The New 5,000 Guaraníes Banknote of Paraguay 2026 (San Roque González de Santa Cruz and the Yacaré of Ñeembucú). Iberoamericana Banknotes

On October 5, 2026, on the 83rd anniversary of the guaraní, the Central Bank of Paraguay presented the country's new family of banknotes. The 5,000 guaraníes banknote maintains the theme it already had in the previous series—the legacy of the missions—but expands upon it: to the traditional Saint Roque González de Santa Cruz, Friar Juan de San Fernando is now added, and the reverse changes completely to be dedicated to the Ñeembucú Ecoregion, the great wetland of southern Paraguay, with the yacare caiman as its protagonist.

The banknote is not yet in circulation: what was presented on October 5 are the designs. For this reason, it is not yet for sale, but you can reserve it by writing to us via email or WhatsApp; we will notify you and hold it for you in uncirculated condition as soon as the BCP puts it into circulation and we are able to obtain it.

Why the 5,000 guaraníes is changing

The new family represents the first comprehensive redesign of the guaraní in over sixty years. The BCP awarded the design and origination in February 2023 to the French firm Oberthur Fiduciaire, and the work lasted three years with the advice of historians and biologists, under the premise that no element on the banknote should be decorative for no reason.

In the chronological narrative that runs through the series, the 5,000 guaraníes occupies the second step: after the indigenous peoples of the 2,000 banknote, we arrive at the missionary encounter, the period that shaped a large part of the culture, architecture, and music of colonial Paraguay.

The honorees: Saint Roque González de Santa Cruz and Friar Juan de San Fernando

Saint Roque González de Santa Cruz (Asunción, 1576 – Caaró, 1628) is the quintessential Paraguayan figure of the missionary period: a creole from Asunción, Jesuit, founder of reductions on both sides of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, and a martyr murdered in 1628. He was canonized in 1988 and is the first Paraguayan saint. His presence on the 5,000 banknote is not new—he already appeared in the outgoing series—which provides symbolic continuity to the denomination.

The novelty is Friar Juan de San Fernando, a figure from the Franciscan sphere, who accompanies González de Santa Cruz on the obverse. With both, the BCP has sought to represent not only the Jesuit work but the entirety of Paraguay's missionary heritage, both Jesuit and Franciscan, which is how it has presented the theme of this denomination.

The design of the 5,000 guaraníes banknote

Obverse (dominant red / pink color):

• Portraits of Saint Roque González de Santa Cruz and Friar Juan de San Fernando, in intaglio printing.
• BANCO CENTRAL DEL PARAGUAY legend at the top.
• Value 5MIL in prominent numeral and CINCO MIL GUARANÍES in letters.
• Colored transparent element with a floral or rosette shape, in changing greenish-blue tones, next to the portraits.
• Transparent window in the polymer with an integrated yacare caiman figure.
• Institutional seals of the Central Bank and the Republic.

Reverse (same reddish range):

• ECORREGIÓN ÑEEMBUCÚ label.
• A yacare caiman (South American alligator) emerging from the water as the protagonist species.
• Frog integrated into the transparent window, in intense green.
• Aquatic vegetation—water lilies and floating plants—typical of the wetland.
• Value 5MIL and PO SU GUARANÍ, the denomination in the Guaraní language, next to REPÚBLICA DEL PARAGUAY.
• Outline of the map of Paraguay with the ecoregion highlighted.

The Ñeembucú is the great wetland system of southwestern Paraguay, between the Paraguay and Paraná rivers: marshes, lagoons, and swamps that concentrate one of the highest densities of aquatic birds and reptiles in the country. The yacare caiman is its natural emblem.

Security features

• Transparent window in the polymer with a colored fauna figure integrated.
• Color-changing element in the shape of a rosette on the obverse.
• Raised printing on portraits, legends, and tactile marks.
• Tactile marks and large high-contrast numerals to assist people with visual impairments.
• Microprinting with Paraguayan identity motifs in borders and backgrounds.
• Differentiated format: approximately 7 mm longer than the 2,000 and 7 mm shorter than the 10,000, within the staggered system of the entire family.

Technical specifications

• Issuer: Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP).
• Denomination: 5,000 guaraníes.
• Design presentation: October 5, 2026.
• Substrate: polymer (it was already in the previous series).
• Dominant color: red / pink.
• Obverse: Saint Roque González de Santa Cruz and Friar Juan de San Fernando.
• Reverse: Ñeembucú Ecoregion, with yacare caiman and frog.
• Format: common width for the family, second shortest in length.
• Design and origination: Oberthur Fiduciaire (France).
• Printer: not confirmed; the Oberthur contract covered the design, not the printing, which will be awarded through international bidding.
• Print run and series prefixes: not announced. The presentation images feature a sample numbering with prefix A (A00000000), typical of a specimen.
• Circulation date: not confirmed (press estimates between the first quarter of 2027 and 2028).

Numismatic and collectible value

1. Continuity with change. It is the only banknote in the family that retains its previous protagonist and adds a second character: a design rarity that collectors of comparative series value highly.
2. The first Paraguayan saint. Saint Roque González de Santa Cruz is a figure of international reach, with added interest among collectors of religious themes and Jesuit history in the Americas.
3. Wetland fauna. The yacare caiman and the frog in the transparent window make the reverse a very attractive piece for the thematic collection of fauna and polymer banknotes.
4. Double color window. The combination of the chromatic rosette on the obverse and the window with the frog on the reverse is one of the most striking of the entire series.
5. Retires a classic piece. The outgoing 5,000, with the same figure, will become the mandatory term of comparison: its uncirculated version gains interest immediately.

Why is it important for collectors?

• First comprehensive redesign of the guaraní in over sixty years.
• Only banknote that maintains and expands the character of the previous series.
• Missionary theme, with the first Paraguayan saint.
• Polymer with a double colored transparent element.
• Reverse dedicated to the Ñeembucú wetland and its fauna.

Why reserve at Iberoamericana Banknotes

• Guaranteed authenticity, with individual verification of each piece.
• Priority by order of reservation when the stock arrives.
• Full series available in addition to sales by denomination.
• International shipping with tracking and packaging for uncirculated banknotes.
• Specialized service and quick response.
• Updates to this article as the BCP confirms data.

Reserve it now

To secure your uncirculated new 2026 Paraguay 5,000 guaraníes banknote, write to us via email or WhatsApp to join the reservation list, either for the single note or the complete series of six denominations.

You have the full picture in The new 2026 Paraguay guaraní banknotes, and you can follow the historical thread of the series in the 2026 2,000 guaraníes banknote and in the 2026 10,000 guaraníes banknote.

Our section of Paraguay banknotes is available by clicking here.