Peru residency & citizenship

Overview

Peru's immigration authority is the Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones. The system distinguishes temporary and resident visas. Peru adopted a digital nomad visa in law (Legislative Decree 1582, November 2023) but it has never been implemented — no TUPA regulations, no fees, no application route as of 2026. Naturalization was significantly tightened by Law No. 32421 (August 2025), raising the residency requirement from 2 to 5 years and adding a minimum income threshold of 10 UIT (~S/ 55,000 / ~USD 15,000/yr). ^[1]

Residency Programs

Per-Program Detail

investment_residency

• Official name: Visa de Residente — Inversionista
• Conditions: Investment ≥ PEN 500,000 (~USD 150,000) in a new Peruvian company, or ~USD 30,000 in an existing company. Investment must be registered with ProInversión or appropriate agency. ^[2]
• Duration / renewal: 1 year, renewable. Permanent residency after 3 years of continuous legal residence.
• Path to citizenship: 5 years of continuous legal residency (Law 32421). Dual citizenship permitted.
• Official source: https://www.migraciones.gob.pe
• Community verdict: Mixed (two different thresholds in circulation; USD 30,000 vs PEN 500,000 discrepancy reflects different investment types).

passive_income_residency

• Official name: Visa de Residente — Rentista
• Conditions: Passive income ≥ USD 1,000/mo from abroad (pensions, rentals, dividends). Additional USD 500/mo per dependent. Must be deposited into a Peruvian bank account. ^[3]
• Duration / renewal: 1 year, renewable.
• Path to citizenship: 5 years (Law 32421). Was 2 years under prior law.
• Official source: https://www.migraciones.gob.pe
• Community verdict: Works well (low threshold; straightforward documentation).

digital_nomad_visa

• Official name: Nómada Digital (Decreto Legislativo 1582, Art. 29.1(i))
• Conditions: NOT OPERATIONAL. Created in law November 2023. Both the 2024 and 2025 TUPA updates failed to include the category. No application procedure, fees, or requirements published. ^[4]
• Duration / renewal: On paper: 365 days, renewable. In practice: cannot apply.
• Path to citizenship: Unknown (law not implemented).
• Official source: https://www.migraciones.gob.pe
• Community verdict: Problematic (law exists but visa is a phantom — remote workers use tourist stamps or independent-worker visa instead).

highly_skilled_employment

• Official name: Visa de Residente — Trabajador
• Conditions: Employment contract with a Peruvian company, approved by the Ministry of Labor. Contract minimum 1 year. ^[5]
• Duration / renewal: 1 year, renewable.
• Path to citizenship: 5 years (Law 32421).
• Official source: https://www.migraciones.gob.pe
• Community verdict: Works well (standard employment route; Ministry of Labor approval required).

startup_entrepreneur

Subsumed under Inversionista. Business investment from ~USD 30,000 in existing or new Peruvian company.

employment_residency

• Official name: Visa de Residente — Trabajador
• Conditions: Binding employment contract, approved by Ministry of Labor. Must apply from within Peru (cambio de calidad migratoria) unless already abroad.
• Duration / renewal: 1 year, renewable.
• Path to citizenship: 5 years.
• Official source: https://www.migraciones.gob.pe
• Community verdict: Works well.

student_residency

• Official name: Visa de Residente — Estudiante
• Conditions: Enrollment in a Peruvian educational institution.
• Duration / renewal: Course duration.
• Path to citizenship: Student time counts toward residency requirement.
• Official source: https://www.migraciones.gob.pe
• Community verdict: Works well.

family_reunification

• Official name: Visa de Residente — Familiar
• Conditions: Certified family relationship (spouse, minor child, dependent parent) with a Peruvian citizen or resident.
• Duration / renewal: 1 year, renewable.
• Path to citizenship: 4 years of marriage + residency (under Law 32421). Previously 2 years.
• Official source: https://www.migraciones.gob.pe
• Community verdict: Works well.

retired_residency

• Official name: Visa de Residente — Pensionista / Rentista
• Conditions: Lifetime pension ≥ USD 1,000/mo from abroad. Must be deposited in Peruvian bank. ^[6]
• Duration / renewal: 1 year, renewable.
• Path to citizenship: 5 years. Note: retirees may be affected by the new income threshold (10 UIT ≈ USD 15,000/yr) under Law 32421 for naturalization.
• Official source: https://www.migraciones.gob.pe
• Community verdict: Works well for residency; citizenship path now harder due to income requirement.

citizenship_by_investment

Not available. A brief CBI scheme existed in 1992 (USD 25,000) but was abolished after 1 year due to public outcry.

Citizenship

• Standard naturalization (Law 32421, August 2025): 5 years of continuous legal residency, up from 2 years. ^[7]
• Marriage-based: 4 years of marriage to a Peruvian citizen + legal residency (doubled from 2).
• Income threshold: Annual income ≥ 10 UIT (~S/ 55,000 / ~USD 15,000 in 2026), from lawful activities declared to SUNAT.
• Language: Spanish or indigenous language proficiency. Tests on history, geography, and civics.
• Processing time: Up to 18 months, final decision by the President.
• Dual citizenship: Permitted. No renunciation required.
• Passport: ~150+ visa-free destinations, including Schengen.

Tax

• Residency trigger: 183 days in Peru in any 12-month period.
• Tax system: Worldwide income. Progressive rates 0%–30%. ^[8]
• Territorial option: None — Peru taxes worldwide income of tax residents.
• Digital nomads: Staying 183+ days triggers tax residency.

IT / Digital Nomad

• Digital nomad visa is a phantom: law exists (DL 1582) but cannot be applied for. Remote workers use (a) tourist entry — up to 183 days/year, no work rights; (b) Trabajador Independiente visa — for freelancers with documented income. ^[9]
• Lima has a growing coworking scene and reasonable internet. Cusco/Arequipa popular for shorter stays on tourist stamps.

Yacht / Maritime

Not a major yachting hub. No special yacht/captain residency program.

Notes for RU citizens

• Russian citizens: visa-free for tourism up to 90 days (since 2011 bilateral agreement). However, RU nationals can enter visa-free only for tourism — residency applications require consular processing.
• Banking: possible with Carné de Extranjería; post-2022 compliance checks for RU nationals are standard.
• No specific restrictions targeting Russian applicants for residency.
• Residency path is straightforward but the new citizenship income threshold (10 UIT) may be a barrier for retirees.

Community pulse

• Overall: Peru was one of the fastest citizenship paths in South America (2 years) — that ended with Law 32421. Now 5 years, in line with regional average.
• Processing: Residency ~30–60 days for Rentista, longer for Investor. Citizenship up to 18 months.
• Physical presence: 183 days/year required to maintain residency status.
• Cost: Change of status fee ~PEN 163 (~USD 45).