Before you start

For IPS: employment registered by your employer
For the public network: nothing — MSPBS services are free at the point of use
For private plans: a cédula and a monthly premium

Step-by-step

1
Verify your employer actually registered you with IPS
It is the employer's obligation and the 'constancia de asegurado' is the proof. Check rather than assume — the same document is one of Migraciones' accepted proofs of economic solvency.
Via employerWho: Your employerOn hiring
2
Register with your local USF
The Unidades de Salud de la Familia are the health ministry's free primary-care entry point and exist across the department.
In personWho: You
3
Plan for the Asunción referral, not around it
For a serious cardiac, trauma or complex paediatric case the destination is the capital. Knowing in advance how you would get there — and whether a private plan covers transfer — is the health decision that matters most in this city.
In personWho: You
4
Do not assume you can simply use Brazilian hospitals
Foz do Iguaçu is minutes away and its facilities are visible from here, but Brazil's public system is for Brazilian residents and private care there must be paid for. Treat the border as a private-pay option, not a safety net.
In personWho: You
5
Save 141
SEME, the health ministry's ambulance service, is 141 nationally. 911 is the police.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Cédula de identidad
IPS constancia de asegurado where applicable
Employment contract for IPS registration

Things most newcomers don’t know

Distance to specialist care is the real difference from Asunción.

Routine and emergency primary care is here. The national referral centres are 320 km away, and that changes how you should think about insurance and about where you live if you have a chronic condition.

IPS is a provider, not an insurer.

It owns and runs its own hospitals, so membership routes you into IPS facilities rather than reimbursing you elsewhere.

The Brazilian side is a paid option, not a public one.

A common and expensive misunderstanding in a city where the other country's hospitals are ten minutes away.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming IPS registration happened — it is the employer's duty and is not always done.
Counting on Foz do Iguaçu's public system in an emergency.
Buying a prepaid plan without checking whether it covers transfer to Asunción.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

Make it your personal checklist

Globe Quest turns this into a tracked, AI-personalized plan for Ciudad del Este — timed to your move date, with reminders so nothing slips. Free to start.