Paraguay, one of the least-visited countries in South America, is in the midst of a tourism revival—landing its capital Asunción as one of Condé Nast Traveler’s best places to go in 2026.
With natural wonders like the iconic Saltos del Monday waterfall, and historic UNESCO sites like the Jesuit Missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná, the landlocked country between Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia is slowly making the radar of international tourists.
So don’t be too surprised if you visit and then end up wanting to permanently extend your trip. For travelers interested in making Paraguay their second home, the government has just announced a new golden visa for foreign investors.
On April 17, Paraguay’s Migration Department and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce announced the launch of a residency-by-investment visa, known as the Paraguay Investor Pass. The concept is simple: Investors can receive permanent residency status in exchange for a $150,000 investment in “tourism projects,” or $200,000 in stocks or real estate. With that, pass holders also get to pay a decreased dividend tax rate (8% instead of 15%) and bypass the need for temporary residency status.
For the central South American country, the program offers a pathway to driving global investment and stimulating the local economy. For travelers, a home base in Paraguay also means easy access to its next-door neighbors Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina.
Paraguay may be one of the least-visited countries in the region, but in the first quarter of 2025, it saw a 53% increase in international tourists compared to the same period the year prior. On the residency front, the country is also expected to receive 80,000 residency applications in 2026—up from 28,000 in 2024—with the majority of applicants coming from Brazil, according to a news release.
It should come as no surprise that Paraguay has increasingly stepped into the global spotlight. Asunción alone boasts a burgeoning food scene, one-of-a-kind cultural institutions, and new boutique hotel properties—in addition to offering close proximity to unique wildlife in nearby national parks like Ybycuí National Park and Cerro Corá National Park.
The country is one of several that have recently launched residency-by-investment programs, each with varying levels of financial requirements. New Zealand’s Business Investor Work Visa requires at least $1 million New Zealand Dollars (about $567,300) for a three-year work-to-residency track, while in Greece, non-European Union citizens must invest at least 250,000 euros (about $291,120) in a startup to obtain a five-year residence permit. Paraguay’s new program is substantially more affordable, which could make it a worthwhile investment for those seeking a South American home away from home.
