Peru 🇵🇪: residency and citizenship for US citizens
Own company → worker visa (Trabajador Residente), or Rentista. Researched October 2026.
Residence before citizenship
Changing from 2 to 5 yrs (Ley 32421, once its regulation is published); plan for 5
Money test
Rentista US$1,000/mo; naturalization needs 10 UIT ≈ S/ 55,000 (~US$16,000)/yr taxed in Peru
Realistic total
≈ 6.5–7.5 yrs
Dual citizenship
✓ Yes, keep US passport
Chapter 1
Peru at a glance
In short: Peru’s main route is own company → worker visa (Trabajador Residente), or Rentista; plan on about 6.5–7.5 yrs from first visa to passport.
What the first step takes
Your first residency
Trabajador Residente worker visa through your own company (365 days, renewable), or Rentista
Income minimum
Rentista: $1,000 a month passive income. Company route: no fixed visa minimum, but aim to pay yourself ≥ ~$1,330 a month (S/ 55,000 a year) if you may want citizenship later
Rough first-year paperwork cost
~$47 visa fee + company setup (notary and registry ~$165–310 ❓), FBI check (~$38 ❓), translations (~$90 ❓), plus an accountant
The detailed reference below covers the later stages.
🧭Main routeOwn company → worker visa (Trabajador Residente), or Rentista
💵Money testRentista US$1,000/mo; naturalization needs 10 UIT ≈ S/ 55,000 (~US$16,000)/yr taxed in Peru
⏳Residence before citizenshipChanging from 2 to 5 yrs (Ley 32421, once its regulation is published); plan for 5
📅Realistic total (estimate)≈ 6.5–7.5 yrs
🛂Keep US citizenship?Yes
Dual citizenship: Peru does not require you to give up US citizenship. See how it compares on the country comparison table.
Rule change: Peru is changing the residence needed to naturalize from 2 to 5 years. Ley 32421 takes effect once its implementing regulation is published; Migraciones’ August 2026 report says the regulation is still a draft. Plan for 5 years. Applications filed under the old 2-year rule used in our case study were grandfathered; people who were merely eligible were not.
In short: one typical path, step by step, from your first residency to a passport.
Year 1: getting your first residency. Read the story first, details below. The steps above the dashed line cover the first residency; the rest happens later on. This is one typical scenario on the main route, in plain language. Figures come from our research notes; anything marked ⚠️ or ❓ is uncertain, so check the linked details before you act.
🧳
Before you go
Gather your papers
Order your FBI background check and get it apostilled by the US Department of State (around US$38 together ❓). Line up a Peruvian lawyer and an accountant (contador) you trust; they can be arranged before you fly.
You move to Peru and, with your lawyer or a very trusted local partner, set up a small company (an SAC needs 2+ shareholders). Register it, get its tax number (RUC) and open a bank account. Investing about S/ 27,500 (~US$8,020) as capital can exempt you from the foreign-hiring limits; confirm with counsel.
Costs: notary + SUNARP around US$165–310 ❓Details ↓
📝
Months 2–4
Your company hires you
Your company signs a 1-year-plus employment contract with you and registers it with the labor ministry. That contract is what gets you the Trabajador Residente visa at Migraciones (change of status inside Peru: S/ 161.40, ~US$47). It lasts 365 days and is renewable.
Plan your salary around the naturalization test: at least 10 UIT = S/ 55,000 a year (about US$16,000) taxed in Peru. Aim at least ~20% higher just in case; rules can be fickle. Your accountant files payroll and taxes every month.
Budget: accountant around US$5k–14k over 5 yrs ❓Details ↓
🔁
Years 1–2
Renew and stay put
Renew your worker visa each year (renewals about S/ 40.40 in total). Keep track of your days: avoid absences of more than 183 consecutive days in any 365-day period.
Once you have the required continuous residence (changing from 2 to 5 years under Ley 32421 once its regulation is published; still a draft per Migraciones, Aug 2026, so plan for 5), file for citizenship with your income records, pass the exam and pay S/ 301.50 (~US$88). The decision can take up to 18–24 months.
In short: the first year mostly means paperwork fees: ~$47 visa fee + company setup (notary and registry ~$165–310 ❓), FBI check (~$38 ❓), translations (~$90 ❓), plus an accountant.
9. Costs and timeline (featured route, single person)
Item
Soles
USD
Status
FBI check + DoS apostille
—
$38 (US$18 FBI + US$20 DoS per doc; excl. fingerprinting/postage/translation)
In short: the complete reference: every step, office, fee, rule and source, labeled verified or uncertain.
Labels from our research notes: ✅ verified at the linked source · ⚠️ conflicting or needs checking · ❓ unverified, do not rely on it. Researched October 9, 2026.
Peru at a glance
Main route
Own company → worker visa (Trabajador Residente), or Rentista
Money test
Rentista US$1,000/mo; naturalization needs 10 UIT ≈ S/ 55,000 (~US$16,000)/yr taxed in Peru
Residence before citizenship
Changing from 2 to 5 yrs (Ley 32421, once its regulation is published); plan for 5
Realistic total (estimate)
≈ 6.5–7.5 yrs
Keep US citizenship?
Yes
Show the full Peru reference guide
Researched Oct 9, 2026. Exchange rate used throughout: US$1 ≈ S/ 3.43 (xe.com mid-market, Oct 9, 2026). USD figures are rounded. UIT 2026 = S/ 5,500 (gob.pe/12580; misderechos.pe). Labels: ✅ = verified at the linked source · ⚠️ = conflicting sources or needs checking · ❓ = UNVERIFIED (could not confirm; do not publish as fact). This is general information, not legal or tax advice. See our disclaimer.
0. TL;DR
Item
Answer
Featured route
Your own Peruvian company (SAC/SRL/EIRL) hires you → Trabajador Residente (365 days, renewable)
Path to permanent
Permanente Residente after 3 consecutive years as a worker/investor resident; fee S/ 162.50 ✅ (gob.pe/12934)
Citizenship
5 years of continuous residence + 10 UIT (S/ 55,000) of formally taxed income under Ley 32421 ✅ (El Peruano). The rule is changing from 2 to 5 years: Ley 32421 applies once its reglamento is published, and Migraciones’ August 2026 report says the reglamento is still a draft. Plan for 5 years. Reglamento DS number/date not yet located (checked Oct 9, 2026), see §6.1
Cheapest passive route
Rentista: US$1,000/month net foreign pension or permanent income ✅ (gob.pe/12875). Rentistas cannot work
Digital nomad
Exists in law (DL 1582, 2023) but you still cannot apply ✅ (misderechos.pe)
Dual citizenship
Peru allows it in practice. Peruvian nationality is lost only by express renunciation (Ley 32421 art. 6) ✅ (El Peruano). The US does not require you to renounce
Risk rating
Medium: rules are tightening (nationality law, security vetting), there are frequent TUPA changes, and politics are unstable. The citizenship path is getting longer: 5 years of residence once Ley 32421 takes effect + up to 18–24 months of processing
1. Route overview
Route
Peru status name
Minimum money
Can work?
Leads to permanent residency?
Verdict
Own company + worker contract
Trabajador Residente
No legal minimum capital for a SAC (tramitesperu) ❓ secondary source. The salary must support the S/ 55,000/yr needed later for naturalization
⚠️ Rentista is described as indefinite residence (veninformado). Whether rentista income satisfies the naturalization "formally taxed in Peru" test is ❓
Good for retirees
Investor
Inversionista Residente
S/ 500,000 (~US$145,800) in a single international transfer (misderechos.pe)
Only as manager/director
Yes, after 3 yrs
Over the $100k budget. Excluded
Independent worker
Trabajador Residente (independent)
Service contract of 1 yr or more with a Peruvian payer (gob.pe/12580)
Yes
Yes
Only if you have a Peruvian client
Marriage/family
Familiar Residente
None stated
Yes ❓
Leads to nationality by marriage (see §7)
Best if applicable
Digital nomad
Nómada Digital
Not set
Remote work for a foreign employer only
No (not operational)
Not available
2. Featured route: own company → Trabajador Residente
proof of US$1,000/month or more net permanent foreign income (pension or permanent rent)
a sworn statement that the money comes in through an SBS-supervised bank
Legal basis: DS 002-2021-IN, arts. 92-A and 92-B (misderechos.pe).
Fee: ✅ Solicitud de Calidad Migratoria Rentista Residente S/ 58.80 (from abroad); Cambio de Calidad Migratoria Rentista Residente S/ 161.40 (inside Peru) (BN TUPA, checked Oct 9, 2026).
Limits: a rentista cannot work. Qualifying for naturalization requires 10 UIT of income that is "formally taxed in Peru," so a rentista should declare the foreign income to SUNAT as a domiciliado ⚠️.
4. Family and marriage
Familiar Residente (change of status): requires a proven marriage, the spouse's valid DNI, a clean record, and the form. The application must be made personally. The permit lasts up to 2 years and is renewable (gob.pe/12932; gob.pe/14039).
A US marriage certificate needs a state SOS apostille plus translation, and the marriage must be registered in Peru (RENIEC or the consulate) ❓.
2 years of continuous residence as the spouse of a Peruvian
a valid CE
the marriage record registered with RENIEC, issued 30 days or less before filing
Under Ley 32421 ("opción") the requirement becomes 4 continuous years of marriage (misderechos.pe).
5. Digital nomad: not available
DL 1582 (2023) created the Nómada Digital status (art. 29.2.i): remote, subordinate work for a foreign employer, with no Peruvian-source income, for up to 365 days, extendable.
Migraciones itself said it will only be granted once the regulation and the TUPA procedure exist (Migraciones news).
As of Sept 2026 no regulation or procedure exists (misderechos.pe).
Tourist status forbids paid activity. Staying more than 183 days can make you a SUNAT tax resident (same source).
6. Naturalization
6.1 Which rule applies: changing from 2 to 5 years (Ley 32421)
Ley 32421 (Nueva Ley de Nacionalidad) was published Aug 15, 2025 (El Peruano). Art. 17 requires:
5 years of migratory residence, continuous and immediately before the application
10 UIT of yearly lawful income from your own activity, formally taxed in Peru
Art. 11 adds an assessment of language (Castellano), history, geography, Constitution, culture and current affairs; an INTERPOL check; and a valid passport (Migraciones news)
processing up to 18 months, extendable by 6
Effective date: the law takes effect the day after its reglamento is published in El Peruano (3rd final provision). The deadline for the reglamento was 180 business days, about May 5, 2026 (Congreso tracker). Migraciones closed public consultation on the draft reglamento on Dec 29, 2025 (gob.pe report).
Changing to 5 years. Ley 32421 extends naturalization residence from 2 to 5 years once its implementing regulation (reglamento) is published; Migraciones’ August 2026 report says the regulation is still a draft. Plan for 5 years.
Reglamento DS: still not published ❓ (re-searched El Peruano and the web, checked Oct 9, 2026). Migraciones' Aug 2026 transfer-of-management report says the draft reglamento was still at the observation-response stage (observations from MININTER answered via Informe N° 0653-2026-SGTM-MIGRACIONES of Jul 10, 2026, "awaiting new instructions") (Migraciones report). ⚠️ On the text of the 3rd final provision, Ley 32421 is therefore not yet formally in force. Under the 3rd final provision the law takes effect the day after the reglamento is published, so record the DS number and date once found.
Sources that still show the old rule: the official gob.pe/12580 page, last updated Jan 27, 2026, states 2 years (gob.pe/12580); misderechos.pe reports no reglamento in El Peruano as of Sept 30, 2026 (misderechos.pe); tramitesperu.com (secondary) said "aún no vigente" as of Jun 24, 2026 (tramitesperu). These pages reflect the 2-year rule that Ley 32421 is replacing.
Transition and grandfathering: applications filed before the law takes effect continue under the rules in force on the filing date (Única Disposición Complementaria Transitoria) ✅ (El Peruano).
People who had filed under the 2-year rule were grandfathered. People who were merely eligible but had not filed were not.
Holders of titles issued but not yet collected must collect them within 6 months of being notified, in person and without an apoderado.
On entry into force, Ley 26574 is repealed.
Ley 26574 rule (being replaced): age 18 or over; 2 consecutive years of legal residence; an exam; INTERPOL; S/ 55,000 annual income (gob.pe/12580; Ley 26574).
6.2 Documents (current gob.pe/12580 list; the reglamento may change it)
Document
Issuer
Apostille / legalization
Validity
Formulario PA-NACIONALIDAD
Migraciones
—
—
Payment receipt: S/ 301.50, code 07564, Banco de la Nación or pagalo.pe (~US$88)
BN
—
—
Passport copy
DoS
—
—
Sworn statements: health, address, no criminal record. The health statement was reinstated June 14, 2024 by court order
You
—
—
Income of 10 UIT (S/ 55,000, ~US$16,000) gross per year
SUNAT records
—
—
Ficha de Canje Internacional
INTERPOL Lima
—
6 months or less
Birth certificate
Your US state
Apostille (state SOS) or legalization by RREE / a Peruvian consulate
❓
Worker extras: MTPE-approved contract of 1 yr or more; last 3 payslips (boletas); prior year's 5th-category withholding certificate
Procedure: file on the Agencia Digital (Mesa de Partes) as PDFs. The decision is due in 30 business days, but that clock is suspended during stages such as the exam ✅.
After approval: a ceremony with an oath, then take the title to RENIEC for a DNI (gob.pe/12580).
Realistic total processing time: ❓ (anecdotally many months). Under Ley 32421 the legal maximum is 18+6 months.
6.3 Exam and language
Current exam content and pass mark are ❓ not fetched.
Under Ley 32421, Castellano is required if it is not your mother tongue, plus general knowledge of Peru ✅ (misderechos.pe).
No specific CEFR level is stated ❓.
6.4 Peru-born applicants
Peruvian nationality is lost only by express renunciation (Ley 32421 art. 6). A Peru-born US citizen usually needs to re-document (DNI through RENIEC or a consulate), not naturalize.
Recovery after an express renunciation is a separate procedure under Ley 32421 ❓ (details not fetched).
7. Physical presence and absences
Stage
Rule
Source
Permanent residency (3 years)
No absence of more than 183 consecutive days within any 365-day period, unless Migraciones authorized it
2 consecutive years. Absences are judged under art. 63 of the DL 1350 Reglamento, except with authorization under art. 67.2(b)(c). Each year is analysed separately
Naturalization (Ley 32421, once its reglamento is published)
5 years "continuous and immediately before" the application ✅ (art. 17). How absences break "continuous" is left to the reglamento, not yet located ❓ (checked Oct 9, 2026)
Authorized stay abroad (permiso de estadía fuera del país)
Exists (art. 67.2). Fee and form ❓
❓
Travel while an application is pending
❓ not verified. A pending change of status may require a travel permit, or leaving may count as abandonment
❓
Tax residence
More than 183 days in any 12-month period makes you a domiciliado, usually from Jan 1 of the following year. Domiciliados are taxed on worldwide income
Ley 32421: stricter on residence (5 yrs), taxed income, security vetting, document-fraud checks, and the power to refuse "threats." The 5-year rule applies once the reglamento is published (still a draft per Migraciones, Aug 2026); plan for 5, see §6.1.
TUPA churn: Migraciones fees and requirements changed in 2023, twice in 2024, and again in 2025 (DS 008-2025-IN, RS 150-2025) (TUPA page).
INDECOPI vs Migraciones: the INTERPOL and health-statement requirements were struck down, then reinstated by a court in 2024 (gob.pe/12580). Expect requirements to flip.
Politics: frequent changes of president and Congress, and an election cycle in 2026 ❓ (outcome not checked).
Rating: MEDIUM. Residency routes are stable. The citizenship path has become longer and is legally in flux.
10. Common mistakes and tips
Getting the FBI apostille from a state SOS. Federal documents go to the US Dept of State.
Letting the INTERPOL ficha (6 months) or the contract (30 days) go stale before filing.
Running a one-person company without meeting the DL 689 investor exemption (S/ 27,500).
Paying yourself less than S/ 55,000/yr. You will fail the naturalization income test later.
Absences of more than 183 consecutive days resetting your clock.
Treating the digital nomad visa as available. It is not.
Missing the SUNAT "habido" status. An unreachable fiscal address kills renewals.
12. Open questions we are still researching
Ley 32421 reglamento DS number and publication date — still not located (checked Oct 9, 2026); plan for the 5-year rule
~~FBI and DoS apostille fees and processing times~~ ✅ verified Oct 9, 2026: FBI US$18; DoS US$20/doc, mail ~5 weeks, walk-in 7 business days
Translation rules per Migraciones procedure
SIVICE fee for Lima
~~INTERPOL ficha fee~~ ✅ S/ 31.50 (code 08141) + US$18 money order for US nationals (gob.pe/7307, checked Oct 9, 2026)
Payroll percentages (minimum wage ✅ S/ 1,230 from Oct 1, 2026, DS 015-2026-TR)
IGV form
Travel permits while an application is pending
Exam content
US tax section: treaty absence ✅, totalization absence ✅, FBAR/8938 thresholds ✅ (checked Oct 9, 2026); 5471/GILTI, FEIE still ❓
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