Peruvian Retirement Visa

Foreigners, who receive a state or private pension including social security pension, government pension, employment related pension, union pension, disability pension, etc., so lifetime annuities, other lifelong benefits or a permanent income for the rest of their life from royalties or dividends of at least US$ 1000 per month or the equivalent in any other currency can apply for a permanent residency in Peru called Rentista visa.

Be aware that rental income, income generated from remote / freelance work, capital gains, interests, etc. are not considered permanent income. To fulfill the requirement you must prove that you receive at least US$ 1000 per month "indefinitely", so for the rest of your life.

Additionally, you should know that you are not allowed to work or receive a remuneration for any kind of professional activity in Peru when living in the country on a retirement visa.

Content overview

• Legal background for a retirement visa application in Peru
  • Where to apply for a retirement visa
  • Important laws and regulations
• Requirements for a retirement visa application in Peru
• Last steps before your retirement visa application in Peru
  • Translation of foreign documents
  • Paying the visa application fee
  • Last preparations
• Step-by-step guide to apply for a retirement visa in Peru
  • Migraciones Agencia Digital
  • 1st page of the retirement visa application
  • 2nd page of the retirement visa application
  • 3rd page of the retirement visa application
  • 4th page of the retirement visa application
• Biometric data appointment
• Buzon Electronico
• Approval of your retirement visa
• Getting your carné (foreigner ID)
• Things you should know living in Peru on a retirement visa
• Other FAQs
  • Can I apply for a retirement visa if my stay as a tourist is expired?
  • Can I apply for a retirement visa if I don't have all required documents?

Legal background for a retirement visa application in Peru

Where to apply for a retirement visa

Officially, you can apply for a retirement visa if you are still outside Peru or if you are already in the country, for example, as a tourist.

However, while for decades Peruvian consulates abroad handled residence visa applications from giving information and handing out the right forms to fill in, to accepting the application and, if approved, issuing the residence visa, since August 2021, the Peruvian diplomatic missions abroad only handle tourist and business visa applications and refer foreigners, who want to apply for a residence visa, to Migraciones in Peru.

So, foreigners, who can enter the country visa-free (so, who don’t have to apply for a “real” tourist visa at a Peruvian consulate), should come to Peru as a tourist and then change their immigration status - make a so called Cambio de calidad migratoria (as opposed to a Solicitud de calidad migratoria if you apply from outside Peru) - at Migraciones.

Those foreigners, who cannot enter Peru visa-free (so, who must apply for a “real” tourist visa at a Peruvian consulate), officially must apply for residency from outside Peru; a complicated, lengthy, and sometimes frustrating process. We explain in detail how it’s done in our article “Peruvian residence visa application from abroad”.

Peruvian residence visa application from abroad

Peruvian Visa Types

Foreign nationals who can travel to Peru visa-free, enter Peru as a tourist and then apply for their residence visa at Migraciones in Peru. However...

Important laws and regulations

For foreigners planning to stay longer in Peru and to apply for a resident visa, the most important laws and regulations are the Decreto Legislativo 1582, which is the current foreigner law and only stipulates general rules, the Decreto Supremo 002-2021-IN from 2021 and the TUPA (last updated October 22, 2023). Helpful as well is to check out the Peruvian government website. All these documents are, of course, in Spanish.

While below, under "Requirements for a retirement visa application in Peru" you find the necessary documents described in English, the official list of requirements (in Spanish) can be found, for example, in the Decreto Supremo 002-2021-IN on page 46 in article 92-B “Procedimiento administrativo de cambio de calidad migratoria rentista residente”. As the TUPA is always the more current official document, which contains slight changes compared to the Decreto Supremo, we recommend to use it when looking for the most current official information about the requirements in Spanish. You find the information on page 184, which is page 187 of the PDF.

Requirements for a retirement visa application in Peru

Below you find the requirements to apply for a retirement visa, accurately to make a so-called "Cambio de calidad migratoria" (change of immigration status) in Peru.

Please be aware that Migraciones has the right to request other and/or additional documents at any time.

Required documents to apply for a retirement visa include:

• Passport
• Antecedentes policiales, penales y judiciales (Police clearance certificate, criminal record and judicial matters check) from your home country or from the country where you legally lived (so with a resident visa) during the 5 years prior to coming to Peru showing that you don't have a record (1) + (2) + (3)
  
• Letter / confirmation from your pension fund or social security stating that you receive a monthly income of at least US$ 1000 or the equivalent in any other currency. (3) + (4)
• Sworn statement stating that your pension enters Peru through the banking system (5)
• Receipt for paid application fee (code Migraciones 07568; concept Cambio de calidad migratoria rentista residente, S/.161.40 since October 22, 2023)
• (Interpol clearance - Ficha de canje internacional not older than 6 months) (6)

Explanatory notes for the requirements:

First of all, be aware that documents have an "expiration" date in Peru. If not stated otherwise:

• Documents issued in Peru are usually only accepted when they were issued a maximum of 3 months prior to being submitted.
• Documents issued outside Peru are usually only accepted when they were issued not more than 6 months prior to being submitted.

(1) As we get many question about the “Antecedentes policiales, penales y judiciales” we dedicated a separate article to the topic where we explain in detail what kind of document you need, where you get it and what to watch out for when applying for it.

International document corresponding to the Antecedentes policiales, penales and judiciales in Peru

Legal Stuff

One of the requirements to apply for a resident visa in Peru or to change your visa type, for example from a work visa to a permanent resident visa...

(2) That's the official requirement. However, Migraciones always requests the criminal record check from your home country. And, if they are made aware of the fact that you lived in another country during the 5 years prior to coming to Peru, sometimes additionally a check from this country.

(3) All foreign documents need an Apostille or, if the country in which they were issued, didn't sign the Apostille Convention have to be legalized by a Peruvian consulate abroad. Once in Peru, the document has to be translated into Spanish and in some cases legalized by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE).

(4) Before (!!!) leaving your home country request the document from your pension fund or social security and get it apostilled if your country signed the Apostille Convention; otherwise, it has to be legalized by different authorities in your home country and the Peruvian consulate. The problem with both processes is that the letter needs an official signature to be apostilled or legalized. As most pension statements are generated automatically, they are usually not signed. So, it might be quite a mission in your home country to get it signed. US nationals, who get social security payments, can request a signed benefit verification letter for Apostille or authentication purposes from the US Social Security Administration.

(5) With this sworn statement, you don't affirm that your pension payments are directly deposited into a Peruvian bank account, but that the money you need to live in Peru is "legally brought" into the country using official channels. So, you won't have any problem, for example, withdrawing funds from a foreign account using an ATM or having your pension deposited in an account in your home country and then transferring it to a Peruvian account (which you only get when you have your carné).

Furthermore, even though still on the requirement list, be aware that since the beginning of 2024, the corresponding field on the Agencia Digital, where you had to upload the sworn statement is gone. To avoid any problems or delays, best make one PDF of the letter from your pension fund and the sworn statement and upload it under the Documentos Especificos tab as explained below.

(6) In 2023, it was ruled that presenting the Ficha de canje from Interpol is an illegal and unnecessary bureaucratic barrier for retirment visa applicants. Even though the Ficha de canje is still listed as a requirement for a retirement visa application on the Peruvian government website and in the TUPA, since the beginning of 2024, the corresponding field on the Agencia Digital, where you had to upload the document before, is gone. So, you can’t submit the Ficha de canje anymore. However, be aware that Migraciones always has the right to ask for additional documents and in some rare cases over the past months requested that an applicant upload the Ficha additionally.

Applying for a retirement visa is a simple and straightforward process, but might be a little confusing here and there if you are not familiar with the process and the steps involved. Please see our step-by-step guide below, which should enable you to start and finish this little endeavor on your own, as general guidance only as requirements and processes change quickly. At least basic Spanish skills are required to fill in forms and understand instructions.

 Last steps before your retirement visa application in Peru

Hopefully, you brought the letter from your pension fund or social security as well as the criminal record check already apostilled or legalized - see requirements and (1), (2), (3) and (4) above.

Translation of foreign documents

Once in Peru, all documents issued abroad that are in a foreign language must be translated into Spanish. Even though officially no longer required and a simple translation should be enough (see Decreto Legislativo 1272 about simplified administration procedures) we highly recommend to use a certified translator in Peru, a so-called traductor publico juramentado. You find lists of these government-approved translators on the Peruvian government website. Just click under point 3 on the language of your original document and the list of translators for your language appears.

If your documents have an Apostille and were translated by one of the certified translators on the list according to the above mentioned Decreto Legislativo Migraciones should accept them without problems. However, most translators are still recommending an additional legalization of the translation by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE), as sometimes Migraciones doesn't apply the simplified administration procedures, rejects documents without the additional RREE legalization and explicitly asks the applicant to upload the apostilled and translated foreign documents this time with another legalization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE) in Lima or a RREE branch in the provinces.

So, if you want to skip the additional legalization by RREE, we highly recommend to keep an eye on your Migraciones electronic mailbox for notifications from Migraciones (see below).

If your documents aren't apostilled but legalized, they must be legalized again after the translation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE) in Lima or a RREE branch in the provinces.

Paying the application fee

Once you have all your documents documents together, pay the fee of S/ 162.50 for the Migraciones administrative procedure “Cambio de Calidad Migratoria” under code 07568 with concepto "Rentista residente". Our article "Paying administration charges and processing fees in Peru" explains in detail where and how you can pay.

Paying administration charges and processing fees in Peru

Legal Stuff

All administration charges, processing fees and fines government agencies, public authorities and entities levy in Peru have to be paid at the Banc...

Last preparations

And last but not least, download the sworn statement and fill it in. Please be aware: If you are in Peru as a tourist you can only legally sign a document in Peru after you were issued a Permit to sign contracts. You can apply for the permit on the Agencia Digital quickly and easily. Our article "Permit to sign contracts (Permiso especial para firmar contratos) in Peru" explains in detail how it's done.

Permit to sign contracts (Permiso especial para firmar contratos) in Peru

Legal Stuff

If foreign visitors, who are in Peru as a tourist, or temporary visa holders who haven't applied for a CTM, need to sign a legally binding document...

So, first get the permit, then sign the sworn statement.

Then make PDFs from your passport (page with your personal data), and from all other required documents (max size per document 3MB).

Finally, the time has come to apply for your retirement visa. Be aware that in case you need to leave the country during the processing time of your retirement visa application you have to apply for a special travel permit (Permiso especial de viaje, officially as well called Autorización de estadía fuera del país) before you leave the country, otherwise your application is null and void.

Travel Permit (Permiso Especial de Viaje / Autorización de Estadía fuera del País )

Legal Stuff

Foreigners in Peru who applied for a visa - to be precise who applied for a change of their immigration status (cambio de calidad migratoria) or a ...

Step-by-step guide to apply for a retirement visa in Peru

One remark before we start: The Agencia Digital, the online platform, where you have to submit your application, is in Spanish only. We highly recommend not to use a translation program which automatically translates the page from Spanish to your preferred language to avoid system errors. And to avoid further system errors, we highly recommend not to use a VPN and to switch off any ad blockers or an incognito mode you might use.

And even though we try to keep this guide as up-to-date as possible, due to constant changes to the Agencia Digital not everything might be exactly as described below. So, please see this guide as general guidance only. If you find mistakes or some changes to the process described below, you are more than welcome to share your experience below as a comment (visible to everyone after approval) or to use the e-mail button on the bottom of the page to send a private e-mail.

Migraciones Agencia Digital

Once you have done all the preparation work, open the Migraciones Agencia Digital and click on Entrar.

On the next page, select "Extranjero". Then:

• choose in the drop-down menu the document with which you entered Peru (most probably passport)
• enter your passport number
• your birthdate
• your nationality
• the date you entered Peru
• the captcha.

Click on Verificar.

No matter which forms you fill out in Peru, always enter your personal data exactly (!!!) as in your passport!

Now you are on the main page of the Agencia Digital. Here you can either use the search field or find in the menu on the left under “Cambio de calidad migratoria” the point "Rentista Residente". Click on it and proceed to the next page.

1st page of the retirement visa application

Here, select the Migraciones branch or MAC center closest to you which should handle your application (for example, Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, …).

Click on Siguente.

2nd page of the retirement visa application

On this page you must fill in some data and/or upload all for the retirement visa application necessary documents as PDF (max size per document 3MB).

Those who just want to verify the requirements or double check if the requirements have changed can do so on this page. Then just click through the tabs but do not upload any documents and do not click on Siguente; once you finished just leave the page.

To continue with your retirement visa application, click on the little arrows next to each requirement, and certain fields appear depending on the requirement. Just fill in the fields as requested and upload the corresponding document:

Under “Pago por derecho de tramite” you are asked to enter certain information of the bank receipt:

• numero de recibo (number of the receipt) which is the "secuencia de pago" on the pagalo.pe receipt
• codigo de verficación (verification code) which is the "codigo control" on the pagalo.pe receipt
• fecha de recibo (date) which is the "fecha de operación" on the pagalo.pe receipt.

After entering the data, click on Validar.

Under the "Documento de identificación del administrado" tab, select the document with which you entered Peru (in most cases passport). You are then asked to fill in your passport number, the date of issue and the country of issue and upload a copy of the passport page with your photo and personal data.

Since the beginning of 2024, under the "Ficha de Canche Interpol" tab you only must upload your criminal record check you brought from home.

The “Exceso de permanencia” (excess stay) tab already has a green check in front of it, at least if you apply when your stay in Peru is still valid. Nothing to do here, just skip this point.

If you, however, apply when your stay as a tourist is expired, open the tab and you should be able to upload the payment receipt for your overstayed days and a sworn statement explaining the reasons for your overstay. Once these two documents are uploaded the check in front of the tab should turn green. Before counting on this option please read our chapter Can I apply for a retirement visa when my stay as a tourist is expired? below.

Under the last tab, the "Documentos Especificos" you must upload the letter from your pension fund. As the sworn statement is still on the official requirement list and had to be uploaded under this tab as well under a different point, which is gone since the beginning of 2024, I recommend to merge both documents and upload this as one PDF.

Once you filled in all required fields and uploaded all your documents, there should be a green check in front of each tab. Click on Siguente.

3rd page of the retirement visa application

You then get to a page showing the fields of a document called Form PA - Cambio de Calidad Migratoria. If you are already registered the form is already filled in with your personal data. The only fields you can change are your cell phone number and your e-mail address. If you, however, haven't entered your personal data before, just fill in the required fields. Make sure you enter an e-mail address you have unrestricetd accee to. If everything is correct, click on “Guardar datos y generar tramite” (Save data and generate procedure).

Please note: For whatever reasons, sometimes this page isn't displayed.

4th page of the retirement visa application

You now get the "Registro de Solicitud de Cambio de Calidad Migratoria" displayed on your screen. That's the confirmation of your successful application. Click on the "Descargar" and/or "Imprimir" button to download and/or print the complete document and keep it safe!!!

At the top right of the document under the bar code you find your Numero de expediente (file number), which sometimes is also called Numero de tramite. It consists of 2 letters (usually some abbreviation of the Migraciones office where you applied; LM for Lima, for example; or CY for Chiclayo, etc.) and 9 numbers. At the bottom of the first page, under the signature / fingerprint field, the Fecha de publicacion (application date) and a Codigo de verificacion (verification code) are shown.

If you later want to check the status of your application online, which can be done here or if you, for example, want to apply for a travel permit to leave the country while the approval of your application is still in process, you will need these numbers / codes.

Additionally, at the bottom of the first page you as well find your login data for the Migraciones electronic mailbox, called Buzon electronico (see below).

Please note:

A few of our readers commented that they couldn’t find the verification code and/or the login data for the electronic mailbox on the Registro de Solicitud de Cambio de Calidad Migratoria page. So, before continuing check the Registro page carefully and look for the verification code and the login data. If they aren't there, once you make the appointment for the biometric data, you find a tab on your screen labeled "Cargo tramite". If you click on it, your verification code and your login data should be displayed. If you missed that as well, then once you made the appointment you can download the Formulario PA - Cambio de calidad migratoria under the Historial tramite menu point, which hopefully has the verification code and the login data printed on it.

If you still weren't successful or just misplaced/forgot your login details for the Buzon electronico, there is another easy option to recover at least the access to the Buzon electronico: Just enter the Agencia Digital and on the main page at the top click on the Buzon Electronico button or use this direct link. Then click on "¿Olvidaste la contraseña?" and you get to the "Verificacion de Datos" page. Here enter your nationality, passport, passport number, last name(s), first name(s) and your birthdate. After submitting your information by clicking on Siguiente, you get an e-mail with the "usario" and a link to reset or create a password.

Biometric data appointment

Following the confirmation of your visa application you are asked to make an appointment for having your biometric data (photo, fingerprints, signature) taken with a provided code. This code is your numero de expediente (file number).

As waiting times sometimes can be long, especially in Lima, we suggest following provided link and make the appointment immediately. If you want to make it at a later time, you can enter the Agencia Digital and make an appointment under "Citas en Linea", subpoint "para registro de datos biometricos".

On the day of your biometric data appointment, be at the Migraciones office you selected when making the appointment 15 - 30 minutes before your appointment. You will only need your printed (!) appointment confirmation and your passport.

The process varies a bit depending on the office. At the Lima Migraciones office, for example, you get a ticket with a number on it. Then just join the line and wait until your number is shown on the screen. When it's your turn proceed to the counter where you have to sign on a signature pad, you are digitally fingerprinted and a biometric photo is taken.

Do not wear a white shirt or a top in light or pastel color! Migraciones might refuse to take your photo. Best wear a simple black shirt or something in a dark or strong color.

There were times when the process at the Migraciones office in Lima was quick and astonishingly well organized and you were done in less than half an hour. However, over the past few months some foreigners reported that their appointment time wasn't respected and they had to wait for anything between one and three hours until they made it to the counter where the process was quick and smooth. So, plan accordingly.

At the Migraciones offices in the provinces, the whole process is usually quick and painless.

After your biometric data appointment, all you can do is check your Buzon electronico regularly and wait until you get a notification from Migraciones either telling you that they aren't happy with a document you uploaded or that a document is missing or that your visa is approved.

Buzon Electronico

The Buzon Electronico is your personal Migraciones electronic mailbox, which you should check regularly for notifications from Migraciones (for example, request to upload missing or additional documents, approval or denial of your visa application, etc.).

You can access your Buzon by clicking on the "Buzon" button on the top of the main page of the Agencia Digital or by using this direct link. The username (usario) and password (contraseña) should be on the "Registro de Solicitud de Cambio de Calidad Migratoria", the confirmation of your successful application (see above under 4th page, especially if you can't find your login data).

Be aware that notifications sent via the Buzon are considered "officially delivered". If you don't react to a deadline Migraciones usually gives in these notifications (in most cases only 5 days), your application can be dismissed. So, if you get a notification from Migraciones informing you that you haven’t uploaded a required document, that an uploaded document isn’t to their liking or they want an additional document, don’t waste any time.

If you have the document, make a PDF of it (max size 3MB) and upload it on the Agencia Digital. How this so-called Subsanación is done, is explained in our article “Subsanacion - Submitting documents”.

Subsanacion - Submitting documents

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During the internal evaluation and approval process of any application on the Agencia Digital, Migraciones may discover that you haven’t uploaded a...

If you don’t have the document yet and won’t be able to submit it within the deadline, you still have to react and can apply for an extension of time to hand in the document later. The process is called “Solicitud de ampliación de plazos” and explained in our article "Extension of a Migraciones deadline".

Extension of a Migraciones deadline

Legal Stuff

During the internal evaluation and approval process of your visa application (Cambio de calidad migratoria) or of the application for the extension...

Approval of your retirement visa

Officially the processing time of residence visa applications is 30 business days. However, according to feedback we got from our readers, it usually takes around two to three months until you get a notification from Migraciones in your Buzon with the official resolution that your visa was approved.

Nevertheless, check your Buzon regularly as you might belong to the lucky ones that get their approval within three or four weeks after application. On the other hand, in case you haven't heard anything from Migraciones 4 months after your application, you should check with them what's going on.

Anyway, usually, after 2 or 3 months you find a notification in your Buzon electronico (the subjection line should be something like "Notificación tramite cambio de calidad") informing you about the approval of your visa.

Congrats, but we are not finished yet. You still need your carné, your official Peruvian ID.

This first notification states to wait for further instructions on how to pick up your carné. So, once again check your Buzon regularly and wait for a second notification from Migraciones (Notificación expedición del carné) informing you that your carné was issued.

Officially Migraciones has another 30 business days counted from the approval of the visa to send the expedición del carné notification. However, some of our readers shared that they had to wait only a couple of days, others three or four weeks, and a few even 2 months.

Getting your carné (foreigner ID)

As soon as you got the official notification that your carné is ready, get going. 

Be aware that in some Migraciones offices you need an appointment to pick up your carné while at others, especially in the provinces, no appointment is needed and you can just show up any time, any day or at a specific day and/or time. Please check with the Migraciones office where you applied. 

If you need an appointment, then just enter the Agencia Digital. On the main page in the left menu under "Citas en linea", subpoint "para recojo de documentos" make an appointment to pick up your carné. Once again, download and print the confirmation and keep it safe.

Please note: Especially in Lima it can be a mission to get an appointment to pick up your carné. Your only option is to try again and again and again, tomorrow, the day after, a week later, ...

If, for whatever reasons, you urgently need your carné number or something to prove that you have a carné you can download a document on the Agencia Digital confirming that you have a valid carné despite not having the actual card in your hands yet. On the main page of the Agencia Digital in the left menu, click under "Constancias" on the point "Carné de extranjería". You get a page with the data that is printed on your carné. Below just confirm "Estos son los datos con los cuales se emitirá su constancia ...." by clicking on the little square and click Siguiente. Now, the "Constancia de Emisión de carné de Extranjería" is displayed on your screen. Just download it.

Anyway, to pick up your carné you just need your passport. If you have an appointment you as well must bring your printed appointment confirmation and best be at the Migraciones office 15-30 minutes before. Migraciones personal will point you in the right direction where you are handed your carné.

Congratulations! You made it!

To familiarize yourself with your carné we highly recommend to read our glossary article Carné de Extranjería - Peru’s ID Card for foreigners.

Things you should know living in Peru on a retirement visa

The retirement visa (so the residence permit) has an indefinite validity and does not have to be extended. However, be aware that the carné (so, the foreigner ID card) is usually only valid for four years and then has to be renewed. Our article "Renewal of the carné" explains how it's done.

Renewal of the Carné de Extranjería

Legal Stuff

When your Peruvian residence visa is approved, you get the Carné de Extranjería, your Peruvian foreigner ID. The carné, so the card (not the reside...

Foreigners living in Peru on a retirement visa have to be in the country at least 183 days per year, otherwise they lose their resident status. If you have to be outside the country for longer, before leaving apply for the Autorización de estadía fuera del país por 183 días, and won't lose your residence permit.

If you are living in Peru on a retirement visa, you are not allowed to work or receive a remuneration for any kind of professional activity in Peru.

Your pension payments are exempted from taxation in Peru.

If any information provided when applying for your retirement visa changes, Migraciones must be informed about it within 30 days. So, if you get a new passport, change your name, move to a new address, etc. you have to apply for a so-called "Actualización de datos". Be aware that, in some cases, a new carné has to be issued after the application is approved. The process is explained in our article “Update your information in the Migraciones database”.

Update your information in the Migraciones database

Legal Stuff

If any of your information, which is printed on your carné or which is registered in the Migraciones database, changes, you must apply for a so-cal...

As you already have an unlimited residence permit, you can't change to the Peruvian "Permanente residente" visa.

And finally, if you, as a foreigner living in Peru on a retirement visa, are leaving Peru permanently, you have to cancel your residence visa. Once the application is approved, you have 15 days to exit the country.

Other FAQs

Can I apply for a retirement visa if my stay as a tourist is expired?

For years, you had to be in Peru on a valid visa / stay, for example, as a tourist to apply for any temporary or residence visa, precisely to make the Cambio de calidad migratoria.

But during the visa application on the Migraciones online platform there is a tab labeled "Exceso de permanencia" (excess stay), which suggests that foreigners who overstayed their time as a tourist in Peru can still apply for a Cambio de calidad migratoria and just have to upload a payment receipt for their overstayed days and a sworn statement explaining the reason for their overstay.

While in November 2022 Migraciones informed us in writing that this tab does not apply when you change your immigration status from tourist (!) to rentista, at the beginning of 2023 one of our readers reported that someone at Migraciones suggested this option. So, he could apply for his residence visa while being in Peru on an expired stay as a tourist. He uploaded the payment receipt for his overstay fine and a brief explanation why he couldn't apply on time (criminal record check took many months), could finish his application and a couple of months later, Migraciones approved his visa.

Hearing this, we tried to find out more. A few other foreigners in the same situation confirmed that someone at Migraciones they spoke to suggested this option, but our search for any official confirmation in writing that you can apply for a residence visa while being in Peru on an expired stay as a tourist was in vain.

As Migraciones doesn't have an e-mail address anymore where they answer such questions in writing, we called and first were told "No, you have to be in the country on a valid stay". Then when we asked the lady we were talking to more detailed questions, she seemingly quickly spoke to someone else, and then suddenly said "Yes, it is possible.", but she couldn't give us any further details. The whole call didn't really inspire confidence.

So, at the moment (August 2024) officially you still have to be in the country on a valid stay to apply and therefore we can't guarantee that it's possible to change your immigration status from tourist to rentista if you are in Peru on an expired stay as a tourist.

We always recommend to not overstay and, in case you plan to apply for a residence visa but don't have all required documents yet, instead of overstaying suggest applying for your visa before your stay as a tourist expires using a little trick. We explain how it's done below.

If for whatever reason you can't apply while your stay as a tourist is valid, it might be worth personally checking with Migraciones if you can apply despite being in the country on an expired stay before you leave the country and try to return to "renew" your stay as a tourist.

If you have any current information about this topic or would like to share your experience, please let us know either using the comment function at the end of this very long article or our contact form. Thank you!

Can I apply for a retirement visa if I don't have all the required documents?

Officially, no, you can't as on the Agencia Digital, the Migraciones online platform where you have to apply, the fields to upload the required documents are mandatory and you can't continue with and finish your application without having uploaded all documents.

But, even though we can't and won't recommend it, if your stay as a tourist is about to expire and you must apply until a certain date, depending on the document that you don't have yet, there might be a possibility to "cheat" the system. However, you should have a solid plan to get the document as required, because the time to present it is limited. And here, how it's done.

Follow the instructions of our Step-by-step guide to apply for a retirement visa in Peru until you are on the 2nd page of the retirement visa application. Here you must fill in some data and/or upload all for the retirement visa application necessary documents as PDF.

If you don't have, for example, your criminal record check: Under the Interpol tab, you must upload your "Antecedentes" document, so the criminal record check. The field is mandatory, and you cannot continue with and finish the application without having uploaded the document. As you must upload something there, you could write a short letter explaining that you are waiting for your criminal record check from your home country and uploaded this letter instead of his background check. So, upload a "document" there that makes sense.

Or if you have the document, but not yet the Apostille or translation, you could upload the document as it is.

Then continue to upload all other required documents and finish the application process as described in our Step-by-step guide above.

On the 4th page of your retirement visa application you get the "Registro de Solicitud de Cambio de Calidad Migratoria" with the "numero de expediente" (your file number), the "fecha de publicacion" (application date) and a "codigo de verificacion" (verification code) displayed on your screen. That's the confirmation of your successful application. You made it. As soon you have this confirmation, your time as a tourist stops and even if your stay as a tourist expires during the processing time of your visa application you won't have any problem.

Now, depending how quickly Migraciones reviews your application and documents, the following happens:

As you haven't uploaded all required documents or not in the form Migraciones requires, Migraciones will send you a notification (can be as quick as a few days after your application or a month, two or three later) requesting that you upload the document. Be aware that these notifications, which are send through the Buzon electronico, are considered officially delivered. Usually, Migraciones only gives you a short deadline of 5 days to upload the requested document. You must react to the notification, even if it's on the last day of the deadline they gave you (which might be wise to do if you still need more time), otherwise your application could be dismissed.

If you have the document in the correct form when you receive the notification, just upload it. How it's done is explained in our article “Subsanacion - Submitting documents”.

Subsanacion - Submitting documents

Legal Stuff

During the internal evaluation and approval process of any application on the Agencia Digital, Migraciones may discover that you haven’t uploaded a...

If you still don't have the document at the end of the deadline Migraciones gave you, then you can apply for an extension of the deadline (max. 30 days). The process is called Ampliacion de plazos and explained in our article “Extensions of a Migraciones deadline”.

Extension of a Migraciones deadline

Legal Stuff

During the internal evaluation and approval process of your visa application (Cambio de calidad migratoria) or of the application for the extension...

In case you have the document ready before you hear from Migraciones you can upload it immediately on the Agencia Digital under Subsanacion. But we were told by others, who went through the process that they still got a notification later to upload the document again. So, best just wait until you get the official notification.

If you decide to go that route, check your Buzon regularly and, if necessary, react to any notification! And, while this "cheating" worked for many others, things might change and Migraciones could dismiss your application (which you could appeal). Anyway, be aware that it will definitely delay the approval of your visa by weeks or even months.

Please note: We from LimaEasy are not the Peruvian immigration authority Migraciones or a Peruvian consulate. All information is published to our best knowledge and should be seen as general guidance introducing you to Peruvian procedures. All information is subject to change, as regulations, requirements, and processes can change quickly without prior notice! Therefore, we recommend checking the current regulations with the nearest Peruvian consulate or, if you are already in Peru, with Migraciones!

And if you find something wrong on this page, please help us to keep this guide as up to date as possible and contact us either below with a comment or use our contact form. Thank you!