Peru: investor residence from S/ 500,000 and a lifetime-income rentista route

Peru's residence categories are set out in Article 29 of Legislative Decree 1350, the Migration Law, and its regulation (Supreme Decree 007-2017-IN). The investor category (Inversionista) is granted by MIGRACIONES for 365 days, renewable, to a foreign national who invests at least S/ 500,000 in a Peruvian company; the regulation allows MIGRACIONES to adjust the amount by Superintendency resolution. MIGRACIONES has rejected applications where the documented capital fell short, and the regulation makes clear that the investment cannot be evidenced simply by acquiring existing shares, and that the investor may act only as manager or director of the company. In practice the file includes the company's incorporation deed, its tax registration (RUC), traceable bank transfers into the company and a business plan. Legislative Decree 1687 of October 2024 moved certain visa and sanctioning powers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but investor and rentista residence remain with MIGRACIONES.

The rentista category suits clients with stable passive income rather than an operating business. It is granted with an indefinite period of stay to holders of a lifetime pension or permanent income of at least US$1,000 a month, such as a retirement pension, annuity, royalties or dividends. Rentistas may not take paid work in Peru. Neither category sets a minimum number of days in the country, but a resident who is absent for more than 183 days, consecutive or cumulative, in a 12-month period can lose their migration status unless an exception applies. After three years of legal residence, a resident may apply for permanent residence (Permanente), which has an indefinite period of stay.

Tax residence follows a separate rule. An individual becomes domiciled in Peru for income tax after more than 183 days of presence in any 12-month period, with domiciled status generally taking effect from 1 January of the following year. Domiciled individuals are taxed on worldwide income, while non-domiciled individuals pay 30% on Peruvian-source income only. Peru has no special flat-tax or non-domicile regime for new residents, so investors who keep significant income abroad should plan the timing of their move and review any tax treaty with their current country.

Spouses and children are generally brought in through Peru's family-member residence category linked to the principal resident, each with their own carné de extranjería. Citizenship is a matter of ordinary naturalisation. The new Nationality Law, Law 32421, published on 14 August 2025, requires five continuous years of residence immediately before the application, annual lawful income of at least 10 tax units (UIT) taxed in Peru, Spanish or another official language, and examinations on history, geography, the Constitution and civics; naturalisation is granted by the President on MIGRACIONES' favourable opinion. The law takes effect once its implementing regulation is published, and repeals the former Law 26574, which required two consecutive years of residence; applications filed earlier remain under the rules in force when they were lodged. Peru recognises dual nationality, so retention of the original nationality depends on the investor's home country.