Peru Visa Requirements

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Applying for a visa in a new country can be confusing. Therefore, expats arriving to a new country are strongly encouraged to ask for advice from a professional immigration lawyer, even if procedures seem relatively easy. Here, we provide a simple guide of visa types with key concepts any expat should know before relocating to Peru.

Business Visa. This is a single entry visa that lasts up to 90 days and is issued by your country’s Peruvian Embassy. It takes up to four days for this type of visa to be issued, but expats can pay a higher fee and get their business visa in only one day. Aside from the application fee, applicants are required to submit the following documents:

• Two passport size photographs
• Contract photocopy
• Valid passport
• Recent bank statement
• Business reference letters
• Proof of two-way ticket airline reservation

Working Visa. This visa is also known as a Foreign Resident ID Card and is issued to expats with an employment contract in Peru. The employment contract would need to be for a minimum of (1) year and this visa does of course give you the right to work in Peru as the name suggests. Working visas are issued by the Peruvian General Directorate of Immigration and Naturalization (DIGEMIN for its acronym in Spanish) and expats can only apply to them once they are in the country with either a tourist or a business visa. Applicants are required to submit the following documents translated to Spanish by a certified translator:

• Processing fee proof of payment
• Passport photocopy
• Employment contract signed by the company and authenticated by either a notary public or the DIGEMIN

 Immigrant Visa. Expats may apply for an immigrant visa after holding a Foreign Resident ID card for two years and not having spent three consecutive months or six intermittent months outside Peru. This visa, which does not expire, may be issued by your country’s Peruvian Embassy or the DIGEMIN and takes up to 8 weeks to be processed. Applicants are required to submit the following documents translated to Spanish by a certified translator:

• Passport photocopy
• Foreign Resident ID Card photocopy
• Certificate of entries and exits from the country
• International Police background check
• First and most recent income proof

Investor Visa. If you decided to invest USD$30,000 into an existing Peruvian company or one that you set up for yourself. An investor’s visa is for (1) year, but DOES NOT give you the right to work in Peru.  Here you must also consider that you would need to present a business plan from the company you are investing in and this company must guarantee to employ (5) local staff within the first year of business.

• Passport photocopy
• Online non immigrant Visa Application
• Photo

Independent Professional Visa. If you have a Profession and are a member of a Professional body, then you could look to have this Professional Title obtained in Peru in order to work as an independent professional (freelancer).  This gives you the right to work in Peru as an independent, but not to be employed and work with an employment contract.  I must say that depending on the Profession, this visa can be difficult and very time-consuming to obtain due to the assessments that need to be performed.

• Passport photocopy
• International Police background check
• Processing fee proof of payment

Retirement Visa. Retirement visas are issued to expats who can prove a minimum monthly income of $1000 USD coming from outside of Peru. This permanent visa allows expats to live in Peru without working and some benefits include not paying a foreign tax and being able to import personal items (except cars) into Peru tax-free. This visa is for (1) year, but does not give the right to work in Peru.

Also, expats may apply for citizenship after two years of holding a retirement visa. Applicants are required to submit the following documents translated to Spanish by a certified translator:

• Passport photocopy
• Pension or social security letter notarised by the home country and legalised by a Peruvian Consulate
• International Police background check

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Post available in: English