The fishing licence, step by step

What MADES asks for to fish in Paraguayan waters

To fish in Paraguay you need the sport fishing licence issued by MADES, the environment ministry. Here is what the ministry itself publishes: what it covers, what papers it asks for, what it costs and which form to use.

1

Check that your trip counts as "sport fishing"

MADES defines it as fishing done for recreation, competition and tourism, with no profit motive. Fish may be released or kept for personal consumption, but selling them is expressly forbidden. The permitted gear is hooks and handlines, or a rod with or without a reel.

2

Get the papers together

Two things, and the same for Paraguayans and foreigners:

  • A photocopy of your ID card, passport or the document you entered the country with.
  • Two passport-size photos.
3

If you bring your own boat, register it

This is separate from the licence and has its own fee. They ask for a photocopy of the boat's title, issued by the Prefectura General Naval.

4

Download the form and file it

The form is the "Solicitud de Pesca" of the Fishing and Fishermen Register, downloaded from the MADES procedures page. The ministry's fisheries directorate handles it, and it also has regional offices.

Download the form (.doc)

5

Or let the lodge do it

Many lodges and guides arrange it for their guests. That is the simplest route if you are coming from abroad: ask when you book, and if they do it for you, ask them to send you the receipt before you travel.

What it costs

ItemCost
Sport fishing licence
2 minimum daily wages
G. 206.182
Boat registration
1 minimum daily wage
G. 103.091

The amounts MADES publishes are set in minimum daily wages by Resolution SEAM 536/16, so the figure in guaraníes moves when that wage moves. Check the current amount at mades.gov.py before paying.

Two things worth knowing first

The licence does not override the closed season: during it there is no fishing, licence or not, and the dates change every year.
Fishing without a licence carries a fine, and a heavy one. The guide's licence and closed season page has the detail, along with the minimum sizes by species. Licence, closed season and sizes

Everything on this page comes from the MADES procedures page, read on September 4, 2026. It is a guide, not an official source: the source is the ministry. MADES procedures

Where to fish   When to go

Pira Experience, the sport fishing guide to Paraguay
[email protected]