Newsgroups: wstd.travel.advisories
From: 76702.1202@CompuServe.COM (Wally Doerge)
Subject: New Travel Info
Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die
Distribution: wstd
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1993 17:26:01 GMT
STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Paraguay
Paraguay - Consular Information Sheet
 September 23, 1993

Country Description:  Paraguay is a medium income nation with a 
developing economy.  Tourist facilities are good in Asuncion, poor 
in major cities, and almost nonexistent in remote areas.

Entry Requirements:  A passport is required.  U.S. citizens do not 
need a visa for a three-month stay.  Minors (under 20) traveling 
alone, with one parent or with a third party must present written 
authorization from the absent parent(s) or legal guardian, 
specifically granting permission to travel alone, with one parent or 
with a third party.  This authorization must be notarized, 
authenticated by the Paraguayan embassy or consulate, and translated 
into Spanish.  For current information concerning entry and customs 
requirements for Paraguay, travelers can contact the Paraguayan 
Embassy at 2400 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, 
tel: (202) 483-6960 or the nearest consulate in Los Angeles, Miami 
or New York.

Medical Facilities:  Facilities for medical care are limited.  
Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health 
services.  U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the 
United States.  In some cases medical insurance with specific 
overseas coverage has proved to be useful.  For additional health 
information, travelers can contact the Centers for Disease Control's 
International Travelers' Hotline at (404) 332-4559.

Crime Information:  Burglaries, larcenies, and car thefts are 
common.  Street crime such as pickpocketing and muggings is on the 
rise, occurring especially during the evening hours.  Some thieves 
are armed with guns or knives.  There have been incidents of 
pilferage from checked airline baggage.  Travelers have found it 
prudent to put valuables in their carry-on luggage.

The loss or theft of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately 
to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  
Useful information on guarding valuables and protecting personal 
security while traveling abroad is provided in the Department of 
State pamphlet, "A Safe Trip Abroad", which is available from the 
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D.C. 20402.  Also available from the same address is the 
Department of State publication, "Tips for travelers to Central and 
South America."

Drug penalties:  U.S. citizens are subject to the laws of the 
country in which they are traveling.  Penalties in Paraguay for 
possession, use and trafficking in illegal drugs are strict, and 
convicted offenders can expect lengthy jail sentences and fines.

Adoptions: Due to serious problems in the international adoption 
process in Paraguay, including recent unpredictability in the 
issuance of final decrees and uncertainty over case processing and 
prospects for proposed adoption legislation, the U.S. Embassy 
strongly urges prospective adopting parents to postpone any 
commitment to a Paraguayan prospective child until such time as the 
situation at juvenile court is clarified.  American citizens who 
have secured court dates with the judge handling their international 
adoption petition, should be aware that prospective parents' stay in 
Asuncion is often a prolonged one.  Updated information on 
Paraguayan adoption proceedings and U.S. immigrant visa requirements 
is available from the consular section of the U.S. Embassy.  
Additional information is available by writing the Office of 
Citizens Consular Services, CA/OCS/CCS, Room 4817, Department of 
State, Washington, D.C. 20520, or by telephoning (202) 647-3712.

Embassy Location/Registration: Americans who register with the 
consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Asuncion at 1776 Mariscal 
Lopez Avenue, telephone:  (595-21) 213-715, may obtain updated 
information on travel and security within Paraguay.

 No. 93-247

This replaces the Consular Information Sheet dated may 27, 1993 to 
update information on international adoptions in Paraguay.