General Info

[LifeIsABeach]

Hello, I have looked and looked and did not see anywhere this has been discussed. I am visiting ASU and CDE shortly and would like to know what would be the best way and places to change money to Guranies or is USD dollar used in some places? Are there money changers around the cities or have to use ATMs or Banks? Shall I bring cash USD to exchange? Thanks.

[LifeIsABeach]

Hollywood noticed quite a few 'whities' in Paraguay and I had read earlier about some Europeans who settled here and also were given land too.

Here is a summary of the cultures of Paraguay.

The name "Paraguay" derives from the river that divides the eastern half of the nation from the western Chaco region. The vast majority of the population (95 percent) shares a Paraguayan identity, but several other cultural identities exist. The indigenous population is composed of seventeen ethnic groups from five linguistic families. Most immigrants have blended into the national population, but several groups have maintained distinct identities and cultures. Those groups include Mennonites (100% white Europeans), who settled in the western (Chaco) and the northern regions early in the early twentieth century; Japanese, who settled in agricultural colonies primarily during the 1950's and 1960's; and more recent Korean, Lebanese, Indians from India and ethnic Chinese immigrants, who have settled in the urban centers of Asuncióand and Ciudad del Este since the 1970's. In the 1960's and 1970's, large numbers of Brazilian immigrant farmers moved to the eastern frontier region and became the backbone of the soybean export sector. By the 1990's, a second generation of Brazilians had been born and raised in Paraguay, and a few intermarried with the local population. These brasiguayos form a distinct subgroup.

Wealth and income distribution are extremely unequal. A small elite owns most of the land and the commercial wealth and reaped most of the benefits of economic growth in recent decades. Recent surveys indicate that 20 percent of the population of the greater Asuncióand metropolitan area and 60 percent of the population in rural areas live in poverty. Indigenous peoples are the most impoverished. Mennonite and Japanese immigrants have established thriving agricultural colonies, while the more recent Korean, Chinese, and Arab immigrant groups are concentrated in urban commercial activities and reexportation. Brazilian immigrants are disproportionately concentrated in midsize commercial farming enterprises but also include extremely impoverished small farmers and laborers as well as wealthy landowners and middle-class entrepreneurs.

[Hollywood124]

Hi all,

I'm here in ASU and to answer my own question the voltage is 220 V.

The plug style is 2 round posts but my hotel has outlets for all types of plugs just so your appliance can take up to 220 V.

If your appliance is 110-120 V you will need a converter to 220 V.

Good luck to all!

Hello,

I'll be in Asuncion, Paraguay next week.

Can anyone tell me the Voltage and type of electrical plug that Asuncion uses?

Would it be 120 V or 220 V and 2 straight pin plugs, round plugs or other?

Any other info would be helpful.

Thank you kindly.

Hollywood

[Hollywood124]

Hello,

I'll be in Asuncion, Paraguay next week.

Can anyone tell me the Voltage and type of electrical plug that Asuncion uses?

Would it be 120 V or 220 V and 2 straight pin plugs, round plugs or other?

Any other info would be helpful.

Thank you kindly.

Hollywood

[Hollywood124]

Hi Lexton,

I called Charles Schwab and they told me that "All ATM Fees will be refunded" at the end of the month on my statement. That includes all fees and taxes. That to be sure and save my ATM receipts and file a complaint if any fees are not refunded.

Thanks again for your posts!

I'd like to upgrade the situation with the ATM machines. Back in 2009 I posted about a new fee of $5-6 that was introduced for foreign cards. From AP I gather that in Argentina a new fee of some $ar13 was introduced about the same time.

Nobody uses ATM's in Arg anymore because of the exchange rate, so I don't know what happened there. Here, Dickhead says he didn't notice anything unusual, and was only hit for the 1% international fee from E-trade, which paid any other fees.

I would like to confirm the situation now. I stopped using ATM's when the fee was introduced, and only use my Paraguay bank account. But for getting some dollars one day, say to travel to Buenos Aires, I might want to pull $ from an ATM...

[Lexton]

I'd like to upgrade the situation with the ATM machines. Back in 2009 I posted about a new fee of $5-6 that was introduced for foreign cards. From AP I gather that in Argentina a new fee of some $ar13 was introduced about the same time.

Nobody uses ATM's in Arg anymore because of the exchange rate, so I don't know what happened there. Here, Dickhead says he didn't notice anything unusual, and was only hit for the 1% international fee from E-trade, which paid any other fees.

I would like to confirm the situation now. I stopped using ATM's when the fee was introduced, and only use my Paraguay bank account. But for getting some dollars one day, say to travel to Buenos Aires, I might want to pull $ from an ATM.

If someone uses an ATM, can you report the situation. When the fee was introduced, at one point in the process a screen was displayed that said (more or less): "To this transaction a fee of (Gs25000-when pulling Guarani or $5-when pulling dollars) will be added. Do you wish to continue? From what I could learn, this fee was implemented thru the network and may have been a tax or government "usage fee" and thus not necessarily an ATM fee that would be reimbursed by Schwab or E-trade.

At the same time, the maximum withdrawal was dropped from at least $500 (I always pulled $400 equivalent) to $200 or Gs1,000,000. They said this was for security reasons, BUT YOU COULD PULL THIS AMOUNT 3 TIMES / DAY! Some security! It was obviously to maximize ATM fees.

It has been years, and It is possible that they had to back off of this fee and possibly the low limit also. If ATM usage cratered, VISA and the network wouldn't be happy. Also, they are trying to attract foreign businesses (I. E. New World Trade Center). So if someone has experience or gets experience and can relate it to this information, can you please report?

[Hollywood124]

I scrimped and saved for three adventures this year, first Lima, Peru, which I just got back from and had a great time.

Next, Asuncion, Paraguay and finally, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I met so many very nice Paraguayan ladies from my visits to Buenos Aires, Argentina that I decided to try to meet Paraguayans at their home base!

I RTFF and I think I will try Parada 838, Deseos, PY Escorts and I will ask around for the latest casas and the latest going-ons, and of course Nonpros. I speak Spanish and I think I will be OK. Any comments or observations would be appreciated.

Also, does anyone know at the ASU airport where do I find the Official airport taxis? Where do I find the taxi stand? Is it a fixed price or is it by taximeter? Would it be OK to walk outside of the airport and take a taxi?

And about how much would it cost from the ASU airport to about the Shopping del Sol Mall area? It's about 8. 5 kms or about 10 minutes from the airport. (I know it's away from the action but I had to stay in the area).

And as a backup I read that the bus terminal is across the street from the airport, is that right? Does anyone know the bus number to Shopping del Sol Mall?

Also, in the ASU airport are there ATM machines? I need to get some Paraguayan money to start.

I read that Paraguay charges a lot to withdrawal from the ATMs. I have a Schwab Debit card, will all my ATM charges be refunded? Or should I change USD at a Cambio Casa?

I tried to get taxi info from my hotel but it seems they are so incompetent they can't even tell me taxi info to their hotel.

Oh, thanks to others I got my Paraguayan Visa at their Embassy in LA (Los Angeles, CA) and paid $160.00 USD. It is good for the life of my passport. I plan to return to Asuncion several times so I spent the extra effort.

May be a strange question, but can you drink the water in Asuncion? Is the tap water treated? Should I buy bottled water?

Should I avoid ice?

This is my first time in ASU, I'm a little nervous, I'll report my finding when I return, thanks in advance!

[Tammak]

What I did was call the place and inform I am on the way.

Find a taxi, call again and ask the driver to sort out the address.

One driver even escorted me to the correct door.

They can ask for 600k guarani all they want. I had the best time at PY Escorts for 150k for the hour, went back there three times. Big problem with hot. Com, they don't post addresses, and trying to understand the girls when you phone is not easy! Any updates on the addresses is always appreciated.

[Tatu Hei]

Every time I return to Paraguay, I see more independents and universitarias advertising on hot.com.py and other sites. They are asking 400.000 or 600.000 or 800.000, so their prices are way out of line with the fees charged in even the expensive casas. Does anyone know if these expensive chicas are putting competitive pressure on the casas? Are the most attractive chicas drawn to the high-end market (it does seem they are taller in the ads)? My guess would be that they don't get a lot of business at those rates, but if they hit on just a few appointments a week, they would be making as much as some chicas working in casas all week long 10 hours a day. I worry this is a trend that could dominate the future. Paraguay has always been a place where you can get the best for a surprising low cost. I'm not saying I'm an expert on this. Actually I would like to hear from an expert.

I'll close with my personal observation over many years of mongering that there is little correlation between cost and real value.

[Hotrod10]

I think I finally have a clear understanding of Paraguay's visa procedure. For a US citizen there are two ways to get an entry visa. Upon arrival if you do not have a current visa you are directed to a desk were you must pay $160. 00 us cash only. If you don't have enough cash you are directed to a ATM conveniently located near this desk. Ok so cash only $160. 00. This visa is only good for 90 days. Period. Now if you have the time you can fly to a city with an embassy or consulate and it will still cost you 160 us but buying the visa in person before your trip it will not expire until you renew your passport. I was in Paraguay 6 weeks ago and I have complained to every paraguay consulate I could reach and was told this is the law period. Paraguay does not want our business. Not much to do there anyway.

[Lexton]

I'm glad the trip to Posadas worked out ok. I agree it is hard to find chicas there. I had a good friend there, and spent over a year total. I made a few posts years ago. There are no bars, web sites, apartments, etc. There used to be a bar outside of town on R12, but it is probably closed now, and wasn't very good anyway.

I never found anything interesting in Encarnaciòand either. I am planning to go back one day because it is being totally restructured since they raised the level of the Yacyretà dam and flooded a good part of the town. They are now trying to focus on tourism. The town is still undergoing really major changes.

Sorry I was vague about the visa extension. I remember now the G30000? Deal was to get the Las Angeles consulate stamps on my birth certificate legalized in the same building. I had to leave it a few days and pay at a window in the basement.

[Member #4179]

It turned out that a friend here happened to be going to Posadas, so I took the midnight bus with him to Encarnacion. We took a collectiva across the bridge. I hate lines, and it took about an hour to get through the line at the Argentina border. I had gone to the Argentinian consulate here in Asuncion before the trip, and they had strongly advised me to pay for the $160 reciprocity fee on-line by credit card. After waiting in the long line, the Argentinian customs officer let me through quite quickly after seeing and checking the print-out that I had gotten on-line. Then we took a taxi to downtown Posadas. The trip back into Paraguay the next day went quicker.

I was sorely disappinted by how difficult it was to find a chica in Posadas or in Encarnacion. They were both nice towns, cleaner that downtown Asuncion. You could say that Posadas was provincial chic, and Encarnacion had sidewalks without big holes and garbage. The women on the street and in the cafes and stores were gorgeous, but taxistas in both towns knew of no casas de las chicas except at dirty "motels" in remote and dangerous suburbs. La Mansion of Asuncion advertises an auxiliary site in Encarnacion. Taxistas don't know where it is. One finally found it (or at least we stood outside a house and rang its bell). But only a dog's feet could be seen from under the garage door. They did not answer their phone all day.

I enjoyed the bus trip back to Asuncion during the afternoon. It was good to see the countryside. But the best part was being back in a casa de las chicas by 7 PM. I do love these Paraguayan chicas (most of them anyway).

Thanks for the information about getting an extension on the 90-day stay. It could come in handy in the future.

[Lexton]

I did an extension of the visa in 2008 as part of the process of getting residency. Give yourself some time, at least a week I think. It was a pain. The procedure was; 1. Go to migraciones. They will tell you that the visa in your passport must be validated. 2, Copy the passport page and at least the visa page (they told me the whole book, but the rest was never requested. YMMV. You must take this to I think Exterior Relations building (they will tell you where). There, if I remember, they did not hold my passport, but merely stamped a validation stamp on a new page and filled it out in about an hour (I am not sure of this was all. I had to get something validated I think in this building for a cost of about G30000 at a window.) 3. After the visa was validated, back to migrationes where they put in a visa extension stamp on another new page (these are big form stamps). The cost of the extension was G200, 000 if I recall.

Actually. There is an idea that Paraguay is tourist friendly. Basically, it isn't but is improving but not very fast. Also, Paraguay has tons of money, and is rapidly getting richer, because of the high prices of commodities now. The problem is that all of the money is in the hands of the politicians, big landowners, and ruthless empresarios. There is a huge class difference here.

I have done the Encarnacion-Posadas run several times, the last in 2007. I always took a bus to Encarnacion and then a taxi over the bridge. It is a few kilometers from the bus terminal to Argentina. There is a local intenational bus from Encarnacion to Posadas, but the taxi is a lot more comfortable. The taxi to Posadas then was agout G45, 000.

[Lexton]

I did an extension of the visa in 2008 as part of the process of getting residency. Give yourself some time, at least a week I think. It was a pain. The procedure was; 1. Go to migraciones. They will tell you that the visa in your passport must be validated. 2, Copy the passport page and at least the visa page (they told me the whole book, but the rest was never requested. YMMV. You must take this to I think Exterior Relations building (they will tell you where). There, if I remember, they did not hold my passport, but merely stamped a validation stamp on a new page and filled it out in about an hour (I am not sure of this was all. I had to get something validated I think in this building for a cost of about G30000 at a window.) 3. After the visa was validated, back to migrationes where they put in a visa extension stamp on another new page (these are big form stamps). The cost of the extension was G200, 000 if I recall.

Actually. There is an idea that Paraguay is tourist friendly. Basically, it isn't but is improving but not very fast. Also, Paraguay has tons of money, and is rapidly getting richer, because of the high prices of commodities now. The problem is that all of the money is in the hands of the politicians, big landowners, and ruthless empresarios. There is a huge class difference here.

I have done the Encarnacion-Posadas run several times, the last in 2007. I always took a bus to Encarnacion and then a taxi over the bridge. It is a few kilometers from the bus terminal to Argentina. There is a local intenational bus from Encarnacion to Posadas, but the taxi is a lot more comfortable. The taxi to Posadas then was agout G45, 000.

[Viajero Guapo]

Let me start by saying that I'm no expert on this, having never set foot in Paraguay, though that is about to change. I have read that if you wish to stay in Paraguay longer than 90 days it is fairly easy to renew your tourist stamp. Paraguay likes to have foreigners in the country who will spend money. The extension fee is supposedly small. If you want to look into this you should go to Migraciones in Asuncion at Caballero No 201 e / Eligio Ayala.

In theory the reciprocity fee being charged US citizens for entry into Argentina is being charged at all points of access into the country whether by air, boat, car, etc. That went into effect as of January 7th of this year. Intelligence I've gathered indicates that collection is being widely enforced. I know it is at the border entry into Puerto Iguazu. If you do decide to go to Argentina and pay the reciprocity fee, make sure you pay it in advance online. Print out the receipt and bring it with you. That will help avoid delays at the border.

When going into Brazil to see Iguazu Falls, you'll need a VISA. You'll have to go to the Brazilian consulate in Asuncion to make the proper payments and jump through the appropriate hoops. The $160 cost is the same as the Argentine reciprocity fee.

Good luck whatever you decide. If it were me, I'd first ask for an extension since that is the least time-consuming and least costly by far.

VG.

On this trip, more than three months elapse between my arrival and departure dates. My understanding is that there is a 90-day rule here just as in most countries, but I have had difficulty finding anything definitive on Paraguayan websites.

I am just beginning to investigate the best course of action. One idea would be to go to Posadas AR for a couple days. Does anyone know if I would have to pay the Argentina "reciprocity fee" (over $100 USA) if I walk across the bridge from Encarnacion to Posadas with my USA passport? Actually, I would like to visit both Encarnacion and Posadas, just to see what they are like. But I dislike paying a reciprocity fee.

I think that Brazil also charges a reciprocity fee, but a trip to Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian side would be fun too.

A friend here said that Paraguayan immigration might give me an extension beyond 90 days, so that is another option to look into. If anyone else has information or advice, I would appreciate it.

I will be leaving Paraguay for the States in May, but I am seriously thinking about getting a cedula for future extended trips, which takes months with much documentation, so I understand.

Also by the way, I have a Paraguay visa that is good for the life of my USA passport.

Thanks.