Start a Business in Paraguay

Paraguay's Business-Friendly Haven...

Under the Paraguayan Constitution, everybody (whether Paraguayan or foreign) has the right to go into any business sector they wish, provided only that the activity is legal. No specific permission from the government is required. You just have to inform them, then go ahead and start your business.

Paraguay really rolls out the red carpet for foreign business people and it is easy to gain the attention of high-level government officials, even if your project is relatively small—one of the benefits of doing business in a small economy.

Formation Of Companies In Paraguay

By Latin American standards, it’s quite easy and inexpensive to form a company in Paraguay, though you should not think of a Paraguayan company as an offshore, IBC-type vehicle.

The main Paraguayan company types are LLCs (known as SRLs in Spanish) and SAs (socidedades anonimas, or companies with share capital). The main differences can be summarized as follows:

Details	SRL	SA
Minimum capital	None, but the capital specified must be at least 50% paid in	None, but must be adequate for the business to be undertaken
Number of members	Between 2 and 25	At least 2 shareholders
Form of shares	Non transferable participations	Bearer or registered shares
Managers and/or directors	Minimum 1, must be Paraguayan citizen or resident	Minimum 1 director, must be Paraguayan citizen or resident, plus 1 internal auditor
Other important features	May not engage in banking, insurance, or financial services business	May apply for stock exchange listing
Time to set up	Almost immediate	45–60 days