In this guide
In Villarrica, change dollars, reais or pesos at a bank or a licensed exchange house in the town centre, carry your passport, and ask how many guaraníes you will get in total before handing over your cash. To move money inside Paraguay, an instant transfer from a local banking app is fastest; to collect money sent from abroad, you need ID and the transfer's tracking code.
Where to change money in Villarrica
- Banks and exchange houses (casas de cambio). Both are regulated by the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) and must ask for ID or a passport from the first dollar (ABC Color, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). That paperwork gives you a receipt and a counter to go back to if something is wrong.
- Street changers. Skip them. The same report says that in 2024 the BCP had only 11 registered exchange brokers nationwide, with an estimated 1,000 working informally. On the pavement you cannot tell which is which.
- Reference rate. The BCP publishes daily exchange rates on its website. Check them on your phone before you go so you know whether an offer is reasonable.
How to compare two quotes
- Ask for the side you use. If you bring dollars, the buying rate (what they pay you per dollar) is the one that matters.
- Ask for the total. "How many guaraníes for these 200 dollars?" catches fees and rounding.
- Count at the counter. Fake dollars, reais, pesos and guaraníes have circulated in Paraguay (Última Hora, 2016 (opens in a new tab)). Check notes in front of the cashier before you put them away.
- Change only what you will spend in cash. QR and cards cover much of the day: QR was 68.1% of electronic payments in April 2026 (ABC Color, 2026 (opens in a new tab)). You still need cash for the market, the producers' fair and taxis.
For what is paid in cash and what by QR around town, see cash, banks and payments in Villarrica.
Opening hours of banks and exchange houses
An Argentine Foreign Ministry business guide (2021) gave Paraguayan bank hours as Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 12:30, and exchange houses as 09:00 to 17:00 on weekdays (Argentine Foreign Ministry (opens in a new tab)). Check your branch's hours on its door or app, but plan around weekdays: exchange and counter errands Monday to Friday, weekend cash on Friday. Use ATMs inside a bank, supermarket or building, in daylight (GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)).
Transfers inside Paraguay
- SPI instant payments. Since March 2026 the BCP allows instant transfers of up to G. 10,000,000 per transaction, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (La Nación, 2026 (opens in a new tab)). Handy for rent, a deposit or paying a supplier without going to a branch.
- If your app shows a lower cap, your bank may not have updated yet; for larger amounts, ask your bank how and when to send them.
- Before sending, check the recipient's name, ID or tax number (RUC) and account number. Instant transfers land in seconds, and reversing a mistake depends on the other person.
- Keep the receipt as a PDF or screenshot and send it to the recipient on WhatsApp.
Receiving or sending money from abroad
Remittance companies such as Western Union pay out in cash at an authorised agent or deposit into a Paraguayan bank account (Western Union (opens in a new tab)). To collect, bring your ID and the tracking number (MTCN) the sender gives you (Infonegocios (opens in a new tab)).
- Who pays what. The sender pays the fee, which depends on the origin country, and the company also earns on the currency conversion (Western Union (opens in a new tab)). Ask at the counter exactly how many guaraníes you will receive.
- Straight to an account. If you have a Paraguayan bank account, a deposit saves you walking around with cash.
Arriving from Brazil or Argentina
Villarrica is not a border town. Pix was enabled at Bancard merchants starting in border areas (Infonegocios, 2024 (opens in a new tab)), so do not count on it here: arrive with some guaraníes or a Visa or Mastercard, and change the rest at a bank or exchange house in the centre.
FAQ
Where can I change dollars in Villarrica?
At a bank or exchange house in the centre, both regulated by the BCP. Bring your passport, which they must ask for from the first dollar, and avoid street changers.
How much can I transfer instantly in Paraguay?
Up to G. 10,000,000 per transaction through the SPI, 24/7, since March 2026. If your app shows a different cap, ask your bank.
What do I need to collect a Western Union transfer?
Your ID and the transfer's tracking number (MTCN). It can also be paid straight into a Paraguayan bank account.
Are exchange houses open at weekends?
Do not count on it: the reference hours are weekdays, 09:00 to 17:00. Change what you need for the weekend on Friday.
