Healthcare in Paraguay (2026): public system, IPS, private insurance and entry rules

The three layers

The public system

The 1992 Constitution declares health a fundamental right and orders a national health system coordinating the public and private sectors (Arts. 68–69); Law 1032/96 creates it under the Ministry of Health. Law 6984/2022 guarantees foreigners equal access to health and says care cannot be denied because of irregular status. Fees at ministry facilities are free under Law 5099/2013, with essential medicines free "if available" and implementation subject to the budget. We found no ministry statement on charging non-residents, and Numbeo's user-submitted health-care index for Asunción (63.8) is a perception score, not a quality measure.

IPS: who gets in

The Instituto de Previsión Social covers employees: the worker pays 9% and the employer 16.5% of salary (per the Ministry of Labour guide of 2025). Registering a foreign employee requires the home-country ID and the DNM card. Family cover extends to the spouse (or partner if there is no spouse), children under 18, disabled children and, for general-regime workers, dependent parents over 60. A 2018 IPS document lists waiting periods (for example 6 months of contributions before surgery for a chronic disease), which may be out of date, so confirm with IPS. Independent workers, employers and housewives can join voluntarily under Law 4933/2013 at 13% on at least the minimum wage, but that scheme is pension-only and does not include IPS medical care.

Private insurance and prepaid plans

Most foreigners who are not employees rely on private insurers, prepaid medicine plans or international health insurance. We could not verify plan prices, hospital rankings or consultation fees from official sources, so we publish none. The regulator is the Superintendencia de Salud, which in September 2024 closed several prepaid-medicine firms (press reports differ on how many and why: missing documentation, or too little backing capital). Before you pay, check that the plan is registered, read what is excluded, and keep any waiting periods in writing.

Residency, entry and vaccines

• Residency: the DNM temporary-residency list has no health certificate and no insurance item.
• Yellow fever is the only vaccine required at entry. Ministry resolution SG 268/2025 requires the international certificate for people aged 1 to 59 arriving from the listed risk zones (parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and Peru). Foreigners without it, or vaccinated less than 10 days before travel, cannot enter. Older articles that mention Venezuela and a 10-day rule describe the previous resolution.
• COVID-19 vaccination is not asked at entry; the ministry recommends measles vaccination.
• Medicines are dispensed on prescription as a general rule (Law 1119/97), with stricter rules for controlled substances.

Not covered here because we could not verify it: medical evacuation, and which private hospitals accept which international insurers. Expectat is not a medical or insurance adviser: verify with your insurer and the authorities. See also our guides to retiring in Paraguay and residency and tax.