If you do not have Peruvian family or are not married to a Peruvian, you must obtain a valid visa to visit Peru for business purposes or work in the country. The following are some key concepts to keep in mind when requesting a visa to stay in Peru.
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Peruvian Immigration – Business Visas
Many tourists do not need a visa to enter Peru for holiday purposes. However, if you want to travel to Peru for business reasons you must obtain a business visa before you enter the company. This is especially true if you will be entering into a business contract, signing an agreement, or conducting business related financial transactions in Peru.
You can apply for a business visa at a Peruvian Consulate before you enter the country. The business visa is a multiple entry visa and may be used to enter the country within 12 months of its issue. You may stay up to 183 days per year in Peru on a business visa and you may not extend the visa. Check when your visa expires because if you overstay you will be fined and may even be detained at the airport.
When you apply for your business visa to stay in Peru you must have the following:
- Application form x2
- Application fee
- Valid passport (at least 6 months till expiry)
- Proof of residency in the country you are applying from
- Passport photos x2
- Return airline ticket
- Letter from the company that is sponsoring the trip, including the purpose of the visit, length of stay, and confirmation that the person travelling has sufficient funds for the length of the stay
Working Permits
If you want to work in Peru you need a worker’s visa, which is known as a Foreign Resident ID Card (Carné de Extranjería). In order to obtain this type of visa you must have an employment contract with a company in Peru for a minimum of one year. Once you have this you should engage a local expert to help you obtain the visa as the application process can be tricky.
Permanent Residency
If you are planning to stay in Peru on a more permanent basis because you are in investing in a company, you have two options. You can grant power of attorney to a local legal representative in Peru to establish a company on your behalf and hire you as an employee. Or you can apply for an investor visa (Visa de Inversionista). To obtain an investor visa in Peru you need the following:
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US$25,000 share capital
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A business plan to submit to DIGEMIN (Dirección General de Migración y Naturalización)
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You must agree to hire five employees within two years
Practical tips when entering/leaving Peru
- You may run into problems at the airport if you are in possession of more than one laptop
- If you are travelling from Lima to Europe, you may have duty-free alcohol purchased in Lima confiscated from you in Europe
- Resident children leaving Peru with one parent need an express permission letter from the non-accompanying parent
Biz Latin Hub can support you in Peru
At Biz Latin Hub, we offer corporate legal services throughout Latin America, and have a lawyer in Costa Rica ready to assist you.
We are a professional services provider with a comprehensive portfolio of back-office services that also includes company formation, accounting & taxation, hiring & PEO, and visa processing, meaning we can tailor a services agreement to suit any need.
Contact us today to find out more about how we can assist you.
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