Concierge service for expats in Paraguay: launching your service in 2026
You've just landed in Asunción. You don't speak Spanish, you don't know anyone, and you need to find an apartment, open a bank account, get your cédula, enroll your children in school, find a doctor, buy a local SIM card, and locate a supermarket that sells French cheese. Every task that would take thirty minutes in France takes three hours in Paraguay: language barrier, different administrative processes, unpredictable schedules, addresses without street numbers. The first three months for an expatriate in Paraguay are a logistical nightmare, unless someone handles it for them.
This is the job of an expatriate concierge service: a business that solves the daily problems of newcomers. You are the facilitator, the translator, the guide, and the problem-solver. You know Asunción because you've lived there for one to three years, you've gone through the same struggles as your clients, and you know how to avoid them. You speak French, English, and Spanish. You know the right contacts: the reliable lawyer, the competent accountant, the French-speaking doctor, the honest real estate agent. Your network is your product. This guide covers the market, business model, services, costs, and profitability of an expatriate concierge service in Paraguay.
The Market: Who Are Your Clients
The Influx of Expatriates in Paraguay
| Segment | Estimated Annual Volume | Profile | Concierge Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| French-speaking expatriates (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec) | ~200 to 500 per year | Freelancers, digital entrepreneurs, early retirees, investors, families with children, aged 30 to 60, incomes from 3,000 to 15,000 EUR per month. Motivated by territorial taxation, cost of living, and quality of life. This is your primary target: you speak their language, understand their concerns, and come from the same cultural background. Trust is immediate. | ~500 to 5,000 USD for the initial setup phase, then 100 to 500 USD per month for ongoing service |
| English-speaking expatriates (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia) | ~300 to 800 per year | Comparable profile to French-speakers, but in a market two to three times larger. Secondary target: the volume is higher, but so is the competition, with a few English-speaking relocation services already existing in Asunción. | ~500 to 5,000 USD, then 100 to 500 USD per month |
| Brazilian and Argentine expatriates | ~2,000 to 5,000 per year | The most numerous, but the least demanding of concierge services: cultural proximity, common or similar language, familiar administrative processes. Some investors still seek a premium service and pay for efficiency, not for translation. Supplementary segment, not core target. | ~300 to 2,000 USD, lower budget than Europeans and North Americans |
| International companies (corporate relocation) | ~50 to 150 relocations per year | Multinationals, embassies, and international organizations present in Paraguay. They need a comprehensive relocation service, paid for by the employer rather than the employee. The most profitable segment: moderate volume, high ticket, more stable B2B relationship than B2C. | ~3,000 to 10,000 USD per relocation |
| Digital nomads and stays of one to six months | ~500 to 2,000 per year | They do not settle permanently but need help for the first few days: temporary accommodation, local SIM card, transportation, neighborhood discovery. Two to four hours of concierge service are sufficient. Low budget, rapidly growing volume. | ~100 to 300 USD for a welcome package |
Estimated Total Market
Approximately 500 to 2,000 expatriates per year could use a concierge service in Paraguay, including French-speaking, English-speaking, corporate, and nomadic clients. The average ticket is around 1,000 to 3,000 USD per client, a weighted average between comprehensive installation packages and short packages for nomads. The potential revenue for the sector therefore ranges widely from 500,000 to 6,000,000 USD per year. Competition remains low: a few relocation services exist, mostly English-speaking, and there is no structured and professional French-speaking concierge service in Asunción in 2026.
Services: What to Offer
Service Catalog
| Category | Services | Indicative Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival Package (first few days) |
|
~200 to 500 USD fixed fee |
| Installation Package (first few weeks) |
|
~1,500 to 4,000 USD fixed fee. This is the most requested package and the majority of your revenue: every expatriate needs all of these services, and they are sold as a package rather than individually. |
| Ad Hoc Administrative Services |
|
~50 to 200 USD per service, or 30 to 50 USD per hour |
| Monthly Concierge Service (subscription) |
|
~100 to 300 USD per month. Recurring revenue, stable foundation for the business. |
| Premium Services |
|
Variable, from 200 to 15,000 USD per service |
| Corporate Relocation |
|
~3,000 to 10,000 USD per relocation. A single person is around 3,000 USD, a family with three children between 8,000 and 10,000 USD, with each child adding 1,000 to 2,000 USD in services. |
The Business Model
A Quantified Working Hypothesis
The following table is a working hypothesis based on observed magnitudes in the expatriate services sector. It is neither a forecast nor a guarantee of results. Actual amounts depend on your network, sales capabilities, and the rate of arrival of French-speaking expatriates.
| Item | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installation Packages | 25 packages at 2,500 USD, totaling 62,500 USD | 45 packages at 2,800 USD, totaling 126,000 USD | 70 packages at 3,000 USD, totaling 210,000 USD |
| Monthly Subscriptions | 10 clients at 150 USD over 12 months, totaling 18,000 USD | 25 clients at 175 USD over 12 months, totaling 52,500 USD | 50 clients at 200 USD over 12 months, totaling 120,000 USD |
| Ad Hoc Services | 8,000 USD | 18,000 USD | 30,000 USD |
| Corporate Relocation | 3 relocations at 5,000 USD, totaling 15,000 USD | 8 relocations at 6,000 USD, totaling 48,000 USD | 15 relocations at 6,500 USD, totaling 97,500 USD |
| Partner Commissions | 5,000 USD | 15,000 USD | 30,000 USD |
| Total Revenue | ~108,500 USD | ~259,500 USD | ~487,500 USD |
| Expenses: manager's salary from 2,000 to 4,000 USD per month, one to three bilingual assistants at 800 to 1,500 USD each, vehicle from 300 to 500 USD, telephony from 50 to 100 USD, digital marketing from 500 to 1,500 USD, accounting at 30 € per month, insurance from 100 to 200 USD, office or coworking from 200 to 500 USD, or zero by working from home | ~55,000 USD | ~100,000 USD | ~175,000 USD |
| Profit Before Tax | ~53,500 USD | ~159,500 USD | ~312,500 USD |
| IRE 10% then IDU 8% on distribution | ~9,200 USD | ~27,430 USD | ~53,750 USD |
| Profit After Tax | ~44,300 USD | ~132,070 USD | ~258,750 USD |
What this model says. Concierge service is a high-margin business. Expenses are primarily labor-related, with no inventory, no heavy equipment, and no expensive premises, placing the gross margin between 65 and 80%. The activity can be profitable from the first year because the initial investment is low. Two items make a difference over time: monthly subscriptions, which provide recurring and predictable revenue, and corporate relocations, which have high tickets and more stable commercial relationships.
Startup Investment
| Item | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Company creation, RUC, and municipal license | ~2,000 to 3,000 USD |
| Professional bilingual French-English website, with SEO, contact form, integrated WhatsApp, testimonials, and service catalog | ~2,000 to 5,000 USD |
| Launch marketing: targeted search campaigns for expatriation queries to Paraguay, social media, partnerships with expat blogs and forums | ~1,500 to 4,000 USD |
| Professional phone, dedicated line, and business messaging | ~200 to 500 USD |
| Vehicle, if necessary, for transfers and accompaniments. A car is not essential at startup: personal vehicle and rideshare suffice. | ~0 to 10,000 USD |
| Office, optional. Meetings are held at the client's premises, in administrations, or at cafes. A coworking space costs 100 to 300 USD per month and provides a professional address. | ~0 to 1,000 USD |
| Working capital for three months, to cover personal and company expenses pending initial receipts | ~5,000 to 10,000 USD |
| Total | ~10,000 to 33,000 USD |
This is the lowest investment of all the models presented in this series, well below a language school, an aesthetic clinic, or a franchise. Concierge service is a low-capital, high value-added activity: your capital is your network, your expertise, and your time. It is the most accessible business for a recently arrived expatriate who does not have hundreds of thousands of dollars to tie up.
Growth Strategies
Strategy 1: Content as a Client-Generating Machine
Content marketing is your primary acquisition channel. Expatriates seek information about Paraguay before moving, and your pages should appear in their search results with content that answers their questions and directs them to your services.
- Blog: Two to four articles per month on genuinely searched topics, namely Asunción neighborhoods, cost of living, health, education, safety, banking, and taxation. Each article targets a keyword, drives traffic, and converts a reader into a lead. The blog is your showcase: readers see that you know the area, they trust you, and they contact you.
- Long Video: Even more powerful than written content, because future expatriates want to see Paraguay before they read about it. A filmed apartment tour in a residential neighborhood of Asunción generates comments like "how do I get the same?", which directly convert into quote requests. This is a long-term channel: a video published in January continues to generate contacts for years.
- Short Video: Cost of living compared in sixty seconds, an apartment in Asunción for 600 USD per month, the reality of safety in Paraguay. This is the fastest format to build an audience in 2026, as algorithms favor recent content, including that from small accounts.
- Expat Groups and Forums: Online expat groups in Paraguay each gather several thousand members. Newcomers ask their questions there, and you answer them with expertise, positioning yourself as a reference. An important caveat: do not turn these spaces into an advertising channel. Moderators exclude promotional accounts. Be helpful first; sales come after trust.
Strategy 2: Partnerships with Complementary Services
Your concierge service does not exist in isolation; it is part of an ecosystem of services for expatriates. Partnerships are your revenue multiplier.
- Tax Residency: Every expatriate needs to regularize their situation. You refer your clients to our tax residency service (from €1,400) and earn a commission of 200 to 500 USD per case. In return, our clients need housing, to open an account, and to find a school: the flow is bidirectional.
- Real Estate Agencies: You accompany clients on visits, and the agency pays you 200 to 500 USD if a deal is signed. You can also build your own portfolio of properties entrusted by owners, with a commission equivalent to one month's rent. See also our real estate service for buyer clients.
- Schools: Bilingual and international schools seek to attract expat families. Depending on the case, the school pays a commission of 200 to 500 USD per enrolled family or offers you visibility on its materials.
- Lawyers and Accountants: Every expatriate needs both for residency, business, real estate, and declarations to the DNIT. See our accounting service (€30 per month). Commission of 100 to 300 USD per client brought in.
- Health Insurers: Local prepagas cost 50 to 200 USD per month and generally pay a commission of one to two months' premium.
Partner commissions can represent 10 to 20% of your revenue. At cruising speed, about sixty clients brought in at an average commission of 400 USD constitute an income that requires almost no production time.
Strategy 3: Moving Upmarket to Corporate Clients
Corporate relocation is the most profitable segment, with tickets two to three times higher than those for individuals. Companies have mobility budgets of 5,000 to 20,000 USD per expatriate executive, including housing, moving, installation costs, and support.
- Diplomatic Posts: European and North American embassies regularly rotate their staff. They have dedicated budgets and often prefer a local French or English-speaking provider over an international relocation agency, which is more expensive and less knowledgeable about the local area.
- International Organizations: Several UN agencies have offices in Paraguay and bring in international staff. They operate through calls for tenders, often simplified for small amounts. Register in their supplier database.
- Multinationals: Large industrial and agro-industrial groups established locally have international mobility managers. This is your contact person. Propose a framework contract defining rates for one to three years, which avoids renegotiating for each case.
Strategy 4: The Digital Platform
In the medium term, in year two or three, digitizing the service via a mobile application or a web platform allows for centralizing the offering.
- A verified directory of service providers, plumbers, electricians, doctors, lawyers, schools, and restaurants, each tested by you and rated by expatriates, with reviews in French and English. Expats struggle to identify reliable providers: this is exactly the problem the directory solves.
- A conversational assistant answering basic questions at all hours, with complex cases transferred to a human contact.
- A marketplace where expatriates directly book and pay for services, automating invoicing, follow-up, and communication.
- The development cost is between 5,000 and 20,000 USD for an initial version, achievable in two to four months by a local developer. A no-code alternative, combining management, appointment booking, payment, and messaging tools, allows for testing the concept without a development budget.
Taxation of Concierge Services
| Tax | Application |
|---|---|
| IRE, 10% | The company's net profit is taxed at 10%. Concierge activity is of Paraguayan source: the service is provided in Paraguay, to clients present in Paraguay. Even when the client is a foreign national, the place of performance determines the source. The territoriality provided for by Law 6380/2019 therefore does not apply here, and the IRE at a rate of 10% is due. All expenses are deductible: salaries, vehicle, marketing, telephony, accounting, business travel. |
| IVA, 10% | Concierge services are subject to the general rate of 10%. VAT is charged to clients, either included in the displayed price or added to the ex-tax price depending on your commercial policy. Professional purchases are deductible, particularly fuel, telephony, and IT equipment, as detailed in our IVA guide in Paraguay. A point to discuss with your accountant: when the client is a foreign company paying for the service from its headquarters abroad, the qualification of export of services, which is exempt, may be considered. The answer depends on the analysis of the case and requires a written position before invoicing. |
| IDU, 8% | Dividends distributed to a resident associate are subject to IDU at a rate of 8%, increased to 15% for a non-resident associate. For a resident associate, the cumulative tax burden on a fully distributed profit is therefore around 17%. |
| Partner commissions | Commissions received from real estate, legal, or insurance partners are company products, subject to IRE and IVA. They must be documented by a partnership agreement and proper invoicing, in one direction or the other depending on the agreement reached. |
The overall logic. Concierge services generate Paraguayan-source income, taxed around 17% cumulatively for a resident associate. If you also carry out consulting or service activities for foreign clients, this falls under a separate treatment for territoriality purposes. The two activities complement each other: concierge services provide stable and recurring local income, while international activity provides more variable income. In both cases, the tax level remains much lower than that of an equivalent activity carried out in France. Each structuring must be validated with an accountant based on your personal situation.
Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Being too generalist
Doing everything for everyone, in all languages and for all budgets, means convincing no one. Dispersion harms quality and reputation. Focus on a clear segment, that of French-speaking expatriates, where your advantage is natural and difficult to imitate. Add English speakers in year two, when you have an English-speaking assistant. Add corporate clients in year two or three, when your reputation is established. Do not try to cover all three from the start.
Mistake 2: Underpricing your services
Charging 500 USD for an installation package to attract volume is a positioning error. This package represents twenty to thirty hours of actual work: about ten hours of real estate search, three hours of banking support, five hours for the cédula, three hours for schooling, five hours of miscellaneous. At 500 USD, you are working for an hourly rate that does not reflect the level of expertise mobilized. The fair price is between 2,000 and 4,000 USD, which is a consultant's rate. Clients who pay this price are serious: they do not haggle, they respect your work, they leave positive reviews, and they recommend you. Those who seek the lowest price haggle, complain, pay late, and recommend no one. You choose your clients by your price.
Mistake 3: Neglecting follow-up after installation
The installation package lasts two to four weeks, after which the client is supposed to be autonomous. In reality, the real difficulties arise afterward: the air conditioning breaking down in the middle of summer, the landlord raising the rent, tax deadlines, document renewals, finding a pediatrician, an unexpected electricity bill. Follow-up is as valuable as installation. The solution lies in the monthly subscription, which should be systematically offered at the end of the package: the client has just realized what your efficiency has gained them and does not want to lose that advantage. A significant portion of clients subscribe, which builds your base of recurring revenue.
Mistake 4: Promising what you cannot deliver
Guaranteeing an apartment in a specific neighborhood at a specific price is untenable: the market is what it is. Promise to search, not to find at a given price. Promise to facilitate, not to solve instantly. Set expectations from the first interview: with a given budget, here are the realistic neighborhoods and here are those that are not. Clients appreciate this frankness and prefer a provider who tells the truth to a provider who promises everything and disappoints. Trust is built on honesty, not on promises.
Mistake 5: Working alone for too long
In the first year, twenty-five packages and about ten subscriptions can be managed alone, at the cost of intense weeks. In the second year, with forty-five packages and twenty-five subscriptions, the workload becomes unmanageable, quality declines, and word-of-mouth turns negative. Recruit a bilingual assistant as soon as you approach thirty annual packages. They will handle operations, namely administrative support, real estate search, and technical setup, while you retain sales, marketing, corporate relations, and partnerships. For 800 to 1,500 USD per month, you free up twenty to thirty hours per week that you reinvest in business development. This is your first human resources investment and should not be delayed.
Mistake 6: Ignoring the emotional dimension
Expatriation is not just logistical; it is emotional. The client settling in Paraguay has left friends, family, country, and bearings behind. They often feel lost, isolated, sometimes anxious. Papers, language, safety, food—everything is different, and the stress level is high. Your role is not limited to finding an apartment and opening a bank account: you are a human anchor, someone who speaks their language, understands their anxieties, and reassures them. Empathy is your primary skill, before Spanish, before networking, before marketing. It is what turns a stressed client into a loyal client, and a loyal client remains subscribed and recommends you.
Integration into Your Service Ecosystem
| Service | Connection with Concierge Service |
|---|---|
| Tax Residency (from €1,400) | The client first obtains their residency, then needs concierge services to settle in. The process is sequential, and both services are sold together. Cross-commission of 200 to 500 USD in each direction. |
| Business Creation | The client sets up their company, and the concierge service takes over practical aspects: finding an office, recruiting, opening a professional account. Commission of 200 to 300 USD. |
| US LLC | The client creates their US structure, and the concierge service assists with opening bank access and organizing flows. Commission of 100 to 200 USD. |
| Paraguayan Bank Account (€250) | The concierge service physically accompanies the client to the branch, translates, and follows the file until the card is delivered. This service is integrated into the installation package. |
| Real Estate Investment | The client seeks accommodation or an income property, the concierge service identifies options, and the real estate service manages the transaction. Commission of 200 to 500 USD for rentals, 1 to 3% of the price for acquisitions. |
| DNIT Accounting (€30 per month) | The client needs an accountant for their declarative obligations, the concierge service refers them to the accounting service. Included in the support. |
The concierge service is the entry point to the entire ecosystem. The client arrives, the concierge service welcomes them, then directs them to specialized services: residency, business creation, real estate, accounting. Each referral generates a commission, and the client is supported from start to finish, from the airport to their first tax declaration. It is not just an installation service; it is a convergence point between the newcomer and all the services they will need.
Conclusion
The concierge service for expatriates in Paraguay is the most accessible model in this series, with an investment of 10,000 to 33,000 USD and profitability achievable from the first year. It also has the highest margin, between 65 and 80% gross margin, because your capital lies in your network and expertise rather than in equipment or stock. Finally, it is the most natural for an expatriate: you have gone through the same difficulties as your clients, which makes you the best-placed guide.
The market for new French-speaking arrivals is growing by approximately 15 to 25% per year, and competition remains almost non-existent in this segment. In 2026, there is no structured and professional French-speaking concierge service in Asunción. The first credible player will benefit from a lasting advantage, because expatriates talk to each other, and word-of-mouth is the dominant recommendation channel in this community.
Four levers determine success. Content, which attracts clients even before their arrival in Paraguay and makes SEO your primary acquisition channel. Partnerships, which multiply revenue without additional production effort. Monthly subscriptions, which transform one-time revenue into recurring revenue. And empathy, because expatriation is an emotional as well as logistical journey, and your value lies primarily in the human relationship.
Are you looking to launch a concierge service for expatriates in Paraguay, or to settle there yourself under optimal conditions? Contact our team for Paraguayan residency from €1,400, company formation, US LLC, bank account opening for €250, real estate investment, and DNIT accounting for €30 per month. Paraguay welcomes hundreds of expatriates every year, and each of them is looking for someone who already knows the way.