In this guide
In Encarnación, change money at an exchange house (casa de cambio) or a bank with your ID or passport ready, and before you hand over cash, compare the offer with the Central Bank's rate for the day. There are street changers at the bridge, but there you get no receipt and no way of knowing who is licensed. Always ask for the total you will receive, not just the rate.
Where should you change money in Encarnación?
- Exchange houses and banks. They must ask for ID from the very first dollar or its equivalent (ABC Color, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). It feels like paperwork, but it protects you: there is a record and a counter to return to if something goes wrong.
- Changers at the bridge. In 2021 about 150 worked the border crossing, mostly changing pesos into guaraníes for truck drivers (La Nación, 2021 (opens in a new tab)). Nationwide, in mid-2024 the Central Bank had licensed only 11 street exchange brokers, while the exchange-house association estimated around 1,000 people working informally (ABC Color, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). On the pavement you can't tell which is which.
- Simple rule: don't change money with street vendors (Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)). If you do anyway, keep it small and in daylight.
Pesos, guaraníes or dollars: what should you bring?
Encarnación runs on trade: about 95% of its economy is tied to commerce and services, with heavy reliance on shoppers crossing from Posadas (ABC Color, 2026 (opens in a new tab)). That is why Argentine pesos circulate widely in town, but their value moves fast.
- If you arrive with pesos: change only what you will spend that day. When the peso fell sharply in 2023, some exchange houses stopped taking it; Paraguay's consumer protection office said refusing it could be sanctioned, and member exchange houses accepted pesos as long as customers could show where the money came from (Última Hora, 2023 (opens in a new tab)). If you carry a large amount, have something that backs up its origin.
- For small spending (bus, kiosk, market): guaraníes in small notes.
- Dollars: fine for exchange houses and banks; before paying in dollars at a shop, ask what rate it uses.
How do you compare two quotes without getting short-changed?
- Check the benchmark. The Banco Central del Paraguay (opens in a new tab) publishes daily rates; open them on your phone before you go.
- Ask for buy and sell. Only your side matters: if you are selling pesos, look at what they pay for them.
- Ask for the total. "How many guaraníes do I get for these pesos?" avoids surprises from fees or rounding.
- Compare two places before changing a large sum, and change in stages rather than the whole trip at once.
- Count at the counter, in front of the cashier, and keep the receipt.
ATMs, QR and Pix: paying without changing
- ATMs: with a foreign card, most banks charge about Gs. 25,000 per withdrawal, with a cap of Gs. 1,500,000 per transaction (Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)). Fewer, larger withdrawals work out cheaper.
- QR and cards: in April 2026, 7 in 10 electronic payments processed by Bancard were made by QR (ABC Color (opens in a new tab)). A foreign card is charged in guaraníes and your bank applies its own rate.
- Pix: since February 2024, merchants on the Bancard network can take Pix from Brazilian customers if they have it switched on (Infonegocios (opens in a new tab)).
If you cross the bridge with cash
- Allow for the queue. Itapúa handled about 59% of all entries into Paraguay between January and May 2026 (ABC Color, 2026 (opens in a new tab)), and at Easter 2024 the return over the bridge took more than two hours (ABC Color (opens in a new tab)). Change money before you join the queue, not in a rush at the bridgehead.
- Don't flash the roll. In 2021 the bridge changers themselves said they worked at risk of robbery because of broken street lights in the area (La Nación, 2021 (opens in a new tab)). Keep the day's cash apart from the rest and don't count notes in the street.
- Shopping: Encarnación draws Argentine shoppers because prices tend to be lower than across the river (Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)); ask for an invoice, which records the amount and the rate you were charged.
To plan the rest of the trip, see our Encarnación tips and Encarnación budget guide.
FAQ
What ID do you need to change money in Encarnación?
Exchange houses, banks and finance companies must ask for an ID card or passport from the first dollar or its equivalent.
Is it safe to use the changers at the bridge?
You can't tell whether they are licensed: in mid-2024 the Central Bank had only 11 registered brokers nationwide. An exchange house or bank gives you a receipt.
Where can I check today's exchange rate?
On the Banco Central del Paraguay website, which publishes daily rates. Use it as your benchmark before accepting an offer.
Do exchange houses take Argentine pesos?
Generally yes, but when the peso fell in 2023 some refused it. Paraguay's consumer office said refusal could be sanctioned, and member exchange houses asked customers to show where the money came from.
