At some point, once you have your residency sorted and have received your cedula (identity card) you will need to apply for a Paraguayan Drivers Licence.
If you don’t have a cedula and are waiting for your residency application to process you are able to drive on the licence from “the country where you used to live”. The only exception to this is if you are planning on renting a car in Paraguay; in this situation you will need an International drivers licence, so it makes sense to apply for one before you leave the country where you live now.
Like many processes in Paraguay the application has a few parts and involves paperwork, and of course stamps! Keep in mind you also need to pay a yearly registration fee for your licence and this will need to be paid at the municipality that issued your original licence. If this ends up being a long way from where you originally applied for your licence you will need to essentially transfer your licence to the local municipality to make life easier.
Once you have gathered everything you will be good to go. First, you need to check the requirements at the Municipality where you live. We live in the Caacupé area, so these are the requirements for us. It is apparently easier in smaller places but keep in mind that you will need to go there to pay the yearly fee.
Here is a list of what you need:
- Your cedula – photocopied
- A card confirming your blood type – you can easily organise this test at a local clinic
- A valid First Aid Certificate – this training is conducted by the local fire brigade (Bomberos). If you contact your local fire brigade they will be able to help you
- Certificado de Vida Y Residencia – this is proof of your address. You need a form from the Police Station and verification from two other people that have cedula’s. They will need to fill out their details and you will need photo’s of their cedula – both sides. You take this back to the police station and they issue you with the certificate that is valid for 3 months. You need to tell them it’s for a Drivers Licence
- Drivers Licence theory test/vision & hearing test – In Caacupé this is on the same street as the municipality so it’s easy to find. Ask around for your local one. Again there may be a variation in the requirements for the test. Our experience was very relaxed and you don’t need to do any pre study even if you can’t speak Spanish.
Once you have gathered all these documents then you need to take all the information to the Municipality and they will issue your Drivers Licence.
Once issued your Drivers Licence is valid for 5 years and you pay a renewal fee each year to the Municipality. This payment is due on the 1st April each year but it’s a good idea to pay it earlier to avoid the queues as everyone renews at the same time. You need to update your First Aid Certificate every two years. If you have a motorbike you need to apply for both a car licence and a motorbike licence – they are separate.
So after jumping through a few hoops you will be street legal! Make sure you take a photo of both sides of your Drivers Licence in case you need a replacement.
Initially these processes seems very complex but they aren’t – they are just different. If you have any questions about applying for a licence in Paraguay just email us [email protected].