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Peruvian Family Visa

Peruvian Family Visa

A Guide to Peruvian Visas

Part 6

Some family members of Peruvian nationals and foreigners with a resident status in Peru have the right to a family union and can apply for a family visa, the so-called "visa familiar residente". Depending on your relation, there are several sub-visa types.

Content overview

 

Family visa types in Peru

Depending on your relation to the Peruvian or foreigner with resident status, there are several family visa sub-types. Relatives who can apply for a family visa are:

  • Spouses of Peruvian nationals (para el caso de casado/a peruana/o)
  • Spouses of foreigners with resident status (para el caso de casado/a con extranjera/o residente en el país)
  • Underaged children of Peruvians or foreigners with resident status (para el caso de hijos menores de edad de peruano/a o extranjero/a residente)
  • Unmarried children (18 years to 28 years and dependent on their parents) of Peruvians or foreigners with resident status (para el caso de hijo/a mayor de edad)
  • Adult children with disabilities (para el caso de hijos mayores de 18 años con discapacidad)
  • Parents of Peruvians or foreigners with a resident status that don’t have a Peruvian nationality (para el caso de padres de peruano/a o extranjero/a residente) (*)

(*) Children born on Peruvian territory to not only Peruvian but as well foreign parents are considered Peruvians. They have the right to a Peruvian birth certificate, Peruvian DNI and a Peruvian passport. While for years foreign parents couldn't get a resident family visa through their underaged Peruvian-born child, this has changed with the introduction of the 2017 foreigner law and a different interpretation of the corresponding passage. Before the parents can apply for a resident family visa, the birth of the child has to be registered at Reniec and a Peruvian birth certificate and Peruvian DNI has to be issued. Be aware that unfortunately Migraciones seems to be a bit uncooperative since August 2021, and often gives foreign parents trouble when trying to apply or outright deny the application.

 

Legal background for a family visa application in Peru

Where to apply for a family visa

Officially, you can apply for a family visa if you are still outside Peru or if you are already in the country, for example, as a tourist.

However, while for decades Peruvian consulates abroad handled residence visa applications from giving information and handing out the right forms to fill in, to accepting the application and, if approved, issuing the residence visa, since August 2021, the Peruvian diplomatic missions abroad only handle tourist and business visa applications and refer foreigners, who want to apply for another temporary or residence visa, to Migraciones in Peru.

So, family members of a Peruvian national or foreigner with resident status in Peru, who can enter the country visa-free (so, who don’t have to apply for a “real” tourist visa at a Peruvian consulate), should come to Peru as a tourist and then change their immigration status - make a so called Cambio de calidad migratoria (as opposed to a Solicitud de calidad migratoria if you apply from outside Peru) - at Migraciones (on the Agencia Digital, the Migraciones online platform).

Those family members who cannot enter Peru visa-free (so, who must apply for a “real” tourist visa at a Peruvian consulate), officially must apply for residency from outside Peru; a complicated, lengthy, and sometimes frustrating process. We explain in detail how it’s done in our article “Peruvian residence visa application from abroad”.

Foreign nationals who can travel to Peru visa-free, enter Peru as a tourist and then apply for their residence visa at Migraciones in Peru. However...

Important laws and regulations

For foreigners planning to stay longer in Peru and to apply for a temporary or resident visa, the most important laws and regulations are the Decreto Legislativo 1582, which is the current foreigner law and only stipulates general rules, and the Decreto Supremo 002-2021-IN from 2021 and the TUPA, which is updated yearly (last time October 22, 2023) Helpful as well is to check out the Peruvian government website. All these documents are, of course, in Spanish.

While below under Requirements for a family visa application in Peru you find the necessary documents described in English, the official list of requirements (in Spanish) can be found, for example, in the Decreto Supremo 002-2021-IN on page 44, in article 89-B “Procedimiento administrativo de cambio de calidad migratoria por la de familiar residente” on page 44.

As the TUPA is always the more current official document, which contains slight changes compared to the Decreto Supremo, we recommend to use it when looking for the most current official information about the requirements in Spanish. You find the information for adult applicants on page 187, which is page 190 of the PDF, and for minor applicants on page 106, which is page 109 of the PDF.

 

Requirements for a family visa application in Peru

As the family visa has quite a number of sub-visa types, find below the general requirements. Be aware that Migraciones has the right to request other and/or additional documents at any time.

Required documents to apply for a family visa include:

  • Passport
  • Antecedentes policiales, penales y judiciales (Police clearance certificate, criminal record and judicial matters check) from your home country or from the country where you legally lived (so with a resident visa) during the 5 years prior to coming to Peru showing that you don't have a record (exception minors) (*) + (**) + (*****)
  • Official document that proves the family tie (please note: same-sex marriages/civil unions are not possible and not recognized in Peru)
    • if the applicant is married to a Peruvian or foreigner with resident status: marriage certificate (***) 
    • if the applicant is the child or parent of a Peruvian (but not Peruvian himself) or of a foreigner with resident status: birth certificate (****)
    • If the applicant is in a legal Peruvian relationship, a so-called "Union de hecho" with a Peruvian or foreigner with resident status: Sworn statement indicating the SUNARP registration
  • Up-to-date DNI of the Peruvian family member with correct family address, correct marital status and no pending election fees or up-to-date carné de extranjería of the foreigner with resident status
  • Interpol clearance - Ficha de canje internacional not older than 6 months (see below)
  • Receipt for paid application fee (code Migraciones 07568; concept Cambio de calidad migratoria por la de familiar residente, S/ 161.40 since October 22, 2023)
  • "Recibo" (water or electricity bill proving your address; doesn't have to be in your name)
  • Form PA - Cambio de Calidad Migratoria (automatically filled in during application)
  • For unmarried adult children (up to 28 years) additionally: official certificate of being single (*****) or sworn statement in which the applicant declares being unmarried in front of a Peruvian notary and enrollment certificate of a Peruvian educational institution
  • For children with disabilities additionally: official certificate of being single (*****) or sworn statement in which the applicant declares being unmarried in front of a Peruvian notary document proving a condition of permanent disability and the need for parent’s care (*****)

Explanatory notes for the requirements:

(*) As we get many question about the “Antecedentes policiales, penales y judiciales” we dedicated a separate article to the topic where we explain in detail what kind of document you need, where you get it and what to watch out for when applying for it.

One of the requirements to apply for a resident visa in Peru or to change your visa type, for example from a work visa to a permanent resident visa...

(**) That's the official requirement. However, Migraciones always requests the criminal record check from your home country. And, if they are made aware of the fact that you lived in another country during the 5 years prior to coming to Peru, sometimes additionally a check from this country.

(***) marriage certificate

  • If you were married in Peru at a municipality incorporated into the Reniec system: recent certified copy of your marriage certificate issued by Reniec (not older than 90 days)
  • If you were married in Peru at a municpality not incorporated into the Reniec system: Some municipalities in Peru are still not incorporated into the Reniec system and, for example, marriages are registered only on municipal level. So, if you married in such a municipality you must request a certified (!) copy of the marriage certificate from the (provincial) municipality. Inform them that you need the copy for a residence visa application, so the right stamp is put on the certificate. Once you have the document, pay the Reniec fee of S/ 31 under code 02143 “Certificaciones” with concepto “Certificacion de firma” either on pagalo.pe or at any Banco de la Nacion branch. Make copies of the marriage certificate, the payment receipt and DNI, carné or passport. If you apply for your residence visa in Lima, you then must proceed to the Reniec office in Miraflores (Av. Diez Conseco 230) or to the Reniec office in Jesus Maria (Jr. Talara 130) to make the so-called 'Solicitud de Authenticacion de Firmas'. At Reniec you are handed a form which you must fill in and then just wait your turn in the “Certificaciones” line, hand in your documents (Certified copy of your marriage certificate, payment receipt, ID and copies and filled in form) and usually within a week or two you can pick up your marriage certificate with another stamp on it. Only now Migraciones will accept your marriage certificate and when you apply the marriage certificate can't be older than 90 days.
  • If you were married abroad to a Peruvian: certified copy of your marriage certificate issued by the Peruvian consulate (not older than 180 days) - already in Peru without a recent copy? At the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (RREE) in Lima, you can get certified copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates registered at a Peruvian consulate abroad.
  • If you were married to a foreigner abroad: marriage certificate with Apostille or, if the country in which the document was issued didn't sign the Apostille Convention legalized by a Peruvian consulate (not older than 6 months). Once in Peru, the document has to be translated into Spanish and in some cases legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(****) birth certificate

  • If the applicant is the child of a foreigner with resident status: birth certificate of the child showing he/she is the son/daughter of the foreigner with resident status with Apostille or, if the country in which the document was issued didn't sign the Apostille Convention legalized by a Peruvian consulate (not older than 6 months). Once in Peru, the document has to be translated into Spanish and in some cases legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • If you are the parent of a Peruvian and the birth was registered at a municipality incorporated into the Reniec system: recent certified copy of the birth certificate showing you as the parent issued by Reniec (not older than 90 days):
  • If you are the parent of a Peruvian and the birth was registered at a municipality not incorporated into the Reniec system: some municipalities in Peru are still not incorporated into the Reniec system and, for example, birth are registered only on municipal level. So, if  the Peruvian part of the family was born in such a municipality you must request a certified (!) copy of the birth certificate showing you as the parent from the (provincial) municipality. Inform them that you need the copy for a residence visa application, so the right stamp is put on the certificate. Once you have the document, pay the Reniec fee of S/ 31 under code 02143 “Certificaciones” with concepto “Certificacion de firma” either on pagalo.pe or at any Banco de la Nacion branch. Make copies of the birth certificate, the payment receipt and DNI, carné or passport. If you apply for your residence visa in Lima, you then must proceed to the Reniec office in Miraflores (Av. Diez Conseco 230) or to the Reniec office in Jesus Maria (Jr. Talara 130) to make the so-called 'Solicitud de Authenticacion de Firmas'. At Reniec you are handed a form which you must fill in and then just wait your turn in the “Certificaciones” line, hand in your documents (Certified copy of the birth certificate, payment receipt, ID and copies and filled in form) and usually within a week or two you can pick up the birth certificate with another stamp on it. Only now Migraciones will accept your marriage certificate and when you apply the birth certificate can't be older than 90 days.
  • If you are the parent of a foreigner with resident status in Peru: birth certificate of the foreigner with resident status in Peru showing you as the parent with Apostille or, if the country in which the document was issued didn't sign the Apostille Convention legalized by a Peruvian consulate (not older than 6 months). Once in Peru, the document has to be translated into Spanish and in some cases legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(*****) Any document required which was issued abroad

  • All foreign documents (even so-called “international” certificates) need an Apostille or, if the country in which they were issued, didn't sign the Apostille Convention have to be legalized by a Peruvian consulate abroad and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Peru. Once in Peru, the document has to be translated into Spanish and in some cases legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Applying for a family visa is a simple and straightforward process, but might be a little confusing here and there if you are not familiar with the process and the steps involved. Please see our walk-through below as general guidance only as requirements and processes change quickly. At least basic Spanish skills are required to fill in forms and understand instructions.

 

Last steps before your family visa application in Peru

Hopefully, you brought all required documents from abroad, such as the criminal record check and - if applicable - your marriage or birth certificate, and so forth, already apostilled or legalized - see requirements and (***) / (****) / (*****) above.

Translation of foreign documents

Once in Peru, all documents issued abroad that are in a foreign language must be translated into Spanish. Even though officially no longer required and a simple translation should be enough (see Decreto Legislativo 1272 about simplified administration procedures) we highly recommend to use a certified translator in Peru, a so-called traductor publico juramentado. You find lists of these government-approved translators on the Peruvian government website.  Just click under point 3 on the language of your original document and the list of translators for your language appears. You can as well use any other translator in Peru who can officially translate your document.

If your documents have an Apostille and were translated by one of the certified translators on the list according to the above mentioned Decreto Legislativo Migraciones should accept them without problems. However, most translators are still recommending an additional legalization of the translation by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE), as sometimes Migraciones doesn't apply the simplified administration procedures, rejects documents without the additional RREE legalization and explicitly asks the applicant to upload the apostilled and translated foreign documents this time with another legalization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE) in Lima or a RREE branch in the provinces.

So, if you want to skip the additional legalization by RREE, we highly recommend to keep an eye on your Migraciones electronic mailbox for notifications from Migraciones (see below).

If your documents aren't apostilled but legalized they must be legalized again after the translation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE) in Lima or a RREE branch in the provinces.

Interpol

And before you can even start the family visa application process, you first have to get the so-called “Ficha de Canje Internacional” from Interpol in Peru. Find a detailed description of how it’s done in our article “Interpol - Ficha de Canje Internacional”.

All foreigners must present the "Ficha de Canje Internacional" to Migraciones when changing their immigration status, for example, from a temporary...

Paying the application fee

Once you have the Ficha and all documents together, pay the fee of S/ 162.50 for the Migraciones administrative procedure “Cambio de Calidad Migratoria” under code 07568 with concepto "Familar de residente". As you already paid the Interpol fee, you know how the systems works, otherwise check again in our article "Paying administration charges and processing fees in Peru".

All administration charges, processing fees and fines government agencies, public authorities and entities levy in Peru have to be paid at the Banc...

Last preparations

And last but not least, make PDFs from your passport (page with your personal data), and from all other required documents (max size per document 3MB).

Finally, the time has come to apply for your family visa. Be aware that in case you need to leave the country during the processing time of your family visa application you have to apply for a special travel permit (Permiso especial de viaje, officially as well called Autorización de estadía fuera del país) before you leave the country, otherwise your application is null and void.

Foreigners in Peru who applied for a visa - to be precise who applied for a change of their immigration status (cambio de calidad migratoria) or a ...

 

Step-by-step guide to apply for a family visa in Peru

One remark before we start: The Agencia Digital is in Spanish only. We highly recommend to not using a translation program which automatically translates the page from Spanish to your preferred language to avoid system errors. And to avoid further system errors, we highly recommend to not using a VPN and switching off any ad blockers you might use.

Migraciones Agencia Digital

Once you have done all the preparation work, open the Migraciones Agencia Digital and click on Entrar.

On the next page, select "Extranjero". Then choose in the drop-down menu the document with which you entered Peru (most probably passport), enter your passport number, your birthdate, nationality, the date you entered Peru and the captcha. Click on Verificar.

No matter which forms you fill out in Peru, always enter your personal data exactly (!!!) as in your passport!

Now you are on the main page of the Agencia Digtal. Here you can either use the search field or find in the menu on the left under “Cambio de Calidad Migratoria” the points:

  • Familiar Residente: Casado con peruano(a) o extranjero(a) residente (resident family married to a Peruvian or foreign resident)
  • Familiar Residente: Padres de peruano(a) o extranjero(a) residente (resident family parents of Peruvian or foreign resident)
  • Familiar Residente: hijos(as) adultos con dispacidad (resident family adult children with disabilities)
  • hopefully as well Familiar Residente: hijo/a menor de edad (resident family underage children). For whatever reason sometimes the point for the underage children isn't displayed. If so, use the search function. If still nothing pops up, and for all other family visa types, please contact Migraciones through the Agencia Digital (either use the chat / phone function or make an appointment under Citas en linea, Informes) for information about the application process.

Choose the one that applies and proceed to the next page.

1st page of the family visa application

Here, you first have to select the Migraciones branch which should handle your application (for example, Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, …). In the second field, you must enter a “data update code” which you most probably don’t have. Below this field is a quite small link.

Click on it and and you are re-directed to the Sistema de Actualizacion de Datos page. Choose Option 2. On the next page fill in your nationality, select the document with which you entered Peru (most probably passport), enter your passport number, and your birth date, select your gender and enter the captcha; you can leave the field with the "preinscription code" blank. Then you get to a quite extensive questionnaire.

Data update questionnaire

Be aware that you only have 1 hour to complete the questionnaire and as the system doesn’t save your information, even though there is an option to save, once you started you must finish it within an hour otherwise all your progress is gone, and you have to start from scratch. The questions are quite unorganized and partly a bit strange, so to give you an idea what questions you have to answer and might need to prepare for here an overview:

In the first two categories, you have to fill in your personal data including full name (as in your passport!), document with which you entered Peru, document number, gender, marital status, country of birth, if you have a criminal, police or judicial record, if you are pregnant.

The third category asks for your address in Peru, your e-mail address, cell phone number and landline phone number. Here you must upload a “recibo”, so a water or electricity bill to prove that you live at that address. The recibo doesn't have to be in your name, just must show the correct address.

Then you are asked for the information of an emergency contact, including ID, name and e-mail of your emergency contact. This is followed by questions about your employment situation and where you were born (continent, country, town).

In the next category, you have to enter your hair and eye color, height in meters, weight in kilograms, religion, marital status, date of marriage, vaccinations and if you have a disability or disease. You are then asked if you arrived in Peru alone or if someone was accompanying you. If so, you must enter the personal data (passport number, name, last name, birthdate) of that person. Now you are asked if you have lived in other countries previously and in which country before coming to Peru, when you last entered Peru, how you came to Peru (plane, bus, car).

The last questions check your living conditions (are you living in a house, number of rooms, accommodation connected to water, sewage, electricity, and internet), ask for some financial info (if you have a bank account in Peru; if you have taken out a loan in Peru; if you have a bank account in another country; if you hold shares in a company in Peru) and want to know if you have a car and a driver’s license in Peru or other country.

As soon as you have completed the last page of the questionnaire, the system accepts all your answers and sends the data update code to your e-mail.

You made it!

Back to the 1st page of the family visa application

Now fill in the data update code and click on Siguente.

2nd page of the family visa application

Here you must fill in some data and/or upload all for the family visa application necessary documents as PDF (max size per document 3MB).

Those who just want to verify the requirements or double check if the requirements have changed can do so on this page. Then just click through the tabs but do not upload any documents and do not click on Siguente; once you finished just leave the page.

To continue with your family visa application, click on the little arrows next to each requirement, and certain fields appear depending on the requirement. Just fill in the fields as requested and upload the corresponding document.

Under “Pago por derecho de tramite” you are asked to enter certain information of the bank receipt

  • numero de recibo (number of the receipt) which is the "secuencia de pago" on the pagalo receipt
  • codigo de verficación (verification code) which is the "codigo control" on the pagalo receipt
  • fecha de recibo (date) which is the "fecha de operación" on the pagalo receipt.

If you don't know where to find the requested bank information on your receipt, click on the question mark. After entering the requested info click on Validar.

Under the Documento de Identificación tab, select the document with which you entered Peru (in most cases passport), fill in required data and upload a copy.

Under the Interpol tab, you must upload the Ficha de Canje from Interpol and the criminal record check you brought from home. Be aware that both fields are mandatory, and you can’t continue without having uploaded both documents.

Under the Documento vincular tab, you must upload the document proving your family tie (for example, your marriage certificate).

And you must enter the DNI number of the Peruvian part of the family or the Carné number of the foreign resident you are related to.

If you, for example, apply for an underage child other documents, such as your passport / carné must be uploaded.

There is one last tab “Exceso de permanencia” (excess stay). If you apply when your stay in Peru is still valid, this tab has already a green check in front of it and you just leave it as it is.

If you, however, apply when your stay as a tourist is expired, open the tab and you should be able to upload the payment receipt for your overstayed days and a sworn statement explaining the reasons for their overstay. Once these two documents are uploaded the check in front of the tab should turn green. Before counting on this option please read our chapter Can I apply for a family visa when my stay as a tourist is expired?.

Once you filled in all required fields and uploaded all your documents, there should be a green check in front of each tab. Click on Siguente.

3rd page of the family visa application

You then get to a page showing the fields of the Form PA - Cambio de Calidad Migratoria already filled in with your personal data. The only fields you can change here are your cell phone number and your e-mail address. If everything is correct, click on “Guardar datos y generar tramite” (Save data and generate procedure).

4th page of the family visa application

You now get the "Registro de Solicitud de Cambio de Calidad Migratoria" displayed on your screen. That's the confirmation of your successful application. Download and/or print the form and keep it safe (if downloading isn't possible, make a screenshot of the complete page, don't miss the second page)!!!

At the top right of the document under the bar code you find your Numero de expediente (file number), which sometimes is also called Numero de tramite. It consists of 2 letters (usually some abbreviation of the Migraciones office where you applied; LM for Lima, for example; or CY for Chiclayo, etc.) and 9 numbers. At the bottom of the first page, under the signature / fingerprint field, the Fecha de publicacion (application date) and a Codigo de verificacion (verification code) are shown.

If you later want to check the status of your application online, which can be done here or if you, for example, want to apply for a travel permit to leave the country while the approval of your application is still in process, you will need these numbers / codes.

Additionally, at the bottom of the first page you as well find your login data for the Migraciones electronic mailbox (see below).

If you didn't print or save the page when you had the chance during your application, retrieving your file number is usually simple as it's the code you see on your screen when you are asked to make an appointment for your biometric data (see below). But getting the verification code can be a mission as you must get in contact with Migraciones.

Please note: a few of our readers commented that they couldn’t find the verification code and/or the login data for the electronic mailbox on the Registro de Solicitud de Cambio de Calidad Migratoria. However, once they made the appointment for the biometric data they were able to download the Formulario PA - Cambio de calidad migratoria, which contained the verification code and the login data. So, if the Reigistro page wasn't displayed or if you can’t find the information on the Registro page, probably check as well the Formulario, which you hopefully downloaded as well, before trying to get in contact with Migraciones.

 

Biometric data appointment

Following the confirmation of your visa application you are asked to make an appointment for having your biometric data (photo, fingerprints, signature) taken with a provided code. This code is your numero de expediente (file number).

As waiting times sometimes can be long, especially in Lima, we suggest following provided link and make the appointment immediately. If you want to make it at a later time, you can enter the Agencia Digital and make an appointment under "Citas en Linea", subpoint "para registro de datos biometricos".

On the day of your biometric data appointment, be at the Migraciones office you selected when making the appointment 15 - 30 minutes before your appointment with your documents. Usually you will only need your printed (!) appointment and passport, but to be prepared for any unforeseen events you may want to take the folder with all other documents with you.

At the door you just have to show your appointment and passport. At the Lima Migraciones office you get a ticket with a number on it. Then just join the line and wait until your number is shown on the screen. When it's your turn proceed to the counter where you have to sign on a signature pad, you are digitally fingerprinted and a biometric photo is taken.

Do not wear a white shirt or a top in light or pastel color! Migraciones might refuse to take your photo. Best wear a simple black shirt or something in a dark or strong color.

There were times when the process at the Migraciones office in Lima was quick and astonishingly well organized and you were done in less than half an hour. However, over the past few months some foreigners reported that their appointment time wasn't respected and they had to wait for anything between one and three hours until they made it to the counter where the process was quick and smooth. So, plan accordingly. At the Migraciones offices in the provinces, the whole process is usually quick and painless.

After your biometric data appointment, all you can do is check your Buzon electronico (see below) regularly and wait until you get a notification from Migraciones either telling you that they aren't happy with a document you uploaded or that a document is missing or that your visa is approved.

 

Buzon Electronico

The Buzon Electronico is your personal Migraciones electronic mailbox which you should check regularly for notifications from Migraciones (for example, request to upload missing or additional documents, approval or denial of your visa application, etc.).

You can access your Buzon by clicking on the "Buzon electronico" button on the top of the main page of the Agencia Digital or by using this direct link. The username (usario) and password (contraseña) is on the "Registro de Solicitud de Cambio de Calidad Migratoria" page, the confirmation of your successful application (see above under 4th page).

Be aware that notifications sent via the buzon are considered "officially delivered". If you don't react to a deadline Migraciones usually gives in these notifications (in most cases only 5 days), your application can be dismissed. So, if you get a notication from Migraciones informing you that you haven’t uploaded a required document, that an uploaded document isn’t to their liking or they want an additional document, don’t waste any time.

If you have the document, make a PDF of it (max size 3MB) and upload it on the Agencia Digital. How this so-called Subsanación is done, is explained in our article “Subsanacion - Submitting documents”.

During the internal evaluation and approval process of any application on the Agencia Digital, Migraciones may discover that you haven’t uploaded a...

If you don’t have the document yet and won’t be able to submit it within the deadline, you still have to react and can apply for an extension of time to hand in the document later. The process is called “Solicitud de ampliación de plazos” and explained in our article "Extension of a Migraciones deadline".

During the internal evaluation and approval process of your visa application (Cambio de calidad migratoria) or of the application for the extension...

 

Approval of your family visa

Officially the processing time of residence visa applications is 30 business days. However, according to feedback we got from our readers, it usually takes around two to three months until you get a notification from Migraciones in your Buzon with the official resolution that your visa was approved.

Nevertheless, check your Buzon regularly as you might belong to the lucky ones that get their approval within three or four weeks after application. On the other hand, in case you haven't heard anything from Migraciones 4 months after your application, you should check with them what's going on.

 

Getting your carné (foreigner ID)

After 2 or 3 months (sometimes, if you are lucky, already after few weeks, or if Migraciones is busy, after only 4 months or so) you get a notification in your Buzon electronico informing you about the approval of your visa.

Usually, this first notification states to wait for further instructions on how to pick up your carné. So, once again check your Buzon regularly and wait for a second notification from Migraciones informing you about the "expedición de carné".

Officially Migraciones has another 30 business days counted from the approval of the visa to send this notification. However, some of our readers shared that they had to wait only a couple of days, others three or four weeks, and a few even 2 months. Either way as soon as you got the official notification that your carné is ready, get going. 

Enter the Agencia Digital. On the main page in the left menu under "Citas en linea", subpoint "para recojo de documentos" make an appointment to pick up your carné. Once again, download and print the confirmation and keep it safe.

Be aware that at some Migraciones offices in the provinces no appointment is needed.

On the day of your appointment, be at the Migraciones office you selected 15-30 minutes before your appointment. To pick up your carné you just need your passport and your printed appointment. Migraciones personal will point you in the right direction where you are handed your carné.

Congratulations! You made it!

To familiarize yourself with your carné we highly recommend to read our glossary article Carné de Extranjería - Peru’s ID Card for foreigners.

 

Things you should know living in Peru on a family visa

The family visa (so the residence visa) is valid for one year, in case you are married to a Peruvian two years, and then has to be renewed. Our article "Residence visa extension" explains how it's done.

In Peru, a residence visa, so the permit allowing you to live in the country (not the carné, the card), is usually valid for only one (1) year and ...

The carné (so the Peruvian foreigner ID card) is usually valid for four years and then must be renewed. For more details, check out our article "Renewal of the carné".

When your Peruvian residence visa is approved, you get the Carné de Extranjería, your Peruvian foreigner ID. The carné, so the card (not the reside...

Foreigners living in Peru on a family visa have to be in the country at least 183 days per year, otherwise they lose their resident status. In case you have to be outside Peru for longer, before leaving the country, apply for the Autorización de estadía fuera del país por 183 días,  so you won't lose your residency.

If you are living in Peru on a family visa, you are allowed to work as an employee or independently.

If any information provided when applying for your family visa changes, Migraciones must be informed about it within 30 days. So, if you get a new passport, change your name, move to a new address, etc. you have to apply for a so-called "Actualización de datos". Be aware that, in some cases, a new carné has to be issued after the application is approved. The process is explained in our article “Update your information in the Migraciones database”.

If any of your information, which is printed on your carné or which is registered in the Migraciones database, changes, you must apply for a so-cal...

Even though not always enforced, if you as a foreigner living in Peru on a family visa want to leave the country for short or extended periods of time, for example, to go on holidays you must present a tax form before being allowed to leave Peru. If you didn't have any earnings or other income in Peru, you must present the so-called “Declaración jurada de haber realizado actividades que no impliquen la generación de rentas de fuente peruana” at immigrations before you are allowed to leave. So, just download Formulario 1495, fill it in, sign it and show it to the immigration officer when leaving Peru. If you, however, had any kind of income as independent or dependent worker in Peru, you must present the so-called "Certificado de Rentas y Retenciones" at immigrations before you are allowed to leave. This form is issued by your employer, who confirms that the income tax corresponding to your earnings was retained according to the Peruvian tax legislation. The physical form, Formulario 1492, is rarely used anymore. Instead, your employer or client has to enter his/her Sunat Virtual and fill in the Formulario Virtual 1692°, then print and sign it and give it to you. The form expires 30 days after it was filed with Sunat; so, you must leave Peru within these 30 days. If you work independently, receive an income from Peruvian sources and pay your income tax directly to Sunat, you have to fill in Formulario 1494 “Declaración jurada de haber pagado directamente el impuesto”, sign it, attach a receipt proving you paid your income tax and present it at immigrations before leaving.

Those having received the family visa through marriage with a Peruvian can get the Peruvian nationality, apply for a so-called Nacionalización por matrimonio, after having legally lived in Peru for at least two years.

If you don't want to get the Peruvian nationality or can't because your home country doesn't allow dual nationality, after three years of legal residency in Peru on a family visa, you can apply for a permanent resident visa - make a so-called Cambio de calidad migratoria a permanente residente (Familiar Residente); no more extensions and an indefinite residency (and the good thing for relatives of Peruvians or foreigners with a resident status, no proof of own income is necessary).

And finally, if you as a foreigner living in Peru on a family visa, are leaving Peru permanently, you have to cancel your residence visa. Once the application is approved, you have 15 days to exit the country.

 

Other FAQs

Can I apply for a family visa if my stay as a tourist is expired?

For years, you had to be in Peru on a valid visa / stay, for example, as a tourist to apply for any temporary or residence visa, precisely to make the Cambio de calidad migratoria.

But during the visa application on the Migraciones online platform there is a tab labeled "Exceso de permanencia" (excess stay), which suggests that foreigners who overstayed their time as a tourist in Peru can still apply for a Cambio de calidad migratoria and just have to upload a payment receipt for their overstayed days and a sworn statement explaining the reason for their overstay.

While in November 2022 Migraciones informed us in writing that this tab does not apply when you change your immigration status from tourist (!) to family, at the beginning of 2023 one of our readers reported that someone at Migraciones suggested this option. So, he could apply for his visa while being in Peru on an expired stay as a tourist. He uploaded the payment receipt for his overstay fine and a brief explanation why he couldn't apply on time (criminal record check took many months), could finish his application and a couple of months later, Migraciones approved his visa.

Hearing this, we tried to find out more. A few other foreigners in the same situation confirmed that someone at Migraciones they spoke to suggested this option, but our search for any official confirmation in writing that you can apply for a temporary or residence visa while being in Peru on an expired stay as a tourist was in vain.

As Migraciones doesn't have an e-mail address anymore where they answer such questions in writing, we called and first were told "No, you have to be in the country on a valid stay". Then when we asked the lady we were talking to more detailed questions, she seemingly quickly spoke to someone else, and then suddenly said "Yes, it is possible.", but she couldn't give us any further details. The whole call didn't really inspire confidence.

So, at the moment (February 2024) officially you still have to be in the country on a valid stay to apply and therefore we can't guarantee that it's possible to change your immigration status from tourist to family if you are in Peru on an expired stay as a tourist.

We always recommend to not overstay and, in case you plan to apply for a residence visa but don't have all required documents yet, instead of overstaying suggest applying for your visa using a little trick. We explain how it's done below.

If for whatever reason you can't apply while your stay as a tourist is valid, it might be worth personally checking with Migraciones if you can apply despite being in the country on an expired stay before you leave the country and try to return to "renew" your stay as a tourist.

If you have any current information about this topic or would like to share your experience, please let us know either using the comment function at the end of this very long article or our contact form. Thank you!

Can I apply for a family visa if I don't have all the required documents?

Officially, no, you can't as on the Agencia Digital, the Migraciones online platform where you have to apply, the fields to upload the required documents are mandatory and you can't continue with and finish your application without having uploaded all documents.

But, even though we can't and won't recommend it, if your stay as a tourist is about to expire and you must apply until a certain date, depending on the document that you don't have yet, there might be a possibility to "cheat" the system. However, you should have a solid plan to get the document as required, because the time to present it is limited. And here, how it's done.

Follow the instructions of our Step-by-step guide to apply for a family visa in Peru until you are on the 2nd page of the family visa application. Here you must fill in some data and/or upload all for the family visa application necessary documents as PDF.

If you don't have, for example, your criminal record check: Under the Interpol tab, you must upload the Ficha de Canje from Interpol and the "Antecedentes" (criminal record check). Both fields are mandatory, and you cannot continue with and finish the application without having uploaded both documents. As you can't leave the field for the Antecedentes blank anymore, you must upload something in the Antecedentes field. One of our readers just uploaded the Ficha de Canje a second time, another reader wrote a letter explaining that he is waiting for his criminal record check from his home country and uploaded this letter instead of his background check. So, upload a "document" there that makes sense.

The same applies if, for example, you don't have your Ficha de Canje from Interpol, because you couldn't get an appointment in time. Instead of the Ficha upload, for example, a letter explaining your situation.

Or, if you don't have your Peruvian marriage certificate, because Reniec takes its time to register your foreign marriage. Just upload, for example your foreign marriage certificate, perhaps a copy of your Reniec tramite and a short explanation.

Or if you have the document, but not yet the Apostille or translation, you could upload the document as it is.

Then continue to upload all other required documents and finish the application process as described in our Step-by-step guide above.

On the 4th page of your family visa application you get the "Registro de Solicitud de Cambio de Calidad Migratoria" with the "numero de expediente" (your file number), the "fecha de publicacion" (application date) and a "codigo de verificacion" (verification code) displayed on your screen. That's the confirmation of your successful application. You made it. As soon you have this confirmation, your time as a tourist stops and even if your stay as a tourist expires during the processing time of your visa application you won't have any problem.

Now, depending how quickly Migraciones reviews your application and documents, the following happens:

As you haven't uploaded all required documents or not in the form Migraciones requires, Migraciones will send you a notification (can be as quick as a few days after your application or a month, two or three later) requesting that you upload the document. Be aware that these notifications, which are send through the Buzon electronico, are considered officially delivered. Usually, Migraciones only gives you a short deadline of 5 to 10 days to upload the requested document. You must react to the notification, even if it's on the last day of the deadline they gave you (which might be wise to do if you still need more time), otherwise your application could be dismissed.

If you have the document in the correct form when you receive the notification, just upload it on the Agencia Digital (not the Mesa de Partes!). How it's done is explained in our article “Subsanacion - Submitting documents”.

During the internal evaluation and approval process of any application on the Agencia Digital, Migraciones may discover that you haven’t uploaded a...

If you still don't have the document at the end of the deadline Migraciones gave you, then you can apply for an extension of the deadline (max. 30 days). The process is called Ampliacion de plazos and explained in our article “Extensions of a Migraciones deadline”.

During the internal evaluation and approval process of your visa application (Cambio de calidad migratoria) or of the application for the extension...

In case you have the document ready before you hear from Migraciones you can upload it immediately on the Agencia Digital under Subsanacion. But we were told by others, who went through the process that they still got a notification later to upload the document again.

If you decide to go that route, check your Buzon regularly and, if necessary, react to any notification! And, while this "cheating" worked for many others, things might change and Migraciones could dismiss your application (which you could appeal). Anyway, be aware that it will definitely delay the approval of your visa by weeks or even months.

 

We from LimaEasy are not the Peruvian immigration authority Migraciones or a Peruvian consulate. All information is published to our best knowledge and should be seen as general guidance introducing you to Peruvian procedures. All information is subject to change, as regulations, requirements, and processes can change quickly without prior notice! Therefore, we recommend checking the current regulations with the nearest Peruvian consulate or, if you are already in Peru, with Migraciones!

And if you find something wrong on this page, please help us to keep this guide as up to date as possible and contact us either below with a comment or use our contact form. Thank you!

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  • This commment is unpublished.
    Maria · 26/03/2024
    Hi Eva i have the carnet (through marriage) (it was issued August 2023) and have been working as a freelancer for an English institute in Peru…from the time i’ve received my carnet until December 2023 i’ve made a total of 300 soles. Is there a way i need to find out if i owe taxes to fill out that Formulario 1494? I’m leaving Peru to the US on April 2nd. Thank you.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 26/03/2024
      @Maria
      Hello Maria,

      I don't know how your agreement with the English institute is. But if you worked as a freelancer, then you should have filed your income with SUNAT. On the other hand if you only made 300 Soles, you shouldn't owe any taxes. Nevertheless, you for the future you should consider doing everything by the book.

      Personally, in your case I would just fill out the "Declaración jurada de haber realizado actividades que no impliquen la generación de rentas de fuente peruana”. Most probably you won't even be asked for neither documents.

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Maria · 26/03/2024
      @Sunflower For the period of time from which i received my carnet (august 2023) till december 2023 my income was a total of 300 soles and well according to the institute they weren’t able to hire me “officially” because i started working with them on a tourist visa back in 2018…i just wasn’t aware that i had to notify them of my residency change and at the time that i was working at the institute on a tourist visa i filed my taxes in the US. So i just wanted to make sure that i wasn’t going to be stopped at the airport for not having declared income. 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 27/03/2024
      @Maria
      I'm not a tax specialist, but already back in 2018 you shouldn't have worked while being in the country as a tourist.

      Anyway, just to be on the safe side fill in the form that you didn't have any income. As you are in Peru on a family visa, they most probably won't even ask for it.

      When you are back, you should however, follow the tax regulations in Peru to avoid any problems in the future.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Maria · 25/03/2024
    Sorry i forgot to add one more question to my previous comment…can i enter Peru with only my carnet upon arrival or do i need to show my US passport? 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 25/03/2024
      @Maria
      You must leave and return with your US passport and your carné,

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Maria · 25/03/2024
      @Sunflower Thank you so much Eva for your prompt reply! Your website is super helpful especially since Migraciones is so difficult to get a hold of! I just switched my ticket so i’ll be flying April 2 and returning September 27. I appreciate  your help. 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 26/03/2024
      @Maria
      If you return at the end of September you are fine.

      So, have a good stay abroad.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Maria · 25/03/2024
    Hi Eva so i checked the QR code on the back of my carnet. And it says “expiration of residence: August 25,2025”. So just to clarify, as long as i’m back in  Peru within 183 days i don’t have to submit any official request to Migraciones to leave and return to Peru? 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 25/03/2024
      @Maria
      Great, so no problem with your residence visa.

      Then, if you stay outside Peru for less than 183 consecutive days you are fine. No permit is needed. Just make sure that you aren't away for one day longer. Be aware that in case your flight back lands in Lima, for example, at 11.30 pm, you might only pass through immigration control after midnight, so a day later.

      So, if you leave on April 2 you should be back latest by October 1 to avoid any problems.

      Only if you stay outside Peru for more than 183 days (so, in case your return is after October 2), then you would need the permit.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Maria · 25/03/2024
    Hi Eva. I got my Carnet issued on August 28,2023 through marriage (to a peruvian) and will be leaving to the US from april 2 to november 12. The carnet shows that it expires on August 28,2027. And from what i was reading on your page i understand that i have to sign some kind of declaration that i will be out of the country for more than 183 days? Could you please elaborate? I’m worried i’ll get stuck at the airport or worse lose my right to residency. Thanks again 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 25/03/2024
      @Maria
      Hello Maria,

      first of all you must be aware that there is a difference between the expiration date of your carné, the card, and the expiration date of your residence visa, so the permit allowing you to live in the country.

      The Caducidad, which is printed on your carné, is the date your carné, so the card itself, expires (not your residence visa!). The card is usually valid for 4 years and then must be renewed. In your case until August 28, 2027.

      The Vencimiento Residencia, however, is the date your residence visa expires. Unfortunately, it’s not printed on the card anymore and you have to check online. You can do this either by scanning the QR code on the back of your carné, by using this direct link or on the Agencia Digital in the left menu on the main page under Consultas en Linea, subpoint Carné de Extranjería.

      Usually the residence permit in only valid for 1 year or, in case of foreigners married to a Peruvian, for 2 years.

      So, you should check if your residence permit is really valid for two years as you must renew it within 30 days before the expiration and you must be in Peru to do that. If its valid for only one year, you already at that point have a problem.

      Then, you cannot leave Peru for more than 183 consecutive days otherwise you could lose your residence visa. So being outside Peru for 224 days is a problem. However, you can apply for a Permit to stay out of the country for longer than half a year (officially only in case of an emergency or force majeure). The permit is called Permiso de estadía fuera del país por mas de 183 días calendario.

      To apply for the permit you need this form, a letter explaining your situation/emergency/why you leave Peru for longer than the allowed half year and any document that somehow can support your request.

      You then must pay a fee of S/ 30.20 on pagalo.pe under the Migraciones code 07562 Formulario PA-Autoriz./Permisos y control migratorio, Concepto: Autorización de estadía fuera del país por mas de 183 días calendario.

      The application is done on the Agencia Digital. So, open the Agencia Digital and click on Entrar.

      On the next page, select "Extranjero". Then choose in the drop-down menu Pasaporte and enter your passport number (or carné und carné number). Complete the other fields (birth date, nationality, last time you entered Peru and the Captcha) and click on Verificar.

      Now you are on the main page of the Agencia Digital. At the top of the page, click on Mesa de Partes.

      Click on the little circle in front of Persona natural, enter your e-mail address, confirm your e-mail address and enter your cell phone number. Accept the terms and conditions and click on Siguiente.

      Then you should find different fields (sorry can't remember all of them)

      - Under Tipo de solicitud select Tramites Tupa
      - Under Subtipo select Permiso especial para permanecer fuera del país más de 183 días sin pérdida de residencia
      - Under Seleccione una dependencia choose a Migraciones office
      - The Asunto de solicitud field is a subject line

      And there should be fields where you can upload your documents and the Pago por derecho de tramite field, where you are asked to enter certain information of the bank receipt; numero de recibo (number of the receipt) which is the "secuencia de pago" on the pagalo receipt; codigo de verficación (verification code) which is the "codigo control" on the pagalo receipt; fecha de recibo (date) which is the "fecha de operación" on the pagalo receipt.

      When you filled in all fields and uploaded all documents, click on registrar.

      You then get a confirmation displayed on your screen that you successfully applied for the permit. Download and/or print the page and keep it safe. That’s it.

      Migraciones then has 30 business days to approve or deny your application. The resolution is usually sent to your e-mail address, which you entered on the first page of the Mesa de partes.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Matt · 23/03/2024
    Hi there, 

    Above you state those with a Family Visa are able to work as an employee or independently. Does this mean I could work remotely for a US company while on a Family Visa? 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 24/03/2024
      @Matt
      Hello Matt,

      the point I want to make with this statement is that the family visa includes a permission to work. So, you can legally work in Peru, for example, for a Peruvian company, for a company you established yourself in Peru, etc. The restrictions Peruvian companies have when employing foreigners don't apply.

      If you work for a US company and live in Peru on a family visa, you can do this as well - for this the work permit part of the family visa isn't necessarily needed. 

      However, be aware that officially Peruvian residents are taxed on their worldwide income, which includes Peruvian-source and foreign-source income. So, you should talk to a tax specialist to meet your Peruvian and US tax obligations.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    SM · 17/03/2024
    Hey Eva,  

    Me:  

    Sorry for over posting but I just did the application but it never asked for the "data update code", it's only ask what branch, I selected "Lima" also thought I was looking for the link to do the questionnaire the only other thing on the page was Siguiente so I clicked it, which led me to the page to upload documents. So during the process I never filled out a questionnaire.  Is it no longer required or did the website error, or did I miss it? Should it have let me continue without doing it?  

    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 18/03/2024
      @SM
      Hello SM,

      interesting. Either somehow you are already registered or they once again changed the application process a bit.

      If the system didn't ask for the data update code, then I wouldn't worry about. You could upload all your documents and got the confirmation of your application? Then all is fine.

      And in case Migraciones needs anything or anything is wrong, they will send you a notification through the Buzon electronico. So, keep an eye on your Buzon.

      Greetings
      Eva


  • This commment is unpublished.
    SM · 17/03/2024
    Hello Eva!
    ok so is the "arrived in Peru alone or if someone was accompanying you" for minors or for everyone? Funny enough I did fly with my Parents this trip. We were on the same flight and entered immigration together. They have already returned to the US now. 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 18/03/2024
      @SM
      Sorry, I only get back to you now.

      No, the someone "accompanying you" is for everyone. But you don't have to fill it out.
  • This commment is unpublished.
    SM · 15/03/2024
    I am about to apply for the family Vias but concerned about the DNI having the "correct family" address. We have been using my spouses mothers address as our "permeant address" because that is where my wife still has all of all of here mail sent to and it is where she is registered with her work, and the address she uses on her tax returns ect. This is also the address on her DNI. We have the Recibo water/eletricity bill for this address as well. This address should be fine to uses on my application?  
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 15/03/2024
      @SM
      Hello SM,

      yes, use your mother in law's address. You shouldn't have any problems if all (!!!) documents you submit have the same address.

      So, make sure this address is on the Ficha de Canje from Interpol, used during the application as your residence in Peru, is on the recibo, etc.

      All the best!

      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Camila · 15/03/2024
    Hi, first of all thanks for the great info, it´s proving very useful.
    Do you have any info on when the appointments for biometric data are uploaded? At the moment the calendar shows 2-3 weeks but all in red/unavailable.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 15/03/2024
      @Camila
      Hello Camila,

      getting an appointment is a nightmare. Right now Migraciones is closing their Carabaya branch in Lima, where everything related to foreigners was handled for the past year, and is moving all foreigner related matters, including taking the biometric data, back to the Migraciones main office in Breña.

      Before this Migraciones released new appointments every other day, latest every week. How it's done now, I don't know. Sorry.

      So, the only thing you can do is to try again, and again, and again, and later, the next day, ..... In between change your browser and clear your cache.

      Good luck!

      Greetings
      Eva

    • This commment is unpublished.
      Camila · 22/03/2024
      @Sunflower Hi Eva and all, happy to share that I received a notification yday with an appintment today (about 24 hr notice) for the biometric data. There are still no appointments available online but perhaps this means they are handing them out manually now.

      And another question please; I havent seen any info about whether digital apostilles are allowed, do you know anything about this?

      thanks!
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 23/03/2024
      @Camila
      Hello Camila,

      that's great news. I think that the closure of the Carabaya branch had a huge impact and at least they are trying to manage the chaos.

      As you only have to upload a pdf document the digital Apostille shouldn't be a problem. But, if your document isn't in Spanish it must be translated by an official translator in Peru. And as far as I know lots of translator still want the original printed document for translation. You might need to find someone who can do Traducciones Oficiales Digitales or Traducciones Certificadas Digitales.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Julius · 15/03/2024
    Hello, thanks for all the useful information contained in this website. I already have my "carne de extranjeria", which is valid until 2026. Next month, I will leave Peru for around 150 consecutive days.
    Question 1: Am I correct in understanding that I don't need to obtain a travel authorization? I understood that I don't need it because I already have my carne, and I will not be outside Peru for more than 183 days.
    Question 2: Do I need to report anything to migraciones? Upon my return to Peru I will be in the same address, but I wonder if they will interpret that my 150-day trip equals to a temporary change of address. 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 15/03/2024
      @Julius
      Hello Julius,

      if you have a carné you do not need a travel permit to leave (and return) to Peru. 

      And if you do not stay out of the country for more than 183 consecutive days, there's nothing you have to do. You won't have any problem when returning. No-one will bother with your address. When you leave and later when you return just show your passport and your carné.

      However, I'm not sure if you are aware that there is a difference between the expiration date of your carné (so the card), which is printed on the card next to "Caducidad", and your expiration date of residence visa (called Vencimiento de Residencia), which you must check online; either use the QR code on the back of your carné, check on the Agencia Digital in the left menu on the main page under Consultas en Linea, subpoint Carné de Extranjería or on the Migraciones website on the Consultas en Linea Carné page.

      The card is usually valid 4 years, but the residence visa only 1 or in case of foreigners married to a Peruvian mostly 2 years. So, best check when your residence visa expires and if necessary and possible extend it before you leave.

      You find more information about the carné in our article Carné de Extranjería and about the possibly necessary extension of your visa in our article Residence visa extension in Peru.

      I hope I could answer your questions.

      Have a nice weekend
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Steven M · 03/03/2024
    Hello, Just wanted to confirm that basically the only document I need apostilled as a US citizen is my FBI check. Although my passport is "issues in USA" I just need to have it with me and to be valid for 6 months but it does not need to be apostilled.  

    Also stressing about my documents being vaild when I apply.
    I plan to apply on April 29th 2024.

    FBI Check run: Nov 16th 2023 
    FBI Apostile recived: Feb 15th  2024
    FBI Translation done: March 4th 2024

    Interpol done: Feb 28th 2024

    Passport Apostile received: Jan 12th 2024

    If the FBI and Interpol are good for 6 months then should be fine and I have like two weeks of buffer right? 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 03/03/2024
      @Steven M Hello Steven,

      For the family visa application you need your criminal background check with Apostille. Once in Peru it must be translated.

      Your passport /copy of it doesn’t need an Apostille. The passport should be valid at least 6 months. That’s it.

      Then, assuming you apply for the family visa based on being married, the question is where did you get married and where did you register your marriage.

      If you married outside Peru and had your marriage registered at a Peruvian consulate, then you need a legalized copy of your Peruvian marriage certificate from the consulate (no Apostille needed), which, once in Peru, must be authenticated by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

      If you married in Peru (or outside Peru) and had your marriage registered at Reniec in Peru, then you just need a copy of the Peruvian marriage certificate from Reniec.

      And yes, documents have an expiration date in Peru. Generally, documents issued in Peru are accepted if they were issued not more than three months before the application. Documents issued abroad can’t be older than 6 months.

      So, FBI check from November should just meet the criteria of not being older than 6 months (issued abroad), the Ficha de Canje from Interpol (issued in Peru) is fine.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Greg · 20/02/2024
    hello, my family visa application was denied, as I have applied for two extensions waiting for the criminal records from the US . Does anyone know how to file an appeal?
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 20/02/2024
      @Greg Hello Greg,

      Sorry to hear that.

      You now have 15 days counted from the day the denial was issued to appeal the Migraciones decision. The tramite is called “Solicitud de reconsideración de tramite”.

      I’m not 100% sure but when I remember correctly, it’s 15 business days. And depending on how far along your application for the criminal record check is, it might be wise to submit the appeal on day 13 or 14, This way you gain another 2 weeks time, then it might take a few days or a week or two until they decide, so until then you hopefully have your FBI check with Apostille and can upload it.

      And just yesterday I got another confirmation from one of our readers that Migraciones now seems to not only accept FBI criminal record checks, but as well notarized background checks issued by your home state. Often you can apply for this check online and without having to submit fingerprints and it is issued within days. Additionally, this check can then be apostilled by the state's Secretary of State much, much quicker. In some states getting the background check with Apostille is a matter of only 2 or 3 weeks. In case your FBI check and Apostille is still in the beginning stages might be worth looking into.

      Anway to apply for the Reconsideración de tramite download the form letter on the government website. Fill it in and signed it. 

      Then enter the Agencia Digital.

      On the main page click on Mesa de Partes at the top right corner.

      - Click on the little circle in front of Persona natural, enter your e-mail address, confirm your e-mail address and enter your cell phone number. Accept the terms and conditions and click on Siguiente.

      - Under Tipo de solicitud select Solicitudes en General.

      - Under Sub-tipo select Reconsideración de Cambio de Calidad Migratoria

      - Under Seleccione una dependencia choose the Migraciones office where you applied for your visa.

      - Under Asunto de la solicitud write something like Recurso de Reconsideración and your tramite number

      - Under Tipo de documento select Carta

      - Under N° de Folio write the number of pages you upload below.

      - Under Adjuntar archivos upload
      the filled in and signed form letter
      if you want another personally written letter explaining your situation and asking to give you a bit more time
      perhaps your Peruvian marriage certificate (your Peruvian spouse has a right to a family union)
      if you have by then your criminal record check (even if it’s without an Apostille or without translation) or the proof that you already applied for it.

      - When you have uploaded all documents click on registrar, download the confirmation and start praying that a) Migraciones will reconsider their decision and b) that your criminal record check arrives soon.

      Check your Buzon daily to not miss any notification from Migraciones.

      Hope this helps.

      All the best

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Greg · 25/02/2024
      @Sunflower Thank you soooo much! I'll let everyone know how it goes. 
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Emma · 12/02/2024
    Hello Eva, 

    I was wondering if a foreigner with a working resident status - of only a year, not a permanent resident status - could also apply for the family visa for their foreign spouse? 

    Or would this visa be restricted to people who have permanent resident visas only?

    Many thanks
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 12/02/2024
      @Emma
      Hello Emma,

      if you have a resident (!) work visa your husband and kids can apply for a family visa.   No need for a permanent resident work visa, the permanente residente (trabajador), which you only get after 3 years of living in Peru on a resident visa. As soon as your resident work visa is approved and your carné is issued, the spouse and kids can apply for the family visa.

      Your spouse should bring your marriage certificate (for kids bring the birth certificate)  and a criminal background check (for adults). All documents, which where issued outside Peru, need an Apostille and must be issued less than 6 months before the application for the family visa.

      Be aware that same-sex marriages or same-sex civil unions are not accepted in Peru, so in such cases a spouse cannot apply for the family visa.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Jack · 06/02/2024
    Hello im currently in lima living with my wife and my 90days are up on March 3. When I went to interpol i was told the officer that all i needed to do was send my fingerprints and they never informed me of the need for an apostille or anything. Had i known one it would take months to get the background check back and two it requires an apostille i would have elected to send the fingerprints myself and receive my response online. But unfortunately the interpol officers didn’t explain any of that and I had never found your website prior to now.


    I have a couple questions if i may, I have seen online multiple websites recommending an apostille from the dc secretary of state rather than an apostille from the department of state and apparently for a lot of hague countries that works fine and even though i know the standard and the proper way to go about it is department of state there is a difference of a few months for the two. Do you have any information or experience about whether or not this would be accepted? Also once i get the apostille, regardless of the where i get it done it does have to be translated here in peru. Do i need the original copy translated or is a copy of the apostilled document also acceptable to be translated since its only being uploaded to the migraciones portal anyways. This would significantly cut down on the time. 

    I have the option to return home for about a month sort this out and then return to renew my visa. Would immigrations give me a problem with assigning me another 90 days if I returned back so soon? Assuming i explained that im married to a peruana and returned home for a document to complete my carnet process?

    My final two options im considering are utilizing the trick you have mentioned on this page of uploading my untranslated and unapostilled document hoping that migraciones one takes a while to review it and then two i request the 30 day extension and have the document by then.

    Or alternatively overstaying and paying the fee and offering the receipt as well as the explanation to migraciones that I was waiting on my background check and was simply doing everything in my power to not have to leave my wife so i decided to overstay and pay per day until i had the documentation from my government. 

    Are any of these good options or is it best to just return once i have the documentation? Im honestly not looking forward to a 700 dollar plane ticket if this is the case.

    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 06/02/2024
      @Jack
      Hello Jack,

      sorry, that you only now found LimaEasy. 

      In our Interpol article under subpoint "Additional record check for US, Canadian and Australian citizens" we explicitly point out to not wait for the additional check Interpol requires you, as US citizen, to apply for. While taking weeks or even months, the criminal record check you get back does not  meet the requirements from Migraciones and does not have an Apostille on it, so will be rejected.

      The different ways to get an Apostille in the US doesn't bother Migraciones. The document needs an official Apostille, a translation by an official translator in Peru and then it will be accepted. However, the question is who is in charge in the US to put an Apostille on your FBI check. Honestly, even though I tried, I don't understand the rules regarding which US document can be apostilled on state level and which must be apostilled on federal level. As far as I know documents issued by a US state, such as vital records, can be apostilled by the state's secretary of state; federal documents, however, such as the FBI background check must get the Apostille from the US Department of State.

      And, unfortunately, yes, you will need the FBI check with Apostille in paper form in Peru as the translator must put his signature, stamp and seal on it (and might recommend an additional legalization by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

      If you leave Peru to sort out your criminal record check and return, no-one can guarantee that you will get another 90 days even though you are married to a Peruvian. Depending on how long you already stayed as a tourist in Peru over the past 365 days, you might need good negotiation skills to persuade the immigration officer to let you enter or you just have to tell him/her that you didn't manage to apply for your family visa as a document was missing or you are allowed to enter without any trouble and might even get another 90 days.

      If you decide to arrange your FBI check from Peru - our Antecedentes article might be helpful here https://www.limaeasy.com/peru-guide/legal-stuff/international-document-corresponding-to-the-antecedentes-policiales-penales-and-judiciales-needed-for-a-resident-visa-application-in-peru - start now (!!!) to get the FBI check and the Apostille. Then I highly recommend to apply for your family visa before your stay as a tourist expires, but not too early. So, if your stay as a tourist expires March 3, apply for your family visa using the little trick mentioned above between February 29 and March 2. This already gives you a headstart of 3 weeks. And this process is the easiest and safest way to bend the rules without too much problems arising later. And if Migraciones is quick with evaluating your visa application, you still can extend the deadline they will give you at least for 30 days; if necessary even for an additional 30 days. 

      So, if you apply for the FBI check today plus 3 weeks until you must apply for the family visa plus at least one or two weeks (or even months, you never know with Migraciones) until you get the notification to upload the background check with Apostille plus 5 days until the end of the deadline plus 30 days first extension of the deadline plus, if necessary, another 30 days for a second extension, will give you at least 2 to 3 months (if not more, in case Migraciones is slow). In this time frame you should be able to get the FBI check. As you prefer not to leave Peru, I think it's the best option.

      As Migraciones might not allow you to apply for your family visa once your stay as a tourist is expired, I recommend not overstaying. As described above applying for a family visa while being on an expired stay as a tourist in most cases is not accepted and only sometimes works. So, it's up to you but it's a gamble. I would rather apply without having the FBI check. 

      Hope this helped and wish you all the best.

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Jack · 06/02/2024
      @Sunflower Okay only one question more if you know, say i am granted the additional 30 days or even two 30 day extensions for my carnet application and for some reason still havent obtained the document due to processing times which seems unlikely but possible knowing the US Government. Do the remaining days that i stayed count as overstay if my application is dismissed? Or are those waived because i had an application in progress?
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Jack · 06/02/2024
      @Sunflower Also lastly how rude of me to not say thank you, i am just so preoccupied with the headache of a process obtaining a carnet is. Thank you so much for all your help and your knowledge you are an angel!
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 06/02/2024
      @Jack
      Usually the 30-day extension isn't actively granted. Once you applied for the extension you most probably won't hear from Migraciones again and should either upload the document latest 30 days later or apply for a second extension. Check out our Extension of a Migraciones deadline article. It's explained in detail there.

      And even if you still don't have the FBI check when your second extension is over, Migraciones will send another notification telling you to upload the document now, giving you another 5 days. Only if you don't react will they at one point dismiss your application, which you could appeal, which would give you another few days or a week or two.

      So, the key is to use every day you have wisely. Therefore I recommended to start the FBI check process now (!!!), apply for the family visa as late as possible, but before your stay as a tourist expires, react to a Migraciones deadline on the last day, .... This way you can gather a day or two or a week here and there, which you might need.

      And no, once you applied for your family visa your time as a tourist stops. Even if your stay as a tourist expires during the evaluation and approval process, no problem, no overstay fine, even if they would dismiss your application. You usually then get 2 weeks to leave the country (or appeal the decision, of course on the last day, ....).

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 06/02/2024
      @Jack
      All good. I hope everything works out. And if you have more questions, I'm more than happy to answer them.

      All the best
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Ethan · 02/02/2024
    Hey LimaEasy,

    I am an American applying for the Peru Family Visa. I have all my documents ready and just need to apply. On the first page of the application with the "Datos del Beneficiario", There is a prompt I need to fill in that says "Oficina Consular". I am slightly confused on what to put here. Do i simple put the "US. Embassy in Lima" as my response?

    Thanks,
    Ethan
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 02/02/2024
      @Ethan
      Hello Ethan,

      honestly I'm confused as well. You want to apply for a Cambio de Calidad Migratoria familiar residente in Peru on the Agencia Digital? Where did you find "Datos del Beneficiario" where you must fill in a consulate?  The datos del beneficiario are the personal data of the beneficiary, so you.

      On the first page of the Agencia Digital you have to select "Extranjero". Then choose in the drop-down menu the document with which you entered Peru (most probably passport), enter your passport number, your birth date, nationality, the date you entered Peru and the captcha.

      After clicking on verificar choose in the menu on the left "Cambio de Calidad Migratoria" and the family visa type that applies, for example, Familiar Residente casado con peruana.

      Then on the first page of the actual application for the family visa you have to select the Migraciones branch and enter the verification code.

      Or are you talking about the Data update questionnaire? But as far as I know no Datos del Beneficiario, where you must fill in a consulate. On the first page of the data update questionnaire you are asked for the datos del beneficiario (your data); first you have to fill in your personal information including your gender, marital status, country of residence, country of birth, confirm that you don't have a  record, then your passport number, where it was issued, your full name and your address.

      Or are you talking about the form PA - Cambio de Calidad Migratoria? You don't have to fill in the form anymore. it's automatically filled in when you apply.

      Or are you outside Peru and want to apply for the family visa from abroad (make a so-called solicitud de calidad migratoria de familiar residente ?

      Could you send me a screenshot, so I can see where you are and what your are trying to do?

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Ethan · 02/02/2024
      @Sunflower Eva,

      I am so sorry. About 10 minutes after I sent my message I realized I clicked on a slightly different link in Migraciones. Once I clicked the correct one, everything went smoothly and I was able to complete it.

      Thank you so much for the response and your website has been a huge help for me in this process.

      Best,
      Ethan
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
      · 02/02/2024
      @Ethan
      That's great news.

      I hope everything else now goes smoothly.

      Have a great weekend.

      Eva

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