Exercise caution — there are real risks that travellers should plan around. Political freedoms are limited and travellers should be mindful of local sensitivities.
Regional breakdown
Most travel to Paraguay focuses on Asunción, the southern city of Encarnación, and the tri-border hub of Ciudad del Este. The capital sees the usual urban risks. Pickpocketing and bag-snatching happen on buses and in crowded markets. Downtown Asunción near the government quarter often hosts protest blockades, so plan routes around them. The northeastern departments draw the most warnings. The official advisory guidance lifts Alto Paraná, Amambay, Canindeyú, Concepción, and San Pedro to Level 2. These border zones with Brazil host criminal groups moving drugs, weapons, and contraband. Police presence is thin. US government staff need special permission to travel there. Pedro Juan Caballero in Amambay and stretches of the BR-Paraguay frontier are the main flashpoints. Southern Paraguay feels different. Encarnación, the Jesuit ruins at Trinidad, and the Chaco wilderness see steady tourism with fewer reported incidents. Salto del Guairá, on the Brazilian border in Canindeyú, has a tourist police line but sits inside the higher-caution zone. Travellers heading to Ciudad del Este for the Iguazú crossing usually pass through without trouble. Though the city itself has a reputation for smuggling and counterfeit goods.
Recent advisory changes
The official advisory guidance reissued its Paraguay advisory on 30 April 2025. The country stays at Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions, which is the lowest tier. The five northeastern departments remain at Level 2 for crime tied to cross-border trafficking. No ordered departure is in place. The advisory wording on weak police coverage in those zones has not eased. The official advisory guidance last updated its Paraguay guidance on 21 January 2026. It does not warn against travel to any part of the country. The official advisory guidance highlights petty crime on public transport, occasional armed muggings, and pollution in the River Paraguay around Asunción. It also flags protest blockades on main roads and in the capital's government district. Both governments point to the Brazilian border belt as the area where organised crime is most active. And neither has issued an emergency alert in recent months.
What travellers should know
Carry only what you need in Asunción and on intercity buses. Keep cash, cards, and phones out of sight. Use registered taxis or app-based rides at night rather than flagging cars. If a protest blockade closes a route, wait it out or detour rather than push through. Local media and embassy social channels post road closures quickly. For the northeastern departments, plan ahead. Travel by day, stick to main roads, and avoid the immediate border strip after dark. Pedro Juan Caballero and the rural areas of Amambay and Concepción see most of the trafficking violence, so overnight stops in smaller towns add risk. Driving standards across the country are poor and rural roads flood in the wet season from October to April. Travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is worth arranging before arrival. Public hospitals outside Asunción are basic. Tourist police lines operate in Ciudad del Este, Encarnación, and Salto del Guairá and can help with reports or lost documents. Register with your embassy if you plan extended stays in the border departments, and keep digital copies of your passport and entry stamp.