How to Obtain a Passport Visa for Travel to Paraguay

Last week, I overreacted when the Los Angeles Consulate of Paraguay was closed on Friday due to Easter. I went back to the Los Angeles Paraguayan consulate near LAX Airport on Monday at 9am and the process was very simple. There was basically no one waiting and only one person was working in the office. I handed over my passport, visa application, a passport photo, and $160 USD in cash. He told me that it would be available for pick up the next day!

I was ecstatic about the fast turnaround time and shocked at how simple this was. I went back Tuesday morning and had my passport back within 24 hours! This is what a Paraguayan VISA looks like. It’s good for multiple entries into Paraguay valid for entry up to 90 days each time.

Here are the steps I took to obtain a multiple entry visa to Paraguay which is good for the life of your passport.

1. Fill out the Paraguayan visa form in .DOC format or .PDF format. I prefer the .DOC format because it’s editable into Microsoft Word, whereas the PDF isn’t edit friendly.

2. Obtain a passport picture. Contrary to what the website said, you only need to submit 1 passport photo (website said two) and tape it on the top left corner of the visa application.

3. Have $160 USD ready in cash if you’re going in person.

4. Find your nearest consulate. There aren’t many Paraguayan consulates available in the world, so you might have to resort to an online passport visa processing service (extra cost).

I highly recommend getting a physical passport visa to Paraguay instead of the VISA on Arrival. A physical passport visa allows you to enter Paraguay from the borders of Brazil and Argentina without heading to Asuncion International Airport. In addition, a physical visa ensures that you can enjoy Paraguay multiple times for $160 whereas if you received a visa on arrival stamp, it’s only good for 90 days for the same price.