A Guide to Peruvian Visas

peruvian visa application and types

Peru is a very welcoming country and allows citizens of many countries to visit for touristic and recreational purposes visa-free. But as soon as you are planning to do business in Peru, stay longer, study, work, settle, or retire in the country, Peruvian law stipulates that you have the appropriate visa for it.

Peru offers a sometimes quite confusing amount of different visa types. To make the whole Peruvian visa system more transparent and easy to understand for foreigners, we compiled several articles dedicated to the most important and most used visas.

In general, Peru distinguishes between temporary visas and resident visas.

Peruvian temporary visas

Temporary visas are intended for short-term stays (depending on the visa for up to 3, 6 or 12 months) in Peru. These include, but aren't restricted to:

Peruvian resident visas

Resident visas are for long-term stays in Peru. They include, but aren't restricted to:

Where to apply for a Peruvian temporary or resident visa

Officially, you can apply for a temporary or resident 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 temporary and resident visa applications from giving information and handing out the right forms to fill in, to accepting the application and, if approved, issuing the visa, since August 2021, Peruvian diplomatic missions abroad only handle tourist and business visa applications and refer foreigners, who want to apply for a other temporary visas or a resident 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 their temporay visa (except tourist and business visa) or their 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”.

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 Info - Disclaimer: 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!

10 results - showing 1 - 10

Peruvian Tourist Visa

Peruvian Visa Types
When planning a trip to Peru, eventually bureaucratic and visa related matters come to mind. As finding detailed and up-to-date information on this topic can be challenging, we put together comprehensive information and advice on all Peruvian tourist visa issues that might pop up.
Part 1

Peruvian Student Visa

Peruvian Visa Types
Foreigners planning to study at a Peruvian educational institution or to do an internship / apprenticeship (without payment!) at a Peruvian company can apply for a student visa to stay legally in Peru during their studies or training.
Part 2
While Peru has a volunteer visa, the so-called “visa cooperante” (cooperation visa), getting one is such a bureaucratic mess and in most cases not worth the effort or sometimes even impossible, especially for smaller organizations or for a short volunteer time, that most travelers planning to volunteer in Peru enter the country as a tourist and ...
Part 3

Business Visa for Peru

Peruvian Visa Types
Foreigners who travel temporary to Peru for business related reasons that do not include actual labor or gainful employment have to apply for a business visa at a Peruvian consulate before entering the country or, if they can travel visa-free, must make sure to enter the country as a business traveler (negocio) and not as a tourist.
Part 4

Peruvian Work Visa

Peruvian Visa Types
Foreigners who have a valid and legally signed work contract with a Peruvian company that was approved by the Peruvian Labor Ministry or who have a legally signed service contract with a Peruvian company can apply for a work visa in Peru.
Part 5

Peruvian Family Visa

Peruvian Visa Types
Some family members of Peruvian nationals and foreigners with a resident status in Peru have the right to a family union and can apply for a family visa, the so-called "visa familiar residente". Depending on your relation, there are several sub-visa types.
Part 6

Peruvian Retirement Visa

Peruvian Visa Types
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...
Part 7

Peruvian Religious Visa

Peruvian Visa Types
Priests, nuns, and missionaries who want to stay in Peru to perform religious or missionary activities can apply for a religious visa, called “religioso residente”.
Part 8

Peruvian Digital Nomad Visa

Peruvian Visa Types
On November 14, 2023, a new Foreigner Law, Decreto Legislativo 1582, was published introducing a resident visa for digital nomads, remote workers and freelancers in Peru for the first time.
Part 9
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, those foreign nationals who can’t enter Peru without a tourist visa issued by a consulate, which in most cases is difficult to get, have another, though lengthy option to apply for their visa while ...
10 results - showing 1 - 10

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