What features and data does Paraguay's digital ID (cédula digital) include?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
Paraguay’s digital ID (cédula digital) is being rolled out as part of a broader government platform (Portal Paraguay / app Paraguay Py) and will initially cover the cédula de identidad, driver's license and vehicular documents; users access them with an electronic identity (user = cédula number and password) and authorities validate documents by scanning an on-screen QR code tied to official databases [1] [2] [3]. The portal/app provides a “citizen folder” of public documents and online services (police and judicial records, birth certificates) and the law gives legal validity to digital formats while keeping the physical card as the renewal mechanism [4] [3] [1].
1. A digital ID inside a national services platform
Paraguay’s digital ID is not a standalone consumer app but part of Portal Paraguay and the Paraguay Py mobile app, which function as a state “citizen folder” offering procedures, documents and payments online — the app description lists a directory of institutions, catalog of services, the citizen folder and “documents that must be carried in digital format” following Law 7177/2023 [4]. The government’s position is that citizens will access digital documents through this portal/app using their electronic identity [1] [4].
2. What data and authentication elements are mentioned
Available reporting describes the digital identity as composed of a user (the national identity number, the cédula) and a password created by the citizen; the system grants the legal value of an electronic signature under existing law, enabling online procedures with the State [2]. Authorities validate presented digital documents by scanning a QR code generated at issuance, which links back to official databases so an officer can confirm the data’s origin [1].
3. Which documents and rollout scope
Official communications say the initial set of documents available digitally will include the cédula de identidad, cédula verde (vehicle registration), the driver’s license and vehicle habilitation; the government is prioritizing cédula, cédula verde and license processes [1]. The MITIC noted the digital versions will be legally valid nationwide, but the portal’s services initially target adults (citizens 18+), with the physical format remaining the formal renewal path at the Police Identifications Department [3] [1].
4. Biometric and chip-based cédula: multiple formats in use
Separate reporting about physical cédulas and residency-process cédulas indicates the printed/physical card formats already in use may include a microchip and require electronic fingerprints, photographs and a digital signature for issuance — these are referenced for residency and printed cédula issuance, which are distinct from the portal’s digital presentation [5] [6]. Sources treat the microchip-enabled physical cédula and the Portal Paraguay digital cédula as complementary rather than identical [5] [6].
5. Practical uses and services enabled
The government emphasizes that validating digital documents “opens a range of possibilities” for state services: examples on the portal include requests for police and judicial records and birth certificates — meaning the digital cédula will be usable to access these services online and to present identity in public procedures when asked [3] [4]. MITIC framed the QR-based validation as allowing officials to verify that on-screen data matches records in the official database [1].
6. What the sources do not say (important gaps)
Available sources do not supply a full data schema for the cédula digital (they do not list specific fields such as full name format, birth date, address, nationality, photo dimensions or biometric hashes) and they do not publish technical details on encryption, storage location, third-party API access, retention policies, or whether offline verification modes exist (not found in current reporting) [1] [2] [4]. Sources also do not provide a privacy impact assessment or explicit safeguards against misuse beyond the QR-validation description (not found in current reporting) [1] [4].
7. Competing viewpoints and implicit agendas
Government sources (MITIC and Agencia IP) present the rollout as modernization that increases convenience and legal parity for digital formats; commercial or advisory outlets (expat services, immigration consultants) emphasize operational impacts for foreigners — fingerprinting, microchip cards and residency-linked processes — reflecting an agenda to attract or assist migrants and clients during the transition [3] [5] [7]. Independent observers or technical critics are not quoted in these sources; therefore concerns about security trade-offs or centralization are not documented in the provided reporting (not found in current reporting) [3] [1] [5].
8. Bottom line for users and officials
If you plan to use or verify Paraguay’s cédula digital, expect to authenticate via Portal Paraguay/Paraguay Py with your cédula number and password, to display a QR code on your device that officials will scan to confirm data from official databases, and to continue relying on the physical cédula for renewals and some issuance procedures; the platform will also link you to standard civil and judicial services online [1] [2] [3]. Technical specifics, data-field lists and privacy safeguards are not detailed in current reporting and should be requested from MITIC or Portal Paraguay for operational or security assessments (not found in current reporting) [1] [4].