How to Buy a SIM Card in Paraguay in 2026

Which chip should you buy in Paraguay, and where? There are three networks, Tigo, Personal and Claro, and all of them ask for your passport. Prices are low, but the airport is the least predictable place to buy. If you would rather land with data already working, an eSIM installed at home does the same job without the registration. Here is what each option costs and how to choose. Our plans for the country are on the Paraguay eSIM page.

Tigo, Personal or Claro?

Tigo is generally described as having the best coverage and the best network overall, so it is the safe choice if you will leave Asunción. Personal is the other large network; its tourist packs in the guides we checked run longer than Tigo's. Claro is reported in one 2024 source to have the fastest speeds, but that report is old, so do not choose on speed alone. In the capital any of the three will do.

Registration and your passport

Registering a prepaid chip is a legal requirement in Paraguay, and you need your passport to do it. Claro charges a registration fee of 10,000 PYG, about $1.50. Personal and Claro do not publish a clear step-by-step for foreign passport holders, so buy at an official shop where staff do the registration for you, rather than at a street stall.

What a chip and data pack cost

Figures from different years give a sense of the range:

• Tigo: 2 GB for 4 days at 11,000 PYG, from a tourist guide.
• Personal: 4 GB for 15 days at 35,000 PYG, from the same guide.
• Tigo: 6 GB for 8 days at Gs.33,000, in a comparison from September 2026. That source could not confirm whether the chip itself was included.
• Starter chips in 2024: Tigo at 5,000 or 10,000 PYG, Personal at 10,000 PYG and Claro at 5,000 PYG.

The amounts in guaraní are small, but the total can include a chip, a registration fee and a pack, so ask for the full price.

Buying at Silvio Pettirossi airport

SIM sales have been reported at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, but the most specific source is from July 2025 and could not confirm current counter locations, opening hours or prices. Treat the airport as a possible first stop, not a certainty. If there is no counter when you land, official Tigo, Personal and Claro shops in Asunción are the reliable alternative. Airport prices, where they exist, are likely to be higher than in town.

An eSIM that covers Paraguay and its neighbours

Our Latin America 10GB eSIM covers Paraguay and 15 other countries, including Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. That is useful if Paraguay is one stop on a longer trip through the region. It is data only and starts on first use. There are three sizes:

• Latin America 5GB eSIM: $12 for 7 days.
• Latin America 10GB eSIM: $20 for 14 days.
• Latin America 15GB eSIM: $28 for 30 days.

For light or unpredictable use, the Global PAYG Data eSIM costs $20 with €17.50 of credit. In Paraguay it is good value on Tigo, Personal and Claro alike.

Do you need a Paraguayan number?

The Latin America eSIM and the pay-as-you-go eSIM are data only: you get internet, and you call and message through apps such as WhatsApp. A local chip also gives you a Paraguayan number, which matters if you need to receive calls from local businesses or be reachable on a local number for a long stay. For most visitors, a data plan and messaging apps are enough.

Your options side by side

Which should you choose?

For a week or two, or a trip that also takes in Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay, a Latin America 10GB eSIM is the simplest choice: it works when you land and needs no passport check. If you use very little data, the Global PAYG Data eSIM costs less up front. For a long stay, a Tigo chip from an official shop is the cheapest per gigabyte; bring your passport and allow time for registration. To keep bank codes arriving on a UK number, add the O2 SMS Only eSIM at $8 a month. Set-up steps are in our eSIM installation guide, and the plans for the country are on the Paraguay eSIM page.