Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Paraguay, you are subject to its laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Paraguay, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not wherever you go.

Persons violating Paraguayan laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Paraguay are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. If you should find yourself in jail or legal trouble, you can contact the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy and consult the Embassy Website for a list of local attorneys.

Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Paraguay, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Paraguay’s customs authority may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from Paraguay of items such as firearms, medications, toys resembling weapons, or protected species. It is advisable to contact the Paraguayan Embassy in Washington, D.C., or one of Paraguay's consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements.

Paraguay does not recognize dual nationality for its citizens. According to Article 150 of the Paraguayan Constitution, naturalized Paraguayans may lose their nationality if they have an unjustified absence from the Republic of more than three years (as determined by a court), or by voluntary adoption of another nationality.

WOMEN TRAVELER INFORMATION: If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBT RIGHTS: There are no legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations or the organization of LGBT events in Paraguay.  For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Paraguay, you may review the State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013.  For further information on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our LGBT Travel Information page.

ACCESSIBILITY: While in Paraguay, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. Paraguayan law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical and mental disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, or the provision of other state services, and the government seeks to enforce these prohibitions. In 2011 the Technical Standards Committee No. 45 formulated accessibility regulations that mandate access to public buildings for persons with disabilities, empowering the government to penalize those schools or offices without access. However, little or no supervision of the enforcement of these regulations is implemented. The Presidential Program for Human Rights is responsible for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.

Access to buildings, pedestrian paths and transportation is extremely difficult for persons with disabilities. A few major shopping centers and residential buildings in the wealthier neighborhoods of Asuncion have access ramps and elevators. Most hospitals in major cities are also wheelchair accessible. However, sidewalks (if they exist) are often uneven and rarely have ramps at intersections. Pedestrian crossings are also very infrequent and traffic almost never gives pedestrians (disabled or otherwise) the right of way. Most, but not all cafés, restaurants, hotels, and residential buildings have stairs at the entrance without wheelchair ramps. Buses and taxis do not have special accommodations for disabled persons.