The fishing licence, step by step

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.

Get the papers together

Two things, and one more if you are visiting from abroad:

• A photocopy of your ID card, passport or the document you entered the country with.
• Two passport-size photos.
• If you are visiting from abroad: the law's regulation provides a special licence for foreign visitors (Decree 6523/11, art. 37 c), and if you fish outside an authorised tournament, Res. SEAM 650/13 also requires registration in the National Fishers Registry, with a copy of your ID and of your entry permit.

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.

Download the form and file it

The form is the "Solicitud de Pesca", downloaded from the MADES procedures page. It asks for two passport-size photos and proof of registration in the National Fishers Registry, which has its own application. The ministry's fisheries directorate handles it. Where to file:

• Online, through SIAM, the ministry's system (apps.mades.gov.py/siam/portal), with payment through the Bancard network.
• In person, at the Asunción head office (avenida Madame Lynch 3500) or at the regional offices in Pilar, Ayolas, Ciudad del Este, Encarnación, Coronel Oviedo and Concepción, according to what MADES announced in April 2025.

Download the Solicitud de Pesca (PDF) · Registry application (.doc) · Go to SIAM

Or let the lodge do it

If you are going with a lodge or a guide, ask when you book whether they will arrange it: that is the simplest route if you are coming from abroad. If they do it for you, ask them to send you the receipt before you travel.