Moving guides
From Germany to Paraguay
What changes in tax when you move from Germany to Paraguay: what you pay today, what you would pay there and the rules Germany applies when you leave.
What you would save
With €150,000 a year in dividends or foreign income, compared as a genuine resident of each country.
Leaving Germany
- Residence (Wohnsitz, s. 8 AO). You are resident if you have a home in Germany that you keep and can use, owned or rented. Even a room kept available for you can count. Days spent are not decisive.
- Habitual abode (gewoehnlicher Aufenthalt, s. 9 AO). You are resident if you stay in Germany for more than six months in a row. The six months can span two calendar years, and short trips away do not break the period.
Rules that can follow you after leaving
- Extended limited tax liability for 10 years (s. 2 AStG). German nationals resident at least 5 of the last 10 years who move to a low-tax country and keep substantial German economic interests stay taxable on a wider range of German income for 10 years after the year they leave.
- Inheritance and gift tax follows German nationals for 5 years. German nationals remain fully liable to German inheritance and gift tax for 5 years after leaving; s. 4 AStG can extend this to 10 years for moves to low-tax countries.
Exit tax in Germany
Wegzugsbesteuerung (s. 6 AStG) and fund units (s. 19(3) InvStG)
- Shareholding in a company of at least 1% at any time in the last 5 years (s. 17 EStG), held privately, wherever the company is.
- Unlimited German tax liability for at least 7 of the last 12 years before leaving (rule since 2022).
- Since 1 January 2025, also investment fund units held privately if you hold at least 1% of a fund or the fund units cost at least EUR 500,000 (tested per fund).
Deemed sale at market value. The gain on company shares is taxed under the partial income method: 60% of the gain is taxed at personal income tax rates (up to 45% plus solidarity surcharge).
Arriving in Paraguay
Personal income: 0% abroad · Company tax: 10%
Temporary then permanent residency, or via SUACE by setting up a company with low capital.
No strict minimum to keep residency; for the tax certificate you should live there most of the year.
Only income earned in Paraguay is taxed, at 10%. Few tax treaties and far from Europe.
Living there
Steps to residency
- 4 weeksApostille and translate birth certificate and police record
- 2 weeksApply for temporary residence at Migraciones (or SUACE for investors)
- 4 weeksReceive temporary residence card and get cedula
- 1 weeksObtain RUC tax number at DNIT
About 11 weeks in total
Official websites: Tax authority · Immigration
Approximate figures that change often; check them before deciding.