Min Monthly Income
$1,000
Processing Time
6-14 wks
Difficulty
Moderate
Overview
The Peru Rentista permit is for foreigners who receive a pension or other permanent income from a source outside Peru and do not work in the country. Migraciones asks for proof of a net permanent income of at least US$1,000 a month, a sworn statement that the money enters Peru through a bank or financial institution supervised by the SBS, and criminal record certificates covering the five years before arrival.
Pensions are the cleanest case. Migraciones accepts retirement pensions and similar permanent income, and the regulation’s list of qualifying income also covers dividends and royalties. Salary, freelance fees and consulting retainers are not passive income, and a savings balance without a regular payment stream does not form a qualifying income.
The status is granted for an indefinite stay and is not renewable, so there is no annual renewal to track. Applicants file online through the Migraciones Agencia Digital. The official decision target is 30 business days, and in-country files have taken 50 to 70 business days in 2026 during restructuring at Migraciones. Peru taxes domiciled individuals on worldwide income, and US citizens get no treaty relief, only the Foreign Tax Credit.
Eligibility Requirements
Min Income
$1,000
pension_ss · Pension / Social Security · Passive / Investment Income
Max 0% from local sources
Requirements Checklist
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Extra requirements for this visa
- Apostille required on official documents
How and where to apply
Online through the Migraciones Agencia Digital. The visa route is filed by applicants outside Peru. Applicants already in Peru with valid permanence or residence can request a change of migratory category.
Tax Information
How Peru taxes residents
Peru taxes individuals by domicile. You count as domiciled when you stay in Peru more than 183 days in any 12-month period, and domiciled taxpayers are taxed on all taxable income wherever the source is located. The Rentista permit sets no tax treatment of its own.
The progressive scale for individuals is 8% up to 5 UIT, 14% from 5 to 20 UIT, 17% from 20 to 35 UIT, 20% from 35 to 45 UIT and 30% above 45 UIT. The UIT for 2026 is S/5,500 under Supreme Decree 301-2025-EF, so the brackets end at S/27,500, S/110,000, S/192,500 and S/247,500. Gains on foreign-source assets fall under the same progressive scale, while Peruvian-source gains on securities and property carry an effective 5% rate.
Foreign pensions
Whether a foreign pension is taxed under the scale above depends on how SUNAT classifies it. Get a written opinion from a Peruvian tax advisor before relying on any exemption, and ask which pension types SUNAT treats as qualifying.
The US layer
US citizens still file a US return on worldwide income. The United States has no income tax treaty with Peru, so double taxation is relieved through the Foreign Tax Credit, which offsets only Peruvian tax actually paid on income the US also taxes. The foreign earned income exclusion reaches $132,900 for 2026 but covers only earned income, not pensions, Social Security, dividends or gains.
An FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) is due when combined foreign account balances exceed $10,000 at any point in the year. The non-willful penalty reaches $16,536 per report. The Peruvian bank account this permit relies on counts toward that total.
Living in Peru
COL Index vs NYC
29.4
Monthly Cost (excl. rent)
$522
1BR Rent (City Center)
$522
Safety Index
32.9
Healthcare Index
56.3
Quality of Life Index
86.0
Time Zone
UTC-05:00
Capital
Lima
Population
33.0M
Official Languages
Aymara, Quechua, Spanish
Avg Internet Speed
345 Mbps
Public Transit Quality
Good
With a budget covering rent and living costs, you'd need roughly $1,044/mo for a comfortable single-person lifestyle in Peru.See how far your money goes →
🏙️ Best Cities in Peru for Retirees
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51Income that qualifies
The procedure asks for a pension or permanent income, from Peruvian or foreign sources, with a net amount of at least US$1,000 a month. For foreign income, Migraciones asks for a document from the paying country that shows the net monthly amount. A pension benefit letter or an annuity contract with fixed payments tells the simplest story. Dividends and royalties appear among qualifying income, but they need a document showing the payments are permanent rather than discretionary.
The figure is a single-applicant minimum. The published procedure lists no extra amount for dependents, and family members normally apply under their own status linked to the resident.
Documents
- Signed application form for the Rentista category
- Receipt for the processing fee, paid at Banco de la Nación or Págalo
- Copy of a valid passport
- Criminal, police and judicial record certificates from your home country and every country where you lived during the five years before arriving in Peru
- Proof of a net permanent income of at least US$1,000 a month, issued in the country where the income originates
- Sworn statement that the money enters Peru through a bank or financial institution supervised by the SBS
- For a change of category inside Peru, an Interpol international exchange certificate (Ficha de Canje Internacional) issued within the last six months
Applying from abroad or inside Peru
The visa route is filed by applicants who are outside Peru. Migraciones approves the category and notifies the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which authorizes the visa, and you present it at a Peruvian border control point to be admitted. Applicants already in Peru with valid permanence or residence can instead request a change of migratory category through the Agencia Digital, which adds the Interpol certificate to the document list.
A representative can file for you with a power of attorney. When it is signed abroad, it must be legalized by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or carry an apostille.
Processing and the residency card
The official decision target is 30 business days. Law firm reports put in-country processing at 50 to 70 business days in 2026 because of restructuring at Migraciones. After approval you apply for the carné de extranjería with form F-007A, pay the card fee and attend a biometrics appointment.
Work and banking
The permit rests on passive income and does not authorize local employment. The sworn statement ties the income to a Peruvian bank or financial institution under SBS supervision, so you need an account that receives it.
Work Permissions
Application Steps
- 1
📋 Document your income
- 2
📄 Obtain criminal record certificates
- 3
📬 Pay the fee and file online
- 4
⏳ Wait for the decision
30 to 70 business days
- 5
🏛️ Enter Peru and request the carné
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At a Glance
Last verified: October 17, 2026