🇵🇾 Paraguay
Is Paraguay Safe for Travel?
Paraguay is a welcoming and authentic destination nestled in the heart of South America, known for its Jesuit ruins, expansive Chaco wilderness, and vibrant bilingual culture where Guaraní is spoken alongside Spanish. For international visitors, Paraguay offers a relaxed pace and relatively low numbers of tourists. The security climate is generally stable in standard travel corridors like Asunción, Encarnación, and the Jesuit missions. However, caution is required regarding opportunistic street crime in urban centers, and distinct travel warnings apply to northern border departments affected by organized drug trafficking.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Northern border avoidance: Do not travel independently through Northern Border Departments, where transnational drug cartels and insurgent groups operate.
- Urban theft vigilance: Watch for motorcycle-riding thieves (motochorros) in Asunción Downtown and Riverfront Districts and Ciudad del Este. Keep mobile phones concealed while walking along sidewalks.
- Dengue prevention: Dengue and Chikungunya are major seasonal threats. Apply insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridin liberally, particularly during daytime mosquito-feeding hours.
- Yellow fever vaccination: Carry an official International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (yellow card), as immigration authorities mandate proof for entry from and exit to several South American destinations.
- Emergency numbers: Call 911 for police and general emergency assistance, or 132 for volunteer fire brigades (bomberos).
Personal Security & Public Safety
Crime, unrest, and the public-order risks that shape day-to-day safety.
Traveler Situations & Contexts
How risk shifts for solo travelers, nighttime transit, LGBTIQ+ travelers, and public transport.
Solo and Women Travelers
Paraguayans are polite and hospitable. Women traveling alone encounter occasional verbal compliments (piropos) but generally experience low risk of physical confrontation. In Asunción, rely on Uber or Bolt for transportation after dark rather than walking or taking city buses.
Border Shopping at Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este, on the Triple Frontier with Brazil and Argentina, is an intense, chaotic commercial bazaar. While bustling by day, fake goods, pickpockets, and scams are common. Do not carry large amounts of cash, avoid displaying expensive electronics, and leave the commercial center before shops close in the mid-afternoon.
Overland Road Travel
Driving in Paraguay requires caution due to unlit roadways, sudden potholes, and domestic livestock on rural routes. If driving into the Gran Chaco, ensure a well-equipped 4x4, carry extra fuel, water, and satellite communication.
Environmental & Natural Hazards
Weather extremes, seismic activity, and natural disaster exposure.
Paraguay experiences a subtropical to tropical climate. Summers (December to March) are oppressively hot and humid, with temperatures frequently reaching 42C in the Chaco. Severe electrical thunderstorms occur with little warning, dumping torrential rain that creates rapid street flooding in Asunción. Winter (June to August) is mild, though cold southern fronts (surazos) can drop temperatures close to freezing.
Named Regional Exceptions
Specific geographic areas where risks significantly deviate from the national baseline (2 active).
In the capital, the historic center around the Costanera and the National Pantheon is pleasant during daylight, but streets immediately bordering the informal settlements of La Chacarita suffer from frequent armed muggings. After business hours and on weekends, the downtown core empties, increasing vulnerability. If exploring Asunción's nightlife, travel in the modern neighborhoods of Villa Morra and Carmelitas rather than old downtown.
The Northern Border Departments, encompassing Amambay, Canindeyú, San Pedro, and Concepción, share porous borders with Brazil. Major Brazilian criminal factions (Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho) use these areas as primary transit routes for cocaine and marijuana trafficking. Targeted assassinations, shootouts, and military counter-insurgency operations against the EPP occur. Leisure travel to these departments is strongly discouraged.
Health & Diseases in Paraguay
Strict tripartite separation: endemic disease threats, recommended travel vaccines, and legally mandatory entry certificates.
Private medical centers in Asunción (such as Centro Médico La Costa and Sanatorio Migone) provide reliable care with modern diagnostic facilities. Public hospitals outside the capital are under-resourced, with frequent shortages of medicines and supplies. Medical evacuation insurance is recommended. Tap water in Asunción is treated, but bottled or boiled water is advisable, especially in the interior and the Chaco.
Yellow fever vaccination is highly recommended for all travelers and is legally mandatory for travelers arriving from or transiting endemic countries. Ensure your Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines are current. Travelers planning extended rural stays should consider rabies vaccination.
Endemic Disease Risks
Vector-borne and water-borne pathogens present in territory.
Recommended Vaccinations
Advised medical prophylaxis for general travelers.
Worth considering, depending on your trip.
Mandatory Entry Regulations
Legally enforced entry documentation required at border control.
Government Advisory Comparison
How the major government advisories compare, and where they genuinely disagree rather than just draw the boundary differently.
International government advisories share a consistent evaluation of Paraguay:
- United States: Advises normal precautions nationally, with increased caution for northern departments and the eastern border.
- United Kingdom (FCDO): Confirms most visits are trouble-free, advising against travel to specific rural zones of San Pedro and Concepción.
- Canada: Recommends exercising a high degree of caution, highlighting border crime and urban street theft.
- Australia: Advises a high degree of caution overall, citing bag snatching and organized crime risks in border corridors.
All governments agree that standard cultural and natural circuits are safe with routine precautions, while northern border areas require avoidance.
Sources
Official advisories and health surveillance bodies consulted for this brief.
- Government of Canada Travel Advice and Advisories Global Affairs Canada
- U.S. State Department travel advisories U.S. Department of State
- UK FCDO travel advice Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
- Smartraveller Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- WHO International travel and health World Health Organization
- CDC Travelers' Health U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Last reviewed: Sep 12, 2026
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