Moving to Peru
Visas and residency, citizenship, tax, company and banking, cost of living and the places to live in Peru, in one place.
South AmericaThinking about moving to Peru?
Here's how long you can stay, the ways to live there for good, what you'd pay in tax and what everyday life costs, each figure from an official source.
In this guide, I'll show you:
- How long you can stay, by passport
- How long citizenship takes
- How tax works, with the rates
- What it costs, and the internet and safety
- The best places to live
- The basics: capital, currency and languages
Pick your passport at the top of the page, and the stay rule shows for you.
TL;DRKey takeaways
Peru at a glance
How long can you stay in Peru?
It depends on the passport you hold.
Here's the rule for the most common ones:
US passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 90 days
UK passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 183 days
EU passport (German)- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 90 days
Canadian passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 90 days
Australian passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 90 days
Indian passport- Rule
- Visa needed
- Stay
- –
For any other passport, pick yours at the top, or see every country on the visa-free countries map.
Citizenship in Peru
Naturalization takes about 5 years of residence.
Dual citizenship is allowed, so you can keep your passport.
Work out your own timeline with the second passport calculator.
Tax in Peru
Peru taxes its tax residents on their income from anywhere.
See where it sits among every country on the territorial tax map.
The main rates:
- Lowest income tax band – 0%
- Top income tax rate – 30%
- Corporate tax – 30%
- VAT or sales tax – 16%
Where you're a tax resident usually comes down to days.
Count yours with the 183-day rule calculator.
Company and banking
Compare the banks and cards that work for people abroad in the bank account finder.
Move money for less with the money transfer comparison.
Many people who live abroad run a US LLC instead; check yours with the US LLC for non-residents checker.
Cost of living in Peru
Everyday prices in Peru are about 52% of US prices.
That's the World Bank's price level for 2025: its purchasing power conversion factor divided by the exchange rate.
It's cheaper than the US, though rent in the big cities can close the gap.
Convert what things cost with the currency converter.
Is Peru safe?
The US State Department rates Peru Level 2 ("Exercise increased caution", updated 2025-05-16), the same level it gives France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. Levels 1 and 2 are both everyday travel; the US only asks you to reconsider a trip at Level 3. Some advisories are stricter for parts of a country, so read the full advisory before you go.
See every country's level on the travel advisory map.
Internet in Peru
In M-Lab's open speed tests across Peru over the last 12 months, half came in above 37 Mbps download.
The fastest quarter of lines came in above 115 Mbps, closer to a good fiber connection (3,681,245 tests).
By place:
- Lima – 35 Mbps typical
- Cusco – 39 Mbps typical
Test your own line when you arrive with my internet speed test.
The best places to live in Peru
Compare them with places everywhere in digital nomad locations.
Peru: the basics
| What | Peru |
|---|---|
| Capital | Lima |
| Currency | Peruvian sol (PEN) |
| Languages | Spanish, Quechua, Aymara |
| Population | about 32.0 million |
From GeoNames' country data (CC BY 4.0).
More tools for Peru
- Passport index and compare passports
- Time zone overlap calculator for calls with home
- eSIM finder for data when you land
- Card fees abroad calculator before you spend
Peru FAQs
Visa-free, for 90 days.
Pick another passport at the top of the page to see its rule.
It depends on your passport.
Pick yours at the top of the page to see the days, and whether you need a visa first.
Not that I've found in official sources as of 2026-09-29.
The digital nomad visa finder lists every country that has one.
About 5 years of residence.
Yes.
Check that your own country allows it too.
Peru taxes its tax residents on their income from anywhere.
Check the details with a tax adviser before you move.
Everyday prices are about 52% of US prices, by the World Bank's price level for 2025.
Rent in the biggest cities can be higher than that suggests.
The US State Department rates it Level 2.
Levels 1 and 2 are everyday travel; read the full advisory for any regions it warns about.
Half of M-Lab's tests there came in above 37 Mbps download over the last 12 months.
The fastest quarter of lines passed 115 Mbps.
The places I cover there are Lima and Cusco.
Each has its own guide with the weather by month, internet and costs.
The Peruvian sol (PEN).
The main languages are Spanish, Quechua and Aymara.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
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