🇵🇪 Peru
Low-cost Andean living with one of the region's easiest passive-income visas
Visa Options
- Rentista (Independent Means) Visa (1 year (renewable) → permanent) — $1,000/mo passive foreign income (+$500/mo per dependent)
- Digital Nomad Visa (Up to 365 days) — Legislated 2023; as of 2026 implementing regulations/income threshold still not published — not yet operational
- Investor Visa (1 year → permanent) — $28,000+ (approx.) capital investment in a Peruvian business
- Pensionado Visa (1 year (renewable) → permanent) — Proof of a foreign lifetime pension
Tax Overview
- Income Tax: 8% – 30% progressive for tax residents (worldwide income)
- Non-resident rate: Flat 30% on Peru-source income only
- Capital gains/rental income: Effective ~5% rate on many categories
- Corporate Tax: 29.5%
- VAT (IGV): 18%
Cost of Living
- Comfortable living (single, typical): $800 – $1,400/mo
- 1BR Apartment (Lima — Miraflores): $450 – $800/mo
- 1BR Apartment (Cusco/Arequipa): $250 – $450/mo
- Groceries: $150 – $280/mo
- Utilities: $50 – $90/mo
- Dining out: $5 – $14/meal
- Public transport: $20 – $30/mo
- Private health insurance: $50 – $120/mo
Relocation Checklist
- Confirm which visa route fits (note: digital nomad visa not yet operational)
- Gather apostilled documents (birth cert, police record, income/pension proof)
- Apply at a Peruvian consulate or via Peru's Superintendencia de Migraciones
- Get a Carné de Extranjería (foreigner ID card) after entry
- Open a Peruvian bank account
- Register with SUNAT (tax authority) if generating local income
- Plan for the 5-year continuous residency requirement if pursuing citizenship
- Arrange private health insurance (public EsSalud access can be limited for new residents)