Staying connected in Paraguay is one of the most frequent questions before traveling, and the answer is simpler than you might think: three carriers share the market, prepaid SIMs cost pennies, and 4G coverage is good in all cities. The only real difficulty concerns rural areas and the Chaco, where the network becomes irregular. This guide compares the three carriers, details the activation procedure (passport required), and covers wifi available in accommodations and public places.
The 3 Carriers: Tigo, Personal, Claro
What to remember
- •Tigo is the leader with more than 40% market share and the best rural coverage, including a good part of the Chaco
- •Claro is recognized for connection speed in urban areas, Personal for good value for money
- •A prepaid SIM costs between 5,000 and 10,000 Gs (less than 1.50 EUR) and can be bought at an official store or at the airport
- •A passport is mandatory to register any SIM, it is a legal requirement, not a mere commercial formality
The Paraguayan mobile phone market is structured around three carriers: Tigo (Millicom), Personal (Telecom Argentina group) and Claro (América Móvil). Tigo dominates the market with coverage extending beyond major cities, making it the safest option if your itinerary includes the Chaco, Concepción or rural areas of the East. Claro stands out for fast data speeds in dense urban areas like Asunción and Ciudad del Este, a good option if you are staying mainly in the city. Personal rounds out the offering with competitive plans, particularly suitable for more occasional use.
In practice, for a traveler combining Asunción, the Jesuit missions in the South, and a Chaco excursion, Tigo remains the safest option in 2026: it is the carrier that leaves the fewest dead zones on the map. If your stay is limited to Asunción and Ciudad del Este, the three carriers are fairly equivalent, and the choice can simply be made based on the store closest to your accommodation.
Buying and Activating the SIM
Prepaid SIM cards are sold at official stores of the three carriers, present in all medium and large cities, as well as in shopping malls (Shopping del Sol, Shopping Mariscal in Asunción). Silvio Pettirossi Airport also offers a point of sale, but at a higher price than in the city: if your flight arrives during the day, it is more economical to wait until you are in the city to buy the SIM.
- 1The original passport is required to register the SIM: it is a legal traceability requirement, no store can waive it
- 2The price of the SIM itself is symbolic (5,000-10,000 Gs), the data plan is added separately according to your needs
- 3Prepaid plans are easily topped up at any shop or kiosk displaying the carrier's logo
- 4None of the three carriers widely offers eSIMs to prepaid customers at this time: plan for a physical SIM, there is no reliable local eSIM solution for a short stay
Wifi and Network Coverage by Region
Wifi is widely available in hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and cafés in Asunción, Encarnación and Ciudad del Este, usually free and of decent quality. 4G coverage is good in urban centers across all four tourist regions. Difficulties start outside the main corridors: in the Chaco beyond Filadelfia, in some rural areas of the South around less frequented Jesuit missions, and along the Transchaco after Mariscal Estigarribia, coverage becomes intermittent, even non-existent over long stretches.
If your itinerary includes a trip into the deep Chaco, download your offline maps before leaving (Google Maps or Maps.me allow you to save entire areas) and inform your accommodation of your planned route. Do not rely on a data connection for real-time navigation beyond Mariscal Estigarribia.
Last updated:
Sources
- GigaGo: Best Paraguay SIM Cards for Tourists (2026)
- Phone Travel Wiz: SIM Cards in Paraguay (2025)
- Expat Settle: Paraguay SIM Cards & Mobile Plans (2026)
- GigaGo: Tigo SIM Cards and eSIM Guide (2026)
- Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki: Paraguay (2025)
- Get Residency Paraguay: Mobile Phone & Internet Services Guide (2025)
- HandySIM: eSIM for Paraguay (2026)
- MobilityPass: SIM et eSIM Paraguay (2025)
My method
This page is written from France, sourced as carefully as possible, but I can be wrong or miss on-the-ground detail. A price that changed, outdated info, a photo to share? Every correction is credited if you want.
Report an error or send info →Share