees, in general terms
- VAT (IVA): administered by DNIT. Some property sales carry VAT, mainly when the seller is a company. Ask the seller whether the price includes it.
- Property tax (impuesto inmobiliario): paid yearly on the property's fiscal value. Since Law 7424/2025, DNIT sets that value and the municipality where the property sits collects the tax.
- Deed and registration: involve the notary's fees and Registry charges. Ask for a written quote before signing.
What you owe in your case is worked out by the notary or an accountant.
The money
The cleanest route is a bank transfer to the account named in the contract, keeping every receipt. If you bring cash into Paraguay, DNIT notes there is no maximum amount, but anything over USD 10,000 (or its equivalent) must be declared in the electronic traveller declaration system (Resolution DNA 475/2021).
According to SEPRELAD, real estate agencies are obliged parties under anti-money-laundering rules (Law 1015/97, amended by Law 6960). It is normal to be asked for documents on the source of funds.
How I can help
Tell me what you are looking for, your budget and your timeline. I show you options, arrange viewings or video calls, handle the reservation with the seller and connect you with the notary for the checks and the deed. If you are abroad, we keep going on WhatsApp.
Two examples of off-plan purchases I market: Habitalis Jardín (Recoleta, Villa Morra area) and La Huella (San Lorenzo, Pinedo area).
What we checked and what we didn't
- We do not publish VAT or property tax rates: DNIT's page on VAT for property sales is a 2009 ruling under the previous law, and the property tax is changing under Law 7424/2025.
- We found no official source for notary fees, Registry charges or registration times, so there are no amounts or timeframes here.
- The documents a non-resident foreigner needs to sign the deed (passport, tax ID, translations) are confirmed by the notary in each case.
- We do not cover what you may need to declare or pay in your home country: an accountant there can tell you.
Official sources
Information checked in October 2026
- Library and Archive of the National Congress (BACN), National Constitution, article index (art. 46, equality of persons; art. 109, private property).
- BACN, Law 2532/05, border security zone (arts. 1, 2 and 5).
- Judiciary of Paraguay, General Directorate of Public Registries (Real Estate Registry).
- Judiciary of Paraguay, case law on purchase agreements and registration.
- DNIT, fiscal valuation of property (Law 7424/2025 and Decree 5305/2026).
- DNIT, rules for travellers (Resolution DNA 475/2021).
- SEPRELAD, obliged parties (Law 1015/97, amended by Law 6960).
General information. For your specific case, we'll put you in touch with the right professional.
