The Quest For The Golden Cedula

Gee man, I became my cedula quiet easy, like now all newer ones that came in, during the Lugo era...

Continuing the quest:- As the sun rose Monday morning I indeed assailed my local comisaia, armed with the same paperwork I used before for my carnet, but as it turned out no assailing was necessary.  As a last thought I threw in a copy my last residency certificate, just as a visual aid to what I wanted.  I went to the same comisaria as last time, and with the old document they merely called up my old file from the records, changed the dates, printed it out and I was out in 5 minutes.
I slipped down to the Temple of Migracciones and applied for my "Certificado de Radicacion", which has a 48 hr turnaround. 
I then took both interpol residency certificates for a taxi ride to the forests of Villa Mora, where they were given the stamp of authentication dipped in the blood of a virgin (10 minutes).  I then took them both to Police Headquarters, where they were given a second virgin dipped authentication stamp (24 hr turnaround).
As "tranquilo" is the national password I stopped for the day and spent the rest of the day restoring my health with a Brahma or three at the Lido Bar.
The next day I retrieved my documents from Police Headquarters then  went to the Criminal Investigation Division, and, using the aforementioned certificates, my birth certificate, passport, and my last prostrate exam, plus supplying a set of fingerprints I went away after 20 minutes with a nice laminated card stating I was a registered foreigner.
Yesterday I picked up my certificate of radicacion, and took all my paperwork to an escribania for legalisation.
This morning I again visited the dreaded Castle Identificaciones where I obtained yet another Police Certificate, and then, to add insult to injury, and just to ensure I read all the fine print on the list of documents to collect, I had to then find the Dept of the Interior deep within the bowels of the castle, where a third virgin had to spill her blood on my Interpol Certificate to legalise it (again).  Then it was up to the second floor, where the wicked witch of the west examined all my documentation with an eagles eye to determine if enough virgins had spilled blood, then I was rewarded with a parchment, and with a final stop on the ground floor, where after I was digitally photographed, electronically fingerprinted and signature supplied, and paid the princely sum of 8500GS, I was given the treasured receipt and told to return to the 2nd floor in 30 days for the Golden Cedula.
The countdown commences.

OK, in all seriousness it was a pretty easy process. The main problem for the DIYer is the same as obtaining the carnet.  There is a definite order to proceedings, and some of the locations and procedures at those locations are a bit obscure, but with a bit of patience there is no reason that anybody cannot apply for a Paraguayan Cedula by themselves.   
Here is my suggested method for obtaining a cedula, current for 2013, and in the full knowledge that some things can be done concurrently. Allow yourself 3-4 days, or if you are like me, who believes that glacial is the correct speed in Paraguay, 4-5 days.
1. Find your original legalised birth, marriage, and police certificates that you used for your carnet, along with their translations.  Take them, your carnet and passport with translation to an escribania and get certified copies, inc 2 of your birth certificate and 4 each of your passport and carnet. You will also need 4 passport photos.
2.  As you leave your hotel to go to the escribania ask at reception for a letter of residency.  I did not need it, but I went to the same police station where they had my old file on record. Better to have it and not need it etc.
3.  Go to Identificaciones, 2nd floor, and get the latest list of the documents you will need.  You do this for 3 reasons:
a.  You will need to return to this office later, so you may as well find it now.
b.  You will have the latest list, plus the list has on it all the addresses you will need to go to.
c. Everywhere you go you can just show the officials the list and they will help you.  You will not have to try to use your fractured Spanish for help. Everybody I dealt with was friendly and helpful.
4. Apply at Migracciones for your Certificate of Radicacion as it has a 48 hr turnaround.
5. Apply at Interpol for a Police Certificate. Because this will be your 2nd certificate they will have your fingerprints on record so you don't need to do them again. Take all the same documentation though, they want that. 24 hour turnaround.
6.  Back to the hotel, grab your letter and head to the local comisaria for your Residency Certificate.
7.  Pick up your interpol certificate and take it and the residency certificate to the Police Depto de Personal in Villa Mora for authentication, 10-15 minutes.  Have the taxi wait. Return to Police Headquarters and drop off both certificates for a 2nd authentication. 18 to 24 hr turnaround here.
8. Pick up both certificates then go to Migracciones and pick up the certificate there, then over the road to the escribania to get everything photocopied and certified.
9.  Go to the Police CIB in Azara c/ EEUU with copies of all your certificates, your birth certificate, passport and 2 photos and get yourself fingerprinted and registered as a foreigner.  Find another escribania and have that card copied and certified.
10. Spend a night making sure you have everything on the list, both originals and copies, with every copy certified.  You should be missing only the National Police Check, which is obtained in the office next to Identificaciones.
11. Go early to Identificaciones, get the National Police Check Certificate. (10 minutes- show your list to the police at the main entrance and they will point you in the right direction).
12. Enter the main building and find your way to the back, past the cantina, to a small window marked Dept de Interior and present your Interpol Certificate for yet another legalisation. 10 minutes.  (I asked at least 4 police in the building, using the list for help, to home in on this tiny office in the bowels of the earth.)
13.  Go to the 2nd floor office, present all the documents, and if all is correct they will give you a ticket to go to Caja 26 on the ground floor for processing.
14. Go to caja 26,(and for some hard fought inside info- go to the front of the queue and give the policeman at the desk your papers, he will stick them on the bottom of the pile, and call your name in turn.  If you hang onto your papers in the queue then others will pass you by presenting their papers first.) You will be electronically photographed, fingerprinted and will supply an electronic signature.  They will photocopy all your documents, then take 8500GS off you, give you a receipt and tell you to go back to the office on the second floor in 30 days to collect your cedula.
Thats it.

I returned to the same office on the 2nd floor at Identificacciones 30 days after submitting my application, with receipt in hand, and in 2 minutes I walked out with my brand new cedula.

If you are doing this yourself, disregard all other doors and windows in the same office area with the words "Cedula Reclamacion" on them.  Go to the same room in the corner that you submitted your application.

One interesting thing is that unlike the residency carnet which was integrally tied to my Australian passport number, the cedula merely notes I am an Australian, but does not mention my passport.

I'm now off on my next great adventure, the search for the mythical paraguayan drivers licence.

I swear they ought to print out your posts and hand them out with application forms at Migracciones, translated in numerous languages of course....  Although I do have a bone to pick with you regarding the mention of a required prostate exam, as they told me I really didn't need that when I tried to turn the results in!