Paraguay: travel information, diplomatic representations
How do you get to Paraguay?
Europeans will usually fly to Paraguay as it is the cheapest, most convenient and fastest way to get into the country.
Air connections
Asunción is served by several European airlines.
The airline TAM-Mercosur – Transportes Aéreos del Mercosur – is the domestic American branch of the Brazilian company TAM. There are no direct connections from Frankfurt/M, Vienna or Zurich. Iberia flies to Paraguay via Madrid and São Paulo (Brazil). VARIG (RG) flies via São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro to Asunción from Frankfurt/M., Munich or Paris. Flight time: Frankfurt – Asunción: 14-18 hours.
Travel in the country
Flight connections
The Mercosur Airpass is valid on all routes of the participating airlines within Argentina, Brazil, Chile (with the exception of Easter Island), Paraguay and Uruguay. Airlines: Austral (AU), Lan Chile (LA), LAPA (MJ), Pluna (PU), VASP, TAM and VARIG (RG) with the subsidiaries Nordeste (JH) and Rio Sur (SL). The pass is valid for a stay of a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 30 days and is only available to passengers who purchase an international round-trip ticket and who are not resident in South America. Two countries must be visited. Also the Visit South America Air Passis valid on all routes from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile (with the exception of Easter Island), Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. It offers similar conditions. There are 33 domestic flight destinations from Asunción.
Bus
An extensive bus network connects Asunción with the whole country. Buses are the cheapest means of travel in the country.
Road traffic
Only about 10% of the roads are paved. Diesel fuel is significantly cheaper and gasoline a little cheaper than in Europe. As far as the Paraguayan driving style is concerned, it is – to put it carefully – death-defying. Nobody stops at stop signs, red lights or for passers-by. The one who is strongest has the right of way, so – who is surprised – large trucks and buses will hardly give way to anyone. A mass of high-speed motorcycles rounds off the picture of the urban traffic chaos.
Rental car
Cars can be rented from almost all major international companies such as CarConcept, Alamo, Avis, Hertz, National or Europcar, as well as from domestic providers. Anyone who decides to rent a car in Asunción should, however, pay close attention to the condition of the rental car, as the streets in the city are sometimes in very poor condition and each shock absorber is very clogged. Above all, the speed bollards should be taken seriously and run over slowly. Otherwise they can cause serious damage. Some roads are not paved at all.
The driver must be over 21 years old, a national driver’s license is sufficient, a credit card is required. Vehicles can be rented at Asunción airport or at the tourist information.
International license plate
According to Abbreviationfinder, Paraguay’s international license plate is:
PY |
Paraguay: Diplomatic missions
Visit Countryaah for a full list of Paraguay embassies and consulates in each country around the world.
Representations of Paraguay in Germany
The building of the Embassy of Paraguay is located on Hardenbergstrasse on Steinplatz in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district. Opposite are, for example, some buildings of the Technical University (TU Berlin). Since there are hardly any parking spaces in the vicinity of the embassy, it is highly recommended to use public transport or a taxi. Not too far away is the “Zoologischer Garten” train station with long-distance and local transport connections as well as with the underground lines U2 and U9. In the other direction is the underground station “Ernst-Reuter-Platz” on the underground line U2.
Embassy of Paraguay
Hardenbergstr. 12
10623 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 31 99 86 10
Email: embapyde@t-online.de
Honorary Consulate General of the Republic of Paraguay
Neuer Wall 13
20354 Hamburg
Tel: 0049 – 040 – 88 16 61 65
E-Mail: conhonparaguay@aol.com
Honorary Consulate General of the Republic of Paraguay in Munich
Robert-Koch-Strasse 30A
82031 Munich-Grünwald
Tel: 0049 – 089 – 69379526
E-Mail: normastengel@paraguay.de
Honorary Consulate General of the Republic of Paraguay in Wiesbaden
Mainzer Straße 98-102
65189 Wiesbaden
Tel: 0049 – 0611 – 170804
E-Mail: honconparaguay@dr-staubach.de
You can find further honorary consulates in: Potsdam and Stuttgart
German representations in Paraguay
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Asuncíon
Avenida Venezuela 241
Casilla de Correo 471
Asuncíon
Tel: 00595 – 21 – 21 40 09
Email: info@asuncion.diplo.de
Web: www.asuncion.diplo.de
Honorary Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ciudad del Este
Avenida Paraná 77, Paraná Country Club
Hernandarías
Tel: 00595 – 61 – 57 77 37
Email: karsten@cde.rieder.net.py
Honorary Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Encarnación
Calle Jorge Memmel 631
Encarnacíon
Tel: 00595 – 71 – 20 40 41
00595 – 71 – 20 33 35
Email: con_alema@itacom.com.py
Honorary Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Colonia Neuland
Avenida Primero de Febrero
Neu-Halbstadt/Colonia Neuland
Tel: 00595 – 493 – 24 03 19
Email: chaco@neuland.com.py
Austrian representations in Paraguay
Embassy
The embassy in Argentina is responsible .
Honorary Consulate in Ascunión
Av. Aviadores del Chaco 1690, Casilla de Correo 582
Ascunión
Tel: 00595 – 21 – 61 33 16
Email: consuladoaustria@rolitrans.com.py
Representations of Paraguay in Austria
Embassy of the Republic of Paraguay in Vienna
Prinz Eugen Strasse 8/1/2/7
1040 Vienna
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 505 46 74
Email: embaparviena@chello.at
Honorary Consulate
Josephstrasse 13
3100 St. Pölten
Tel: 0043 – (0) 2742 – 722 22 in St. Pölten
Swiss representations in Paraguay
Swiss Embassy in Asuncion
Juan E. O’Leary 409 esq. EstrellaEdificio “Parapiti” 4 ° piso, Ofs. 419/23
1225 Asunción
Tel: 00595 – 21 – 448 022
00595 – 21 – 490 848
Email: asu.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
Representations of Paraguay in Switzerland
Embassy of the Republic of Paraguay in Bern
Kramgasse 58
3000 Bern 8
Tel: 0041 – (0) 31 – 312 32 22
0041 – (0) 31 – 312 32 34
Email: embapar@embapar.ch
Consulat de la République du Paraguay
Rue de la Serre 4
Case postale 2012
2001 Neuchâtel 1
Tel: 0041 – (0) 32 – 913 75 20
Paraguay: Travel Medicine, Vaccinations and Warnings
Infectious Diseases
In Paraguay, the following infectious diseases are to be expected in Germany and Central and Northern Europe:
- Malaria, there is a rather low risk in the following rural areas: Caaguazú, Alto Paraná, Canendiyú and a low risk in the border areas with Brazil and Bolivia. In the rest of the country, especially in the cities, there is no risk of malaria infection. Less than 5% of the infections occur with the very dangerous malaria tropica, the rest with malaria tertiana.
- Amoebic dysentery
- Bacterial agitation
- Chagas disease
- cholera
- Dengue fever disease
- Intestinal infections caused by contaminated food or water, including amoebas, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria
- Filariasis
- Yellow fever, which has now become a major problem
- Hepatitis A and B
- Lambliasis
- Leishmaniasis Disease
- Polio, polio
- tetanus
- rabies
- typhus
- Tick bite fever
Recommended vaccinations
when traveling to Paraguay, the following vaccinations recommended:
- Diphtheria, a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist in the home country.
- Hepatitis A and B, vaccination against hepatitis A and B should always exist in the home country.
- Polio, polio, a vaccination against polio should always exist in the home country.
- Tetanus, a vaccination against tetanus should always exist in the home country.
- Rabies, but only in high-risk travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals
- Typhoid, but only in travelers who may come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food
Compulsory vaccination
As mentioned above, all persons who are older than one year and who come from a yellow fever infection area designated by the WHO are required to be vaccinated against yellow fever.
Yellow fever vaccination for children
In most of the countries where a yellow fever vaccination is compulsory, this also applies to children aged one year and in some countries even from six months. It should be noted that
vaccination against yellow fever had a number of side effects, such as encephalitis. Around two-thirds of those affected were children under six months. Therefore, under no circumstances should children under this age be vaccinated. But children under one year of age should also not be vaccinated if possible. If in doubt, yellow fever infection areas must then be avoided.
Any vaccination against yellow fever may only be carried out in specially authorized yellow fever vaccination centers!
Malaria prophylaxis
When traveling in the country, it is advisable to undergo malaria prophylaxis. However, if the side effects seem questionable to you, you should at least have a “stand-by preparation” with you.
Current warnings
Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany
Citizen Service
Telephone: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 2000
www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de
Currency, bank opening hours
The national currency of Paraguay is:
Guaraní (PYG) = 100 Centímos (cts)
The banks are open Monday through Friday between 8:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.
Shop
Shop opening times
- Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.