Paraguay

Is Paraguay safe to visit?

Yes, for nearly all visitors. Paraguay gets few foreign tourists, and the ones who come to Asunción, the Jesuit missions near Encarnación or the Chaco rarely run into serious trouble. The US State Department rates it Level 1, exercise normal precautions, the lowest of its four levels. The homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary fell to about 6.1 per 100,000 in 2025 according to InSight Crime, from 391 killings, down from 477 the year before.

We score Paraguay 62, close to Uruguay (69) on crime but pulled down by road deaths and mosquito-borne disease. It comes out ahead of Bolivia (54) and behind Argentina (72).

The Brazilian border and the north

Paraguay's crime problem is regional. Its eastern border with Brazil, from Pedro Juan Caballero in the north to Ciudad del Este and the Tri-Border Area in the south, is a corridor for cocaine, cannabis and arms smuggling. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says violent crime is rising there and lists the border departments of Amambay, Concepción, Alto Paraná, San Pedro and Canindeyú; the US asks for increased caution in the same five. Violence there mostly means targeted killings between gangs or of police, prison guards and politicians, but bystanders can get hurt.

Pedro Juan Caballero, which shares a street with the Brazilian city of Ponta Porã, has the worst reputation, and there is little reason for a tourist to go. Ciudad del Este is busier and mainly a shopping stop on the way to the Iguazú Falls; go in daylight, keep valuables out of sight, and return before dark.

Further north, a small armed group, the Ejército del Pueblo Paraguayo (EPP), operates in northern San Pedro and southern Concepción. The FCDO says it attacks police, soldiers and ranches with firearms and explosives and has kidnapped several high-profile people for ransom, most recently in 2022; three are still held. Foreigners are not routinely targeted and the area is well off tourist routes, but it is not a place for an independent road trip.

Asunción and everyday crime

In the capital, the main risk is theft. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says bag-snatching and pickpocketing are a problem on public transport, and muggers are occasionally armed. US government employees may not use municipal buses because of robbery and assault, which is a good guide for visitors too. Use a licensed taxi called by your hotel or an app, take cash from ATMs inside buildings, and avoid dark, empty streets downtown at night.

Protest blockades are common on main roads and around government buildings in central Asunción. They are rarely violent but can cause long delays at short notice.

Carry a copy of your passport photo page and entry stamp at all times; Paraguayan law requires ID, and police checks are frequent.

Roads and motorbikes

Road deaths are the biggest risk to life for most visitors. WHO estimatedWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019, one of the higher rates in South America. Figures from the Hospital de Trauma, the health ministry, the road safety agency and the police, presented to Congress in 2026, show 7,545 people killed on the roads between 2020 and 2025, about 1,250 a year, with motorcyclists making up about 60% of the dead.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary describes driving standards as poor: drivers ignore stop signs, traffic lights and speed limits, vehicles run without lights at night, and potholes are common even in Asunción. Most rural roads are unpaved and turn impassable in heavy rain. If you drive, avoid country roads after dark and remember the legal blood alcohol limit is zero. Taxis and buses rarely have working seatbelts; choose the better long-distance bus companies from the main terminal in Asunción.

Dengue, heat and health care

Paraguay has had large outbreaks of dengue and chikungunya in recent years, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists both, along with poor air quality. Use repellent day and night, especially in the warm, wet months from November to April. CDC recommends yellow fever vaccination for all travel outside Asunción.

Good private hospitals exist in Asunción and the major cities; elsewhere care is basic and you will be asked to pay at once. Bring enough of any regular medicine, since some types are not available.

Summers are very hot, often above 35 °C in the Chaco, and heavy rain floods parts of Asunción. The rivers have strong currents, and the FCDO says the River Paraguay around Asunción is too polluted for swimming.

How we scored it

Road safety (42) is the weakest factor, followed by health (57), which reflects dengue, chikungunya and limited care outside the cities. Conflict (76) is the strongest: there is no war and the EPP is small and remote. Violent crime (68) reflects a falling, moderate homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary concentrated on the Brazilian border. Confidence is medium because the latest official road death rate is from 2019.