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Consumer72
Adhesion contracts and unfair terms in Peru: do I have to comply with everything I signed?
Not always. If you signed a consumer contract you could not negotiate, Peru's Consumer Code makes abusive clauses unenforceable: terms that, against good faith, put you at a disadvantage or cancel your rights. Some are always abusive (article 50), others depending on the case (article 51). The rest of the contract still stands.
✓ Verified against the official sourceBelongings stolen or damaged at a restaurant in Peru: is the restaurant liable?
Often, yes. The Civil Code extends the hotel liability rules to restaurants: if the restaurant took your coat or bag into its custody, it answers as a depositary, including for what its staff do. You must report the loss as soon as you notice it. A "we are not responsible" sign does not erase that liability.
✓ Verified against the official sourceBumped from a flight in Peru? What the airline owes you, and what not to sign
If you're denied boarding against your will because of overbooking, Andean Community Decisión 619 requires the airline to compensate, refund and assist you: the next flight with space, assistance while you wait, a minimum compensation of 25% of the value of the missed leg, in cash if you want it, and information on your rights, preferably in writing.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a bar, club or shop in Peru refuse you entry under "right of admission"?
Only for objective reasons — the safety of the premises, the peace of other customers or similar grounds — and only if the rule was posted before you tried to buy. Refusing entry or treating you differently because of origin, race, sex, language, religion, opinion, economic condition "or any other kind" is prohibited and is also a crime.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a business in Peru charge you more for paying by card than in cash?
Only if it told you before you paid, prominently, visibly and accessibly, inside the premises. Article 7 of the Consumer Code allows a different price by payment method, but a «5% más con tarjeta» that first appears at the till is not enforceable.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a delivery app in Peru pre-select a tip for you by default?
No. A tip that comes ticked by default is a coercive commercial method under article 56.1(b) of the Consumer Code and collides with the information duty in article 2.2. Indecopi has sanctioned both Rappi and PedidosYa for it: the first was ordered to ask you whether you want to tip, the second to strip every pre-selected option out of the app.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a Peruvian university withhold your certificate, degree or title over a debt?
The University Law (Law 30220) says nothing about this — and the law that protects school students (Law 26549) expressly excludes universities. The real rule is in the Consumer Protection Code: a university can withhold the document if you have a real outstanding debt (art. 74.1.e), but it cannot charge you for a service you never used, demand documents it already has, or charge a processing fee that doesn't match its real cost.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a private school in Peru hold your child's report card over unpaid fees?
It cannot. The law forbids conditioning the handover of the *libreta de notas*, attendance, assessment or the handling of a complaint on payment. The only thing a school may hold back is the *certificados de estudios* for unpaid years, and only if it told you so in writing before enrolment.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a restaurant refuse to honor an advertised happy hour, 2x1 or promotion?
No. Once the restaurant advertised the promotion, article 46 of Ley N.º 29571 makes it enforceable even if it doesn't appear on your receipt, and any restriction (hours, days, minimum purchase) had to be disclosed clearly and prominently in the same ad.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan you transfer your plane ticket to someone else in Peru? When it's free and how it differs from postponing
Yes. Since Ley 32325, the ticket holder can endorse or transfer an air ticket to another person up to 24 hours before the flight time, at no cost, as long as the contract conditions stay the same, and the airline issues a new ticket in that person's name free of charge. Postponing the flight is a different thing with different rules.
✓ Verified against the official sourceComplaints book compliance for businesses in Peru: what the law requires
If you serve the public from premises or sell through a digital platform, you need a physical or virtual complaints book, a visible notice, a written answer to every reclamo and queja within 15 business days with no extension, and sheets kept for two years.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDo businesses in Peru have to show their prices before you buy?
Yes. Article 5 of the Consumer Code requires every business to display prices in an easily perceptible way and keep an accessible price list; pharmacies must list prices by generic name, and restaurants, bars and hotels must post their price list outside.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDo online stores in Peru need a complaints book?
Yes. Since 11 November 2025, Ley 32495 requires every e-commerce platform to have a complaints book and to display a permanent, visible link to it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDoes a shop in Peru have to give you a receipt, even for a small purchase?
Yes. Anyone selling goods or services must issue a comprobante de pago; only for sales to final consumers of S/ 5.00 or less is issuing optional, and even then, if you ask for it, they must give it. Not issuing is a tax infraction punished with temporary closure of the premises.
✓ Verified against the official sourceForeign object, wrong order or excessive delay at a restaurant in Peru: what can you claim?
A hair or foreign object in your food, a dish other than the one you ordered, or an unreasonable wait are, legally, a failure of service idoneidad (articles 18 and 19 of Ley N.º 29571): you can demand it be fixed on the spot and, if it isn't, file a complaint with the restaurant and then with Indecopi.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you complain about your mobile or internet provider in Peru, and do you keep paying meanwhile?
You file the reclamo with the operator first (it must answer within 3, 15 or 20 business days depending on the subject); if it rules against you, you appeal to Osiptel's TRASU within 15 business days. While the claim is pending the operator cannot cut your service for non-payment or demand the disputed amount.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you dispute an electricity or water bill in Peru, and can they cut you off while you do?
You file the *reclamo* with the company, not with the regulator: your electricity distributor or your water utility. It is free, they cannot demand the disputed amount first, and they cannot cut you off over it while the claim is open; you appeal in 15 business days to JARU (electricity) or TRASS (water).
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow long does a bank in Peru have to answer your complaint, and where do you go next?
A bank, caja or finance company must resolve your reclamo within no more than 15 business days under the SBS Complaints Management Regulation. If it does not answer or rules against you, you can go to Indecopi, which keeps consumer-protection jurisdiction, or to the SBS.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow long does a business in Peru have to answer a complaints-book entry?
Fifteen business days, with no extension possible, for both reclamos and quejas. The 30-day figure still floating around was the original 2011 text and stopped applying in 2022.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow much can Indecopi fine a business? Minor, serious and very serious infractions
Peru's Consumer Code sets three bands: minor infractions get a warning or a fine of up to 50 UIT, serious ones a fine of up to 150 UIT, and very serious ones a fine of up to 450 UIT. A warning is not a fourth tier: it is the floor of the minor band.
✓ Verified against the official sourceIn Peru, can a debt collector call you at 10pm, phone your boss, or post a notice on your door?
No. Article 62 of the Consumer Code prohibits calls and visits between 20.00 and 07.00 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, telling third parties outside the debt that you are in arrears, posting collection notices at your home, and sending documents that look like court papers; Indecopi enforces it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceIn Peru, can a shop charge you more at the till than the price on the shelf?
No. The displayed price is the price. Peru's Consumer Code requires the displayed price to be the total, taxes and charges included, and forbids charging any sum on top of it unless it is a separate, additional service such as delivery or installation.
✓ Verified against the official sourceIn Peru, can a shop round up the price or keep your change because there is «no sencillo»?
No. Article 44 of the Consumer Code prohibits rounding prices to the consumer's detriment unless you expressly accept it at the moment of payment. Without your explicit yes, the change is yours down to the last céntimo.
✓ Verified against the official sourceInternational purchases (Shein, AliExpress, Amazon): order held at customs, lost, or damaged
Up to US$ 200 you pay no customs duties at all; between US$ 200 and US$ 2,000 you pay 4% ad valorem plus 18% IGV. If the package is lost or arrives damaged, the claim almost always goes to the seller or platform, not to Customs.
✓ Verified against the official sourceInterprovincial bus travel in Peru: cancellations, rebooking, and mandatory passenger insurance
An interprovincial bus must carry valid SOAT insurance (a CAT certificate won't do — that only covers provincial or urban transport). You can change your travel date with no penalty by giving the company at least 24 hours' notice and paying only the cost of issuing the new ticket; any ticket clause that blocks or restricts that further is void. If there's an accident and the bus had no valid SOAT, the company faces immediate sanctions, with no grace period to fix it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceIs there a 'right of withdrawal' for online purchases in Peru? What the law actually says
Peru does not have an automatic right of withdrawal that lets you return any online purchase just because you changed your mind. What does exist is the 'right to restitution' under Article 59 of the Consumer Protection Code, and the article itself ties it to one situation only: the provider engaged in one of the aggressive or deceptive practices listed in Article 58, under any form of contracting, e-commerce included. If that's your case, you have 7 calendar days to demand a refund. The coercive methods in Article 56 — including the dark patterns banned since 2026 — are reported to Indecopi, but they do not by themselves open this restitution route.
✓ Verified against the official sourceLegal warranty on products in Peru: your rights even without a warranty slip
When you buy a product in Peru, the law protects your right to a product that is fit for its purpose, whether or not you have a warranty paper: with no explicit warranty, the implicit warranty binds the provider (Ley 29571, Art. 21.1). Article 97 lists the cases for repair, replacement or refund.
✓ Verified against the official sourceLost or damaged luggage on a flight in Peru? Deadlines to complain and what the airline pays
The airline is liable for baggage it loses, damages or delays, but you must protest in writing: on domestic flights, 5 business days (Ley 27261); on international flights, 7 days for damage and 21 for delay (Montreal Convention), which lets you treat the bag as lost after 21 days. Limits: 17 SDR per kilo on domestic flights and 1,519 SDR per passenger on international ones.
✓ Verified against the official sourceMinimum spend, cover charge, corkage, bread, water and "table service": can a restaurant in Peru charge you for them?
It depends on whether you were told first. A separate service, like corkage or a cover charge, must be disclosed in advance and accepted by you. Bread or water you did not ask for cannot be charged. A separate "table service" line outside the menu price is banned.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePrivate parking lots in Peru: who is liable if your car is stolen or damaged?
Since 2009 (Ley N.° 29461), the parking lot operator — or, for a complementary parking service such as one at a mall or restaurant, the property owner and the administrator, jointly and severally — is liable by law for the loss of the vehicle or its accessories, whether the parking is paid or free. A 'we are not responsible' sign is void by operation of law and does not remove that liability. What the law does not automatically cover are personal items you left inside the car without notice, or necessarily any damage caused by a third party.
✓ Verified against the official sourceRecargo al consumo: the Peruvian restaurant service charge, explained properly
It is not compulsory for the restaurant to charge it, and no law requires 100% of it to reach the staff. It is a voluntary charge of up to 13%, agreed with the workers, and enforceable against you only if you were told about it before you ordered.
✓ Verified against the official sourceReclamo, queja or denuncia: which one do you file in Peru?
A reclamo is about the product or service; a queja is about how you were treated; a denuncia is a formal filing before Indecopi that opens a sanctioning procedure. Only a reclamo opens the door to a consumer case on the substance.
✓ Verified against the official sourceRestaurant reservation deposits, no-shows and cancelled events in Peru: can they charge you?
Sometimes. If your deposit worked as arras and you fail to show up through your own fault, the restaurant can keep it; if the restaurant is the one that fails, you can demand double. You must be told the conditions before you pay, and a judge can reduce a manifestly excessive penalty.
✓ Verified against the official sourceRestaurants, bars and cafés: your rights as a customer in Peru
Prices must be visible before you walk in, no separate charges may be added outside the final price, and the only surcharge allowed is the recargo al consumo (up to 13%), and only if you were told beforehand. Tips are always voluntary, you can demand a receipt, and the complaints book is mandatory.
✓ Verified against the official sourceReturns and Exchanges in Physical Stores in Peru: Legal Right or Store Policy?
No Peruvian law requires a physical store to accept a return or exchange just because you changed your mind — that is a voluntary commercial policy each business sets on its own. What is an unwaivable legal right is the legal warranty (Ley 29571, arts. 18-20): if the product is defective or unfit for its purpose, you're entitled to repair, replacement, or a refund, and no 'no returns, no exchanges' sign can take that away.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSOAT, an AFOCAT's CAT or the Compensation Fund: who pays you after a traffic accident in Peru?
If the vehicle had SOAT, the insurer pays. If it had a CAT, the AFOCAT that issued it pays, but a CAT is only valid in the province or region where that AFOCAT is authorised. If the vehicle was never identified and fled, you apply to the MTC Compensation Fund within one year.
✓ Verified against the official sourceThe libro de reclamaciones: who must have one and what it costs not to
Every commercial establishment open to the public — and since November 2025, every e-commerce platform — must have a complaints book, display the notice, and answer within 15 business days with no extensions.
✓ Verified against the official sourceUnfair airline terms in Peru: what has Indecopi already sanctioned?
Between December 2024 and January 2025, Indecopi's Consumer Protection Chamber upheld as abusive several clauses in the terms and conditions of LATAM Airlines Perú, Sky Airline Perú and Star Up: changing the trip for reasons other than force majeure, capping baggage liability at what an insurance policy covers, or refusing liability for what staff tell you. You can cite those decisions in your complaint.
✓ Verified against the official sourceVehicle Insurance vs. SOAT in Peru: What Each Covers and Who to Claim From
SOAT is mandatory, covers only people (death, disability, medical expenses) regardless of fault, with low legal caps set in UIT. Voluntary vehicle insurance (seguro vehicular) also covers your own car and damage to third parties, and by law your insurer must rule on your claim within a maximum of 30 days. They complement each other; one does not replace the other.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat are you owed when your flight is delayed or cancelled in Peru?
Under Andean Community Decisión 619, a delay over 2 hours earns you a snack and a free call; over 4 hours, a meal as well; over 6 hours for reasons attributable to the airline, a minimum compensation of 25% of the value of the affected segment, plus a hotel if you must stay overnight, transfer costs, or a refund, at your choice.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat if a business in Peru refuses to give you the complaints book?
Refusing to hand over the sheet or not displaying the notice is a sanctionable breach in itself, and having no book or refusing to attend to you is a more serious one. Document the moment and take it to Indecopi: that fact alone carries a fine, on top of your original problem.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat is the UIT, and how much is it worth in 2026?
The UIT (Unidad Impositiva Tributaria) is the reference unit almost every Peruvian fine, fee and threshold is written in. For 2026 it is S/ 5,500, set by Supreme Decree 301-2025-EF of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWho gets priority service in Peru, and does it apply on the phone too?
Pregnant women, children, older adults and people with disabilities are entitled to priority service "en todos los sistemas de atención" the business has — not just at one signposted counter, but in every channel, including phone and online.
✓ Verified against the official sourceYour account got blocked or suspended on an app or platform: what the company can do and what you can do
The company can only suspend you for objective, reasonable causes. A clause that lets it block you "whenever it wants" or without prior notice is, unless a sector-specific rule allows it expressly, an absolutely void abusive clause under Peru's Consumer Protection Code — void even if you clicked "I agree."
Partly verifiedAdventure tours in Peru: who is liable if there's an accident?
In a dune-buggy case in Huacachina, Indecopi sanctioned, at first instance, both companies behind the tour, including the one that said it was only an agent and intermediary, for not taking the necessary safety measures (article 25 of the Consumer Code). For the Commission, invoking intermediary status is not enough on its own.
Partly verifiedBuying a used car in Peru: what to check and what warranties apply
Before buying, verify at SUNARP that the seller is the registered owner and the vehicle has no liens or embargoes, check for unpaid traffic tickets and valid SOAT insurance, and sign a written sales contract; the legal warranty only applies if you buy from a dealership or habitual seller, not from a private individual.
Partly verifiedBuying from informal sellers or on social media in Peru: what protection do you actually have?
It depends on whether the seller counts as 'habitual' under Law 29571. If they sell only occasionally, Indecopi likely has no jurisdiction, and your real options are a police/prosecutor fraud report or small claims court.
Partly verifiedCrypto and informal investment scams in Peru: who to report to
In most cases there is no regulator that will accept your complaint: Indecopi, SBS, and SMV do not supervise cryptocurrencies or informal investment schemes, and the only real path is usually a criminal fraud complaint filed with the Fiscalía.
Partly verifiedDelivery apps in Peru (Rappi, PedidosYa): order not delivered, damaged, or double-charged
Rappi, PedidosYa and similar apps have no law of their own in Peru, but since 2025 Indecopi has been sanctioning them as responsible parties — alongside the store — when an order never arrives, arrives damaged or incomplete, or the app refuses to refund you.
Partly verifiedFaulty electricity or water meter: who has to prove what
You can request a meter test (contraste) as part of your complaint to the electric utility or the water company. For water, if the utility runs the test it bears the cost; for electricity, OSINERGMIN's guide puts tests similar to the contraste at the distributor's cost but does not say who pays for the formal contraste, so ask and get the answer in writing.
Partly verifiedHow do you file a complaint with Indecopi? Reclamo vs. denuncia, step by step
There are two tracks and they are not interchangeable: a reclamo (free, via Reclama Virtual) asks Indecopi to broker a settlement with the business; a denuncia (via Mesa de Partes Virtual, with a filing fee) opens a sanctioning procedure that can end in a fine. Indecopi puts it plainly: «Un reclamo no es una denuncia».
Partly verifiedMisleading advertising in Peru: what you can claim
Peruvian law prohibits advertising that misleads consumers (Ley 29571, Arts. 3 and 13; Legislative Decree 1044, Art. 8). Advertisers must be able to prove their objective claims, and fines go up to 700 UIT.
Partly verifiedNumber Portability in Peru: Deadlines and What Can Go Wrong
OSIPTEL requires mobile number portability to be completed within a maximum of 24 hours from the moment you file the request; an unpaid, already-due balance on your last bill can legally block it.
Partly verifiedPower or water shutoff without notice in Peru: what must the utility do before cutting you off?
For electricity, no primary rule we could verify forces the company to warn you a fixed number of days before cutting you off for unpaid bills; your real protection is the right to pay off the debt and stop the cutoff up to the moment it happens. For water, Sunass reportedly requires 48 hours' notice, but mainly for scheduled maintenance cuts, not necessarily for unpaid-bill cutoffs.
Partly verifiedShort-weighted at a market or corner shop in Peru: what can you do?
You can complain. Scales used in trade are under INACAL's metrological control, and the seller is responsible for keeping theirs working properly. Your district municipality controls weights and measures, and Indecopi can sanction a seller who gives you less than you paid for. Write it in the complaints book first.
Partly verifiedSOAT: Peru's Mandatory Car Insurance — What It Covers and What Happens Without It
SOAT covers death, disability and medical expenses for people (occupants and pedestrians) hurt in a traffic accident, regardless of fault. It does NOT cover vehicle damage. Driving without it is a fine of 12% of one UIT plus the vehicle being held. If the at-fault vehicle was not identified and fled, the victim can claim from the Compensation Fund.
Partly verifiedStatute of limitations on civil debts in Peru: when can you raise it if you are sued over an old debt?
An ordinary civil debt becomes unenforceable in court after 10 years from when it fell due, but the debt itself doesn't vanish automatically — you must actively raise the statute of limitations if you're sued.
Partly verifiedTaxi and Ride-Hailing Apps in Peru (Uber, Cabify, inDrive): Passenger Rights
Peru has no single law governing Uber, Cabify or inDrive: oversight is split between the MTC, ATU, municipalities and Indecopi, and that fragmentation leaves real protection gaps for passengers.
Partly verifiedTimeshares, tour packages and travel agencies in Peru: what rights do you have?
We found no Peruvian law written specifically for timeshares. The general Consumer Code applies: if you were pushed into signing, or lured with a fake prize, you have seven calendar days to ask for your money back. Travel agencies must be listed in an official directory and cannot sell to you on the street.
Partly verifiedTraffic tickets in Peru: how to appeal and what happens if you don't pay
You can file a written objection or reconsideration appeal within short deadlines (5 to 15 business days depending on the municipality or ATU). If you accept the infraction, the ordinary rule (article 336 of the National Traffic Regulation) lets you pay 17% or 33% of the fine; on top of that, a 90-calendar-day exceptional regime (D.S. 017-2026-MTC; by our count, until 23 November 2026) cuts many fines by 90%, so you pay 10% and get no points, except for excluded codes such as M.1, M.2, M.3 or M.28. If you don't pay, the agency can start coercive collection, place a lien on your vehicle, and add points that can lead to license suspension.
Partly verifiedTrain to Machu Picchu: can you change the date, give the ticket to someone else, or complain if they cancel?
A tourist train is domestic transport, so article 66.7 of Peru's Consumer Code lets you postpone the trip or transfer the ticket to another identified person, giving at least 24 hours' notice and paying only the actual cost of the new ticket. If the service fails, complain in the libro de reclamaciones, then to Indecopi.
Partly verifiedUnauthorized recurring charges and subscriptions in Peru: what you can do
You can demand cancellation, file a complaint with the provider and with Indecopi, and dispute the charge as an 'unrecognized operation' with your bank within your statement's review period; since 2026 even foreign platforms with no office in Peru must offer a complaint channel.
Partly verifiedWhat are your rights flying in Peru with a disability or reduced mobility?
The airline must give you priority or assistance at boarding, also for your companion or certified assistance dog, and priority attention if you're denied boarding or the flight is delayed or cancelled (Decisión 619). The airport must have ramps, signage, adapted toilets and other accessibility measures (Ositrán's User Regulation).
Partly verifiedWhat happens if a bank or insurer doesn't pay an SBS fine?
The supervised entity has 5 days from notification to pay. If it doesn't, the fine is adjusted for inflation plus legal interest, and the SBS starts coercive collection, which can end in seizure of bank accounts, assets, or receivables. No installment plan is provided for in the sanctions regulation.
Partly verifiedWhat happens if a clinic doesn't pay a SUSALUD fine?
The clinic has 15 business days from the moment the fine becomes final to pay. If it doesn't, legal interest starts accruing automatically and SUSALUD's own administration office can start coercive collection with bank and asset seizures under Peru's general Law 26979.
Partly verifiedWhat happens if a company doesn't pay a Sunat fine?
Unlike Indecopi and Sunafil, Sunat doesn't collect under Law No. 26979 — it has its own coercive-collection procedure inside the Tax Code. If the debt becomes collectible and you miss the 7-business-day window after the coercive-collection order is notified, the enforcement officer can freeze your accounts, seize assets, or intervene in the business's cash flow, with moratory interest running from the original due date.
Partly verifiedWhat happens if a company doesn't pay an Indecopi fine?
Indecopi doesn't need to sue you in court: Law No. 26979 gives it its own coercive-collection power (ejecución coactiva). Once the fine becomes final and you don't pay within 7 business days of notice, Indecopi can freeze your bank accounts, place liens on your assets, seize a share of your business's daily income, or auction off your property — none of it needs a judge's prior approval.
Partly verifiedWhat happens if a company doesn't pay an OSINERGMIN fine?
If the fine becomes final and stays unpaid, OSINERGMIN refers it to its own Coercive Enforcement Officer, who applies Law N.° 26979 and can freeze bank accounts, seize property, or garnish income.
Partly verifiedWhat happens if a company doesn't pay an OSIPTEL fine?
OSIPTEL can launch coercive collection and seize the company's assets or bank accounts; since 2026, filing a lawsuit no longer pauses that collection unless the company also posts a bank guarantee.
Partly verifiedWhat is the TUUA airport fee in Peru, and who sets what you pay?
The TUUA is Peru's airport use fee (Tarifa Unificada de Uso de Aeropuerto). At Lima's Jorge Chávez airport, the origin TUUA, domestic and international, is set in the concession contract. The transfer TUUA was set by Ositrán: up to USD 10.05 (international to international) and USD 6.32 (domestic to domestic) per passenger, in force until 31 December 2030.
Partly verifiedWhat rights do you have as a guest in a hotel or hostal in Peru?
Peru's lodging regulation requires hotels and hostales to display their rates and the start and end time of the hotel day at reception and in the rooms. You must be entered in the guest register, and documents are required for a minor. What you bring into the hotel and its safekeeping are governed by the Civil Code.
Partly verifiedWhere do you complain at a Peruvian airport? Airline, airport operator, Indecopi or Ositrán
It depends on who failed. Flight problems (delay, cancellation, overbooking, luggage, ticket transfer) go to the airline and, if it doesn't fix them, to Indecopi. Terminal problems (facilities, services, accessibility) go to the airport operator, and its answer is appealed to Ositrán's Tribunal. Ositrán does not handle problems with your airline.
Work49
A close relative died: how many days of paid bereavement leave do private-sector workers get in Peru?
If you work in Peru's private sector and your spouse, a parent, a child or a sibling dies, Ley 31602 gives you five calendar days of paid leave. If the death happens somewhere else, you get extra travel days on top.
✓ Verified against the official sourceBonuses, CTS and vacation in Peru: when and how much
Two bonuses a year, one month's pay each, in the first half of July and December, plus an extra payment equal to the EsSalud contribution; CTS deposited in the first 15 days of May and November; 30 days' holiday per year. In micro and small enterprises registered in REMYPE these benefits are smaller.
✓ Verified against the official sourceChild labor in Peru: minimum ages and required authorization
In Peru, an adolescent can generally start working at 14 (12 in exceptional cases), but the work needs authorization from both the parents/guardians and the competent authority, unless it's unpaid family work.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCollective layoffs for economic reasons in Peru: what your employer must do before dismissing you
If your employer wants to end your contract for economic, technological, or structural reasons together with other workers', the law only allows it when it affects 10% or more of the staff, and requires a formal process before the Labor Ministry with negotiation, a technical audit, and fixed deadlines — a simple notice isn't enough. If the layoff goes through, you're entitled to your CTS severance pay within 48 hours and a one-year preference right to get your job back.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCommissions and variable pay in Peru: when they're owed, and how they count toward your CTS, bonus and vacation pay
If you earn commissions, piecework pay, or other imprecise main pay, the law includes it in your CTS, your statutory bonus, and your vacation pay using the same formula: the average of what you earned in the relevant six-month period, or the daily average if you worked less than six months. For a complementary bonus or commission — not your main pay — it just needs to have been received in at least three of the last six months to count as regular. What doesn't count is what your employer pays you occasionally, as a discretionary gift, outside your usual pay structure.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDoes your employer in Peru have to give you a work certificate when you leave?
Yes. When your employment contract ends, your employer must give you, within 48 hours, a certificate stating, among other things, how long you worked there and what kind of work you did. An assessment of your conduct or performance goes in only if you ask. If you don't get it, you can report it to Sunafil.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDomestic workers in Peru: what the law gives you
A written contract registered with the Ministry of Labour within three business days, pay no lower than the minimum wage, eight hours a day and 48 a week, 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, 30 days' holiday, two full-month bonuses, CTS, and EsSalud paid by the employer. Food and lodging are not wages and cannot be deducted.
✓ Verified against the official sourceEsSalud coercive collection in Peru: what it is, who it targets and how to defend yourself
It depends on the debt. Unpaid EsSalud contributions are a tax debt: Sunat collects them under the Tax Code. Non-tax debts, such as the cost of care EsSalud gave to a delinquent employer's workers, EsSalud collects itself under Ley 26979, which lets you ask for suspension and seek judicial review.
✓ Verified against the official sourceEsSalud maternity and breastfeeding benefit in Peru: who gets it, how much, and how to claim it
If you are an active regular EsSalud member with enough contributions, EsSalud pays a benefit for your 98 days of maternity rest (30 more for a multiple birth or a baby with a disability), based on your average daily pay over the last 12 months. If you are on payroll, your employer pays it and claims it back.
✓ Verified against the official sourceFinal settlement of labor benefits in Peru: how your prorated CTS, vacation and bonus are calculated
When your employment ends, for any reason, your employer must settle three benefits in proportion to the time you haven't already been paid for: your deposited CTS plus the months and days since the last May or November deposit, a prorated bonus for the current semester, and prorated vacation pay — the last two only if you completed at least one full month of service. Your employer has 48 hours from your termination to give you the certification that lets you withdraw your CTS and to pay the prorated bonus along with your other benefits.
✓ Verified against the official sourceFired without cause in Peru? Arbitrary dismissal, what you are owed, and the 30-day deadline
If you were dismissed with no cause stated, or the employer cannot prove the cause in court, you are owed the indemnity in article 38 of the LPCL: one and a half months' pay per complete year of service, capped at twelve months' pay. The right to sue over the dismissal expires thirty calendar days after it happens.
✓ Verified against the official sourceI work at a restaurant that charges a service charge: what am I entitled to?
The service charge (recargo al consumo) you receive is not remuneración — it doesn't count toward your CTS, gratificaciones, vacation pay or EsSalud/ONP/AFP contributions — but it is taxable income (fifth or fourth category, depending on your labor regime). The law doesn't say how it must be split among staff or set a payment deadline: that's left to what you agree with your employer.
✓ Verified against the official sourceIs a Sunafil complaint anonymous?
No, it is confidential, which is different. You must identify yourself with your DNI or carné de extranjería, but the law requires Sunafil to keep secret both that a complaint exists and who filed it. The employer should not learn it was you, unless the inspection cannot proceed otherwise and you agree to lift the reserve.
✓ Verified against the official sourceMedical leave in Peru: who pays the first 20 days, and when does EsSalud's sickness benefit start?
Your employer pays the first 20 days of sick leave in each year as normal salary. From day 21, you get an EsSalud benefit, which your employer advances and then claims back. You need a CITT certificate and enough recent contributions, and the claim must be made within six months.
✓ Verified against the official sourceMy child is seriously ill or has cancer: how much leave does Peruvian law give me, and who pays?
If your child has a serious or terminal illness or a serious accident, you get up to seven calendar days of paid leave, plus up to thirty more charged to your vacation. If your child under 18 has cancer, the law grants up to one year of paid leave: the employer pays the first 21 days and EsSalud the rest.
✓ Verified against the official sourceNon-compete clauses after you leave a job in Peru: is what you signed valid?
Peru has no law that expressly regulates non-compete clauses for after an employment contract ends: none sets a maximum duration, requires compensation, or limits the clause's geographic or industry scope. That does not make these clauses automatically void or automatically valid — courts weigh them case by case against the freedom to work protected by Article 2, paragraph 15 of the Constitution, and against the Civil Code rule that voids acts contrary to public order or good customs. Peruvian labor-law scholarship, drawing on practice in other countries, identifies three factors that make a clause more defensible: a genuine business interest, a reasonable time limit, and economic compensation — but no Peruvian court has fixed these as a mandatory requirement.
✓ Verified against the official sourceNull dismissal for pregnancy or breastfeeding in Peru: what protection the law gives
If you're fired at any point during pregnancy or within 90 days after giving birth, the dismissal is null and void, and the law presumes it was for that reason unless your employer proves a different just cause — but only if you gave written notice of your pregnancy before the dismissal. The remedy the law gives is reinstatement, not just a payout, plus the wages you missed and your CTS deposits.
✓ Verified against the official sourceOutsourcing and staffing agencies in Peru: differences and joint liability
These are two different legal setups. In outsourcing (tercerización), the company that hires you takes on its own risk, resources and direction over your work, even if you do that work at another company's premises (the "principal" company). In labor intermediation (staffing), you're "assigned" to work under the direct orders of a "user" company, only for reasons of temporariness, complementary work, or specialization, capped at 20% of the user company's staff if it's temporary. If you're used as plain labor supply without meeting these requirements, the law gives you a direct employment relationship with the company where you actually work, and both setups carry joint liability — under different conditions — so you don't go unpaid.
✓ Verified against the official sourceOvertime pay and maximum working hours in Peru
The maximum ordinary working day in Peru is 8 hours, or 48 hours a week. Overtime is voluntary and carries a minimum surcharge of 25% on the hourly rate for the first two hours and 35% from the third. Night work (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) cannot be paid below the minimum wage plus 35%. The minimum wage is S/ 1,230 from 1 October 2026 (it was S/ 1,130 until 30 September).
✓ Verified against the official sourcePaid on recibos por honorarios but treated like an employee in Peru?
If you keep a schedule, take orders from a boss and are paid for your personal work, Peruvian law presumes you have an indefinite employment contract, whatever the invoices say. Sunafil applies the primacy of facts over paperwork, and leaving you off the payroll is a very serious infraction, counted once per worker.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePerfect suspension of work for force majeure in Peru: what can your employer do?
After a fortuitous event or force majeure, your employer can suspend work without pay for up to ninety days, with no prior approval, but must notify the labour authority at once. If the authority finds the cause does not exist, it orders you back to work and paid for the suspended time.
✓ Verified against the official sourceProfit-sharing (utilidades) for workers in Peru: who qualifies and how it's calculated
Only if your employer averages more than 20 workers and generates third-category (business) income. The percentage of the company's pre-tax annual profit varies by industry (5% to 10%), is split 50% by days worked and 50% by your pay, and is capped at 18 monthly salaries per worker. It must be paid within 30 calendar days after the deadline for the company's annual income tax return.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePublic holidays in Peru: which days are they, and what are you paid if you work?
For private-sector workers, the national public holidays are the ones listed in article 6 of Legislative Decree 713. If you rest, you are paid for the day. If you work and get no substitute day off, you are paid for the work with a 100% surcharge, on top of the paid holiday.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSCTR (work risk insurance) in Peru: what it covers and what you can claim
If your employer carries out a risk activity (mining, fishing, construction, and over a hundred other activities listed in Anexo 5), it must pay for your SCTR: health coverage from day one and a pension of up to 70% of your pay if a work accident or occupational disease leaves you disabled. If it never contracted the insurance, EsSalud and ONP still cover you and bill the company for it afterward.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSexual harassment at work in Peru: how to report it and your employer's deadlines
Sexual harassment is unwanted conduct of a sexual or sexist nature, and since 2018 the law does not require it to be repeated or to have been rejected: a single act is enough. File your complaint, verbally or in writing, with your employer's Human Resources office. If the workplace has 20 or more employees, a joint labor-management Committee must investigate and issue its report within 15 calendar days, with a final decision no more than 10 calendar days after that. If the harasser is your employer or someone with managerial authority, you can go straight to ending your contract and suing to end the hostility or for damages, within 30 calendar days counted from the day after the last act of harassment — or, if you had already started the internal procedure, from the day after the decision that closes it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSunafil labor inspection in Peru: what can the inspector ask for on the day, and what happens next?
A Sunafil inspector can enter without notice, review payroll, pay slips and other records, and interview workers, even alone. If they find violations, they give you a deadline to fix them; if you do not, they issue an infraction report. Refusing to cooperate is itself a very serious violation. You can answer the report with a written defense.
✓ Verified against the official sourceT-Registro and PLAME in Peru: how fast must your employer register you, and what is the infraction if they don't?
Your employer must register you in the T-Registro within the same day you start work, whatever your contract, and deregister you within the first business day after your job ends. Not registering you is a very serious infraction, counted per worker; registering you late is a serious one.
✓ Verified against the official sourceTelework in Peru: what your employer owes you and when you can go back to the office
Under Law 31572, telework (teletrabajo) is voluntary and reversible: you can request to return to in-person work, your employer has 10 business days to respond, and silence counts as approval. Your employer must give you equipment and internet, or pay you for providing them yourself, plus your electricity costs. You also have a right to disconnect outside your working hours.
✓ Verified against the official sourceUnionizing in Peru: what protection do union leaders have
Joining a union is protected for every worker in Peru, but fuero sindical — the reinforced protection against dismissal or transfer — only covers union officers, delegates, candidates, and unions still being formed, and the law caps how many officers can hold it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceVoluntary resignation in Peru: the 30-day notice and how to ask to be excused from it
If you resign, the law requires you to give 30 days' written notice. Your employer can excuse you from that period on its own, or because you ask — and if you ask, silence works in your favor: if the employer doesn't reject your request in writing within the following three days, the law treats it as accepted.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat workplace safety (SST) obligations does your employer have in Peru?
Law 29783 requires every employer — no matter the industry — to protect your health and safety at work: assess the risks of your job at least once a year, train you, give you free medical exams, and either form a joint committee (20 or more workers) or appoint a supervisor (fewer than 20). Facing an imminent danger, you can stop working without waiting for authorization.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhich benefits change if you work part time in Peru?
A part-time contract is valid with no hour limit, but the law draws a line at an average of four hours a day: only at or above that threshold do you get CTS severance savings, paid vacation, and protection requiring your employer to show just cause to fire you.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWorkplace bullying (mobbing) in Peru: what protection the law gives when it isn't sexual harassment
Workplace bullying, or mobbing — distinct from sexual harassment — still has no law of its own in Peru. Today, workers use the general "acts of hostility" mechanism under Article 30 of the Labor Productivity and Competitiveness Law: you formally notify your employer in writing, giving it at least six calendar days to correct the conduct, and then you can choose either to demand that it stop or to end your contract and claim the same compensation as for an unfair dismissal, within a 30-calendar-day statute of limitations. Peru also ratified ILO Convention 190 against violence and harassment at work, in force since 2023, though there's still no Peruvian law giving it a procedure of its own.
Partly verifiedAFP vs. ONP in Peru: which to choose, and what happens if you never decided
Law 32123 makes joining ONP or an AFP mandatory, but its regulation only applies the default rule from 1 June 2027: anyone turning 18 from that date who doesn't choose within 12 months goes to the SNP (ONP); an unaffiliated adult who doesn't choose goes to the SPP (AFP) from 1 June 2028.
Partly verifiedApp-based delivery and ride-hailing workers in Peru: what does labor law say today?
As of 30 September 2026, Peru has no published law on app-based work. The general rules apply: if you work in person, get paid and are subordinate, the law presumes an open-ended employment contract. Whether that is true of your work for an app is for a labor inspector or a judge to decide.
Partly verifiedDisability and work in Peru: employment quota and reasonable accommodations
Private employers with more than 50 workers must fill at least 3% of positions with people with disabilities (5% in the public sector), provide reasonable accommodations, and cannot discriminate based on disability; SUNAFIL inspects and fines private employers that fail to comply.
Partly verifiedEsSalud in Peru: Affiliation, Contributions, and What to Do If Your Employer Doesn't Register You
If you work on payroll (planilla), your employer must register you with EsSalud from your first day and pay a 9% contribution on your pay, without deducting it from you. If they don't, you're still entitled to care and can report it to SUNAFIL.
Partly verifiedFixed-term contracts in Peru: when they become indefinite
A fixed-term contract becomes indefinite if you keep working after it expires, if the total exceeds 5 years, or if the job is actually permanent rather than temporary.
Partly verifiedHow do I report my employer to Sunafil in Peru?
Online, free and without a lawyer, through Sunafil's Denuncia Virtual portal: you need the employer's RUC, the workplace address, your DNI or carné de extranjería, an email, a phone number and your evidence as PDFs. Sunafil inspects and fines the company; what you are owed is claimed in court.
Partly verifiedHow much does Sunafil fine? The full table in UIT
It depends on three things: how serious the infraction is (minor, serious or very serious), how many workers are affected, and the size of the employer. A company outside the MYPE regime pays from 0.26 UIT for a minor infraction affecting up to 10 workers to 52.53 UIT for a very serious one affecting 1,000 or more. A registered microenterprise pays from 0.045 UIT.
Partly verifiedMutual agreement termination in Peru: what to sign and what not to
Mutual agreement termination (mutuo disenso) must be voluntary and in writing. It's only valid if your consent was truly free, and benefits you already earned can never be waived.
Partly verifiedPaternity leave and breastfeeding break in Peru: how many days and hours you get
A working father gets 10 calendar days of paid paternity leave for a birth, rising to 20 for a premature or multiple birth, and to 30 for a terminal congenital illness, severe disability in the baby, or serious complications in the mother's health. A working mother also gets a paid one-hour daily breastfeeding break until the child turns one (two hours for a multiple birth), which can be split into two parts.
Partly verifiedPre-professional internship agreements in Peru: your rights as a practicante
Under Law 28518, an intern (practicante) is not legally an 'employee': no CTS or general-regime bonuses apply. But you are entitled to a minimum stipend (not less than one minimum wage at full internship hours), mandatory health/accident coverage, and a daily hour cap. If the company treats you like a regular worker, the agreement can be reclassified as employment.
Partly verifiedProbationary period in Peru: when it ends and what protection you have
The standard probationary period is 3 months; only after it ends do you gain legal protection against arbitrary dismissal.
Partly verifiedRemote work for a foreign company: tax and labor rules for Peruvian freelancers
If you work from Peru for a company with no office or tax ID in Peru, you are generally NOT an 'employee' under Peruvian labor law: no CTS, no bonuses, no employer-side contributions. You must declare income tax with SUNAT yourself and self-enroll in EsSalud and an AFP/ONP if you want health and pension coverage.
Partly verifiedStrikes in Peru: Requirements for a Legal Strike
To be legal, a strike must have a genuine labor-related cause, be approved by a majority of workers in an assembly, and be reported in advance to the employer and to the Ministry of Labor; otherwise it's just a 'paro' that can expose you to sanctions.
Partly verifiedTruncated vacation pay in Peru: how it's calculated when you leave a job
When you leave, you're owed proportional truncated vacation pay (twelfths and thirtieths) for the incomplete year you worked, and if you already had a full year without taking your rest, you're also owed the so-called 'triple vacation payment' for that unused period.
Partly verifiedWhat happens if a company doesn't pay a Sunafil fine?
Just like Indecopi, Sunafil has its own coercive-collection power under Law No. 26979: it doesn't need to sue you in court to freeze your accounts or seize assets. Miss the 7-business-day payment window after notice and Sunafil can move straight to seizure — and unlike Indecopi, it has its own directive authorizing it to report you to credit bureaus, though Indecopi itself already ruled that practice illegal for at least one company.
Partly verifiedWorking for a MYPE in Peru: which benefits change compared with the general regime?
At a small business (pequeña empresa) you get 15 days of vacation, half-salary bonuses, reduced CTS, profit sharing and EsSalud. At a micro business, 15 days of vacation and semi-contributory SIS; the law grants no bonuses, CTS or profit sharing. Hours, overtime, weekly rest and holidays match the general regime.
ID & police17
ARCO Rights in Peru: Access, Rectification, Cancellation and Objection to Your Personal Data
Peru's Law N.° 29733 gives you six rights over your personal data: information, access, rectification/cancellation, blocking its transfer, opposition, and objective treatment. Anyone who handles your data must respond within 8, 10 or 20 business days depending on the right, free of charge. If they refuse or don't respond, you can complain to the National Personal Data Protection Authority (ANPD) or go straight to court via a habeas data action.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a building, gym or hotel in Peru keep your ID card?
For the DNI, no: the law expressly forbids anyone to seize or retain it. For the carné de extranjería there is no equivalent general written ban; that they can't keep it either is our reading of the Migraciones rules, which ask you to show it, not hand it over.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a hotel, bank or phone company ask for a copy of your DNI?
They can ask to see it and record its details; no rule we reviewed makes banks, phone companies, notaries or hotels keep a copy of a customer's DNI (except a tax rule for non-domiciled guests), and the data authority has fined 11 companies, at least 13 times, for photographing it when showing was enough, though no blanket ban exists.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a public office in Peru demand a photocopy of your DNI?
No: since 2016 Decreto Legislativo 1246 bars public bodies from demanding a «copia del Documento Nacional de Identidad» in a procedure, though they may ask you to show it; the ban does not reach banks, notaries or private businesses, but the data authority has fined 11 companies, 13 times or more, for photographing it when showing it was enough.
✓ Verified against the official sourceChanging your name in Peru: requirements, effects, and who can challenge it
In Peru, no one can change their name or surnames just by wanting to: the Civil Code requires a justified reason plus judicial authorization, which must also be published and registered. The change doesn't alter your civil status or prove filiation, and if it harms someone, that person can challenge it in court.
✓ Verified against the official sourceEmergency care in Peru: can a clinic refuse you if you cannot pay up front?
They treat you first and bill you afterwards. No health facility in Peru, public or private, may make emergency care conditional on you producing a document or on signing a *pagaré*, a *letra de cambio* or any other means of payment. And only a doctor decides what counts as an emergency — not the admissions desk.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do I complain to Peru's Ombudsman, and what can it actually do?
Anyone — Peruvian or foreign — can file a complaint with the Defensoría del Pueblo for free, without a lawyer and without formalities, against any public body or public service. It investigates, demands information and issues recommendations the body must answer in writing within 30 days; it does not fine, does not overturn decisions and is not a court.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat are your rights if the police detain you in Peru?
From the very first step you have the right to know the charge, to have someone you name notified, to a lawyer from the outset, to remain silent, to be free of coercion, and to a medical examination if you need one. All of it must be recorded in an acta you sign. As a foreigner you also have the right to an interpreter.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat can a police officer ask you for in an identity check in Peru?
An officer may ask you to show your DNI, or your identity or travel document if you are a foreigner, and verify who you are. They may not demand a different document instead of the DNI, and may not keep it. Since December 2024 the police may verify a foreigner's identity without a court order and collect biometrics.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat to do about street harassment in Peru
Sexual harassment in public spaces has been an administrative offense since Law 30314: any unwanted, rejected act of a sexual nature — comments, obscene gestures, groping, exposure — can be reported to your municipality, which fines it under its own ordinance, and the offender is entered in a Police Registry.
Partly verifiedCONADIS disability certificate in Peru: how to apply
The disability certificate is issued by a registered certifying doctor at a public, private or mixed health facility. Your health insurer pays for the evaluation, and the assessment and certification are free; if you have no insurance and cannot get it, all of it is free. CONADIS keeps the National Registry of Persons with Disabilities separately.
Partly verifiedCorrecting your data at RENIEC in Peru: fixing errors on your DNI or birth certificate
If the error on your birth record or DNI is a simple clerical error (a misspelled name or a mistyped date), you can request an administrative correction at RENIEC with your original supporting documents; more complex or disputed errors go through a notary or the courts instead.
Partly verifiedHow long can the police hold you in Peru?
You can only be detained on a written, reasoned court order or when caught in the act, and you must be brought before a judge within 48 hours (or the término de la distancia). For terrorism, espionage, drug trafficking and organised crime the police limit is 15 days. Foreigners face a separate «administrative retention» of up to 12 hours, extendable to 24, to check migratory status.
Partly verifiedVideo surveillance: your rights regarding security cameras
If a camera records you in a way that makes you identifiable, that footage counts as personal data under Law N° 29733. You can ask the entity that controls the camera for access or deletion, and complain to the ANPD if they ignore you.
Partly verifiedWhat happens if a company doesn't pay a data protection fine?
The regulation for Peru's Data Protection Law says an unpaid fine's enforcement "is governed by the law on the matter of the coercive-execution procedure" -- the same general framework already used by Indecopi and Sunafil to seize assets without a judge. Meanwhile, the debt accrues daily moratory interest starting the day after the payment deadline.
Partly verifiedWho has to vote in Peru, and who is allowed to?
Voting is mandatory for Peruvian citizens up to age 70 and optional after that. You vote only with your DNI. Law 28859 says Peruvians abroad are not fined for not voting. Foreigners with more than two continuous years of residence can vote in municipal elections if they are registered.
Partly verifiedWho is Peruvian, and how do you renounce or recover Peruvian nationality?
You are Peruvian by birth, by naturalization or by option. Taking another nationality does not cost you the Peruvian one: only an express renunciation before a Peruvian authority does. If you were Peruvian by birth and renounced, you can recover it with a written application, in Peru or at a Peruvian diplomatic mission.
Family & inheritance44
Can you disinherit a child in Peru?
Only by will, and only for one of the grounds listed in the Civil Code, stated clearly in the will. A disinheritance with no stated cause, on a ground the law does not list, or subject to a condition, is void. Not getting along, or leaving the child out of the will, is not enough.
✓ Verified against the official sourceChild custody and visitation rights in Peru
Since Law 31590 (2022), shared custody (tenencia compartida) is the first legal option when parents are separated: both share parenting unless that isn't possible or would harm the child. The old rule that a child under three stays with the mother no longer exists. If parents don't agree, the judge must grant shared custody as the first option and can only exceptionally give exclusive custody to one parent.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDe facto unions in Peru: how to get legal recognition and what rights it gives
Under Article 326 of the Civil Code, cohabitation between a man and a woman free of any marriage impediment, kept up for at least two continuous years, itself creates a shared-property arrangement under the community-property regime: the text does not require a prior procedure for that. Recognition by a notary (Law 29560, from 2010) or a judge, and registration with the Personal Registry, serve to prove the union and are what Law 30007 requires for inheritance rights. A notary can recognize it if no one objects within 15 days; if someone objects, the case goes to the courts.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDivorce in Peru: mutual consent vs. fault-based
If both spouses agree, have no unresolved minor children (or have a final judgment or conciliation record on their parental authority, support, custody and visitation), and have no pending marital property to divide, they can separate at a municipality or notary's office within weeks and request the divorce two months later. If there's no agreement, the only option is to sue based on a specific legal ground — such as abandonment, violence, or two years of de facto separation — and that process is judicial and longer.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDo You Inherit Debt in Peru? The Beneficio de Inventario, Explained
No. Peruvian law automatically caps what an heir must pay toward the deceased's debts at the value of the assets they actually inherited (Article 661 of the Civil Code) — you don't need to file for any separate procedure to get that protection. But if you hide estate assets or fake debts to harm creditors, you lose that protection and become personally liable (Article 662).
✓ Verified against the official sourceDoes an unmarried partner inherit in Peru?
Yes, but only if the unión de hecho meets article 326 of the Civil Code, was in force at the moment of death, and is registered with Registros Públicos or recognised by a court. On those conditions the partner inherits like a spouse. Without them, the partner inherits nothing by law.
✓ Verified against the official sourceElderly rights in Peru: what Law 30490 actually guarantees (and what it doesn't)
From age 60, Law 30490 gives you the right to non-discrimination, priority service, a life free of violence, and MIMP intervention with protective measures if you're at risk. What that law does NOT create is a fare discount: Law 26271, the actual rule on free and discounted transit passes, only covers police officers, firefighters, schoolchildren, and university students. A bill from the previous Congress to give half fare to people 70 and older never reached a plenary vote.
✓ Verified against the official sourceFamily violence in Peru: how to report it and what the judge owes you within 48 hours
If there is danger right now: 105 (police) or 100 (the MIMP's Línea 100, free, 24 hours). To report you need no lawyer, pay no fee and need no medical certificate: you can do it at any police station, prosecutor's office or family court, and someone else can report on your behalf without your power of attorney. From the report to the protection measures, no more than 48 hours may pass.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow an Inherited Property Is Divided Among Multiple Heirs in Peru
You don't need a lawsuit: if all the heirs are legally capable and agree, the division is done through a notarial public deed (if the asset is registered) or a private document with notarized signatures (Article 853 of the Civil Code). It only becomes a court process when heirs disagree, when an heir is legally incapacitated or has been declared absent, or when someone asks for judicial protection.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow to find out if someone left a will in Peru: the Registro de Testamentos
While a person is alive, the law bars anyone from checking whether they made a will — only that person can request that certificate. Once they die, anyone with an interest can request the positive-or-negative will certificate for S/10, online or at any registry office, and the search covers the entire country through the Índice Nacional de Sucesiones.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow to leave or transfer property to a minor child in Peru
Through a will, or by donating it while you're alive. But if the property ends up in your minor child's name, you — as the parent exercising patria potestad — cannot sell it, mortgage it or encumber it afterward without prior judicial authorization, and only for a justified reason of necessity or benefit to the child (Civil Code, art. 447).
✓ Verified against the official sourceIs a will made abroad valid in Peru?
Yes, as to its form. The Civil Code accepts a will made before a Peruvian consul or under the law of the country where it was signed, except joint wills, oral wills and forms incompatible with Peruvian law. Registering it with Sunarp takes legalization or an apostille, plus an official translation if it is not in Spanish.
✓ Verified against the official sourceLoss or suspension of parental authority (patria potestad) in Peru
These are two different outcomes. Suspension is temporary and reversible: it applies under 7 grounds in Article 75 (civil incapacitation, judicially declared absence, corrupting the child, allowing vagrancy or begging, physical or mental abuse, refusing to pay child support, or a fault-based divorce/separation — an uncontested divorce does NOT trigger suspension). Loss is permanent, with no path back: it applies for judicially declared abandonment, conviction for an intentional crime against the child, or repeating the abuse, corruption, vagrancy or refusal-to-support grounds. Anyone with a legitimate interest, not just the other parent, can request it before the Family Court.
✓ Verified against the official sourceParental authority after a separation in Peru: who decides on school, health and travel?
It depends on how the parents separated. In a separation by mutual consent neither parent is suspended, and with shared custody both have equal rights to decide on the child's education, upbringing and protection. Taking the child abroad needs both parents' notarized consent, with narrow exceptions. If they disagree, a judge decides.
✓ Verified against the official sourceParental child abduction within Peru: what counts as a crime and where do you report it?
Article 147 of Peru's Penal Code punishes a relative who takes a child, or refuses to hand the child back to whoever holds parental authority, with up to two years in prison. Being the child's parent is no defense. You report it at a police station, which must notify the prosecutor at once.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePeruvian inheritance law: how much you can leave to anyone, and how much your children are owed
If you have children, other descendants or a spouse, you may freely dispose of only one third of your estate — the other two thirds are the legítima and belong to your forced heirs by law. With only parents or ascendants, you may dispose of half.
✓ Verified against the official sourceProperty and inheritance in blended families: what happens if you have children from another relationship
A stepchild does not inherit from you by law, whether you're married or in a unión de hecho with their parent — only your children (biological or adopted), your spouse or partner, and your ascendants are forced heirs. If you buy property with your partner and die, your share goes to your own forced heirs, not automatically to your partner, unless you willed it to them or you were married or in a recognized unión de hecho.
✓ Verified against the official sourceREDAM: Peru's Registry of Delinquent Child Support Debtors
REDAM is a free, public registry run by Peru's Judiciary that lists anyone who owes three or more child/family-support installments. Registration isn't automatic — the beneficiary (or the judge) has to request it from the court that handled the support case, and it's only cancelled once the debtor proves the debt was paid.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSchool bullying in Peru: how to report it on SíseVe and what the school must do
Anyone — the student themselves, a family member, a neighbor — can report a bullying case directly on the SíseVe portal (siseve.minedu.gob.pe), without going through the school first. The school, for its part, is legally required to log the case in its Incident Register and report it on SíseVe as soon as it learns of it, not whenever it feels like it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceTravel Permission for Minors in Peru: When It's Required and How to Get It
If a minor who lives in Peru leaves the country without both parents, they need a travel authorization: the parent who is not travelling signs it, or both parents if the child goes alone or with another adult. It is granted before a Peruvian notary or consul, or by a judge; notarial and consular ones last 90 days, one trip.
✓ Verified against the official sourceTypes of will in Peru: which one should you make?
Peru's Civil Code recognises three ordinary wills — by public deed (escritura pública), sealed (cerrado) and handwritten (ológrafo) — plus two special ones, military and maritime. The public-deed will is the safest; a handwritten will is valid only if entirely written, dated and signed by hand, and only if a court verifies it within a year of death.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhen a tenant, landlord or employer dies in Peru, what happens to the lease and the job?
If the tenant dies, the lease continues with the heirs who use the property unless they give notice within ninety days that they will not continue. If the landlord dies, the lease passes to the heirs. If an individual employer or the worker dies, the employment contract ends, but what was owed does not.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhen can't a notary handle an intestate succession in Peru? A will, an objection, minor heirs and unregistered property
A notary cannot proceed if a will or an earlier intestate succession is registered, or if an interested party objects with the documents the law requires; the case then goes to a judge. Minor heirs are not listed as an obstacle. And the declaration of heirs does not register a property that is not in Sunarp.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWho inherits in Peru when there is no will?
The law decides, in this order: children and descendants; parents and ascendants; the spouse or surviving unión de hecho partner; then collateral relatives up to the fourth degree. The spouse or partner also inherits alongside the first two orders. Heirs are declared by a notary or a judge and the declaration is registered with Sunarp.
Partly verifiedAcknowledging a Child Born Outside Marriage at RENIEC
A father or mother can voluntarily acknowledge a child born outside marriage before RENIEC, either when registering the birth or afterward through an acknowledgment record; once made, this acknowledgment is generally irrevocable.
Partly verifiedAdoption in Peru: how the administrative procedure before the Dirección General de Adopciones works
Adopting a child or adolescent who has been judicially declared in desprotección familiar and adoptability is an administrative, free-of-charge procedure before the MIMP's Dirección General de Adopciones (DGA) or a regional Unidad de Adopción — not a court case. It has four stages: evaluation, designation, family integration and post-adoption. You are evaluated and declared suitable, the Consejo Nacional de Adopciones approves a designation, an empathy phase and a ten-business-day pre-adoptive placement follow, and only then is the resolution declaring the adoption issued. Spouses, partners in a common-law union with a current notarial declaration, and single people forming a one-parent family may all apply, aged 25 to 62.
Partly verifiedAutopsy and release of the body in Peru: what can the family ask for?
If the death may have been caused by a crime, the prosecutor directs the removal of the body and a legally required autopsy follows. The law does not ask the family's permission for it. Afterwards, the morgue releases the body to a close relative with the autopsy certificate, a burial record and the death certificate.
Partly verifiedCan you hit a child to discipline them in Peru? Physical and humiliating punishment is banned
No. Ley 30403 bans physical and humiliating punishment of children and adolescents everywhere: at home, at school, in the community and at work. Anyone, including the child without a representative, can report it to the DEMUNA, the MIMP's Special Protection Unit or the Public Defence service.
Partly verifiedCaring for a child without being their legal guardian in Peru: what can you do?
Raising a child in your home does not make you their legal representative: the parents who hold parental authority still are. You can care for the child, but to act for them you need a power of attorney from the parents, a guardianship (if no parent holds parental authority) or a court or state decision.
Partly verifiedChild and family support in Peru: how to request it and how much it is
There is no fixed percentage or table: a judge sets the amount based on the needs of the person asking and the financial ability of the person who must pay, without needing to closely investigate their income. You file the claim before the Juez de Paz Letrado, and the amount can later be increased, reduced, or ended if either person's circumstances change.
Partly verifiedChild support from siblings and grandparents in Peru: when you can request it
Only when the parents are absent or their whereabouts are unknown: for a child's claim, the Código de los Niños y Adolescentes (Article 93) calls on adult siblings first and grandparents second — the reverse of what is usually assumed — in a subsidiary order, not at the same time as the parents.
Partly verifiedCivil unions in Peru: what the law says (and doesn't say)
Peru has no legal status called a "civil union" today. Marriage (Article 234 of the Civil Code) and common-law unions (Article 326) are both defined only between a man and a woman. The Constitutional Court has twice rejected requests to register same-sex marriages performed abroad. A bill to create a civil union (2803/2022-CR) was put on the floor agenda in March 2025 but was never voted on, and as of 30 September 2026 it is not among the bills of the new Congress.
Partly verifiedCuratorship and legal incapacity in Peru: protecting someone who can't decide for themselves
Since 2018, Peru no longer declares people with disabilities 'legally incapacitated'; instead there is a system of supports and safeguards, and curatorship (curatela) now applies only to a few narrow situations.
Partly verifiedDigital inheritance in Peru: what happens to your accounts, social media and crypto when you die?
Peru has no law that deals with digital inheritance by name. The general rules apply: an estate passes on assets, rights and obligations, and a will can carry instructions. Your personal data and private correspondence follow separate rules. What each platform does depends on its own terms, not on the law.
Partly verifiedEstablishing Paternity in Peru Outside Marriage: The Judicial Process and DNA Testing
If the father does not voluntarily acknowledge the child, the mother (or the child's legal representative) can ask a local judge to order a DNA test through the fast-track special process created by Ley N° 28457, which is much quicker than an ordinary paternity lawsuit.
Partly verifiedFamily risk and lack of parental care: when can the Peruvian State step in to protect a child?
Decreto Legislativo 1297 separates two situations. In a risk of losing parental care («riesgo de desprotección familiar»), a child's rights are threatened but not seriously: the State supports the family and never removes the child for that reason. In a lack of parental care («desprotección familiar»), the harm is serious: the child can be removed temporarily and placed in foster or residential care, and a judge reviews that decision. Poverty alone never justifies separating a child from their family.
Partly verifiedHow do you renounce an inheritance in Peru, and what does it do?
You renounce by public deed (escritura pública), or by a record before the judge handling the succession, within three months if you are in Peru or six if you are abroad: after that period without renouncing, the law presumes you accepted. A renunciation is all-or-nothing and irrevocable, and its effects go back to the opening of the succession, but your own children can still inherit in your place by representation.
Partly verifiedInheriting property in Peru from a foreigner who lived abroad: which law applies and how it is processed
The estate is governed by the law of the deceased's last domicile, even for property located in Peru. Peruvian law applies to that property only if the foreign law sends it to a foreign State. A foreign court ruling that names the heirs is recognised in Peru through exequátur before a Superior Court civil chamber.
Partly verifiedInternational child abduction in Peru: what to do if your child was taken abroad
Contact MIMP immediately (Peru's Central Authority under the Hague Convention) and file a request for international return; don't wait, because every day that passes makes return harder.
Partly verifiedMarital property regimes in Peru: what happens to shared assets
In Peru, if you don't choose otherwise before marrying, the law automatically places you under 'sociedad de gananciales' (community property), where almost everything earned or bought during the marriage is split 50/50 upon divorce. To avoid that, couples must sign a separate-property agreement before a notary, by public deed, before the wedding.
Partly verifiedWhat does the DEMUNA do in Peru, and what doesn't it? Free mediation on child support, custody and visits
The DEMUNA is a free service at your municipality that mediates only child support, custody and visitation, and its agreements are enforceable titles if a judge has not already ruled on the matter. It also takes cases of children at risk, helps with birth registration and the DNI, and reports offences. It does not issue rulings or mediate other matters.
Partly verifiedWhat is a bequest (legado) and how is it different from an inheritance in Peru?
An heir (heredero) succeeds under universal title (Article 735 of the Civil Code): they receive all or a share of the deceased's estate — assets and also debts. A legatee (legatario) succeeds under particular title: they receive only the specific asset the testator left them. The most important practical difference is debt: an heir is liable for the estate's debts (in proportion to their share, and only up to the value they inherited), but a legatee, as a general rule, is not.
Partly verifiedWhat rights does a child or adolescent have in Peru? The essentials of the Children and Adolescents Code
The Children and Adolescents Code (Ley 27337) is still in force: a child is anyone under 12 and an adolescent is 12 to 18. Every State measure must weigh their best interests, they have a right to be heard on what affects them and to good treatment, and your district's DEMUNA helps for free.
Partly verifiedWho represents and protects a foreign child who is in Peru without their parents?
Peru's Children's Code applies to every child in Peru, whatever their nationality. Guardianship is governed by the law of the child's domicile, but urgent protection follows Peruvian law. An unaccompanied child is placed with the Ministry of Women (MIMP) and can receive humanitarian immigration status.
Immigration20
Can I open a bank account in Peru without a carné de extranjería?
For a cuenta básica, yes: since 16 June 2025 the SBS rule lets you open one with an identity card, passport or another legally recognised document, not only the carné de extranjería. For regular accounts each bank sets its own requirements, and if you are refused or badly treated you can complain — the bank has 15 business days to answer.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCancellation of migratory status in Peru: when it applies and how it connects to expulsion
Migraciones can cancel your migratory status (your authorized stay or residence) on five grounds: at your own request, due to death or a court declaration of death or absence, due to naturalization, due to a change of migratory status, or as a result of a mandatory departure or expulsion sanction already resolved through a sanctioning procedure. If you hold residence status and leave the country for more than 183 consecutive days (365 if you hold Permanent residence), you can also lose it, unless you obtained authorization for a justified absence beforehand.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDigital nomads in Peru: can you work remotely for a foreign employer on a tourist visa?
Peruvian law created a 'digital nomad' immigration status in 2023 for foreigners who work as employees, in a subordinate relationship, for an employer domiciled outside Peru, without generating Peru-source income. But the regulation that would make it operative had not been published when we checked, in September 2026, and the status could not be applied for. Meanwhile, tourist status expressly bans any paid activity, and staying more than 183 days can make you a tax resident before SUNAT.
✓ Verified against the official sourceFamily reunification in Peru: how to get residency for your spouse, children or parents
A Peruvian citizen or a foreign resident asks Migraciones, through family reunification, for the Family Resident immigration status on behalf of the members of their núcleo familiar (family core) defined in Article 38 of Decreto Legislativo 1350, as worded by Decreto Legislativo 1582: a spouse or common-law partner; the couple's children who are minors, unmarried and studying up to age 28, or unmarried with a proven disability (no age limit); children of only one of the two if they are minors or have a proven disability; and «el ascendiente de la pareja» (the couple's ascendant). Since 2023 the law no longer names the spouse's or partner's parents (in-laws) separately. If the family member is outside Peru, the application costs S/ 58.80 (code 07567); if they are already in the country, the change of immigration status costs S/ 161.40 (code 07568). Either way, Migraciones answers within 30 business days, and — per the official procedure cards, which we did not re-check against Legislative Decree 1582 for this category — the residency lasts 2 years if the resident is Peruvian or 1 year if they are a foreign resident, renewable.
✓ Verified against the official sourceRentier and investor status in Peru: the requirements and minimum amounts for residency
Rentier status requires a permanent pension or income — at least US$1,000 a month if it comes from abroad — and does not allow you to work. Investor status requires proving an investment of at least S/500,000 and only lets you act as your company's Gerente (Manager) or Director. Both are requested from outside Peru or, once you're already in the country, as a change of immigration status.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat fines and sanctions can Migraciones impose on me in Peru?
Three: a fine, salida obligatoria (compulsory departure, with a re-entry ban of up to 5 years) and expulsión (up to 15 years). The fine amounts are in article 190 of the regulation and are percentages of the UIT: 0.1% per day of overstay, 1% per month without updating your carné, 10% for working outside your migratory status. No sanction is ever applied to children or adolescents.
✓ Verified against the official sourceYour authorized stay in Peru expired: what to do and how much you'll pay
You have 30 calendar days from the day after your stay expired to regularize your status without leaving the country: file your application, meet the requirements of the immigration status you're switching to, and pay the fine of 0.1% of the UIT for each day of overstay. If Migraciones rejects your application, you get 15 more calendar days to leave on your own before mandatory departure is ordered.
Partly verifiedCan I work in Peru as a foreigner, and with what rights?
Yes, with a migration status that allows work and a written contract the employer files with the labour authority; once hired you have the same labour rights as a Peruvian. The company, not you, is bound by a quota (20% of staff, 30% of payroll) and the company is the one fined for hiring you without authorisation.
Partly verifiedDeportation and expulsion in Peru: the differences and what rights you have
Peruvian law does not use 'deportation' as the name of a migration sanction: the categories are fine, mandatory departure, and expulsion (Art. 54 of D.L. N° 1350). The word does appear elsewhere in the law, for migration-alert registries. The summary expulsion of up to 24 hours under D.L. N° 1582 applies only to three grounds (Ley 32192), not to any irregular situation.
Partly verifiedDual nationality in Peru: how it works
Peru allows dual nationality: you don't have to renounce your Peruvian nationality when you acquire another one, and Peruvian nationality is only lost through express renunciation before a Peruvian authority.
Partly verifiedExtending your residency in Peru: how to renew your immigration status
If you hold a time-limited Resident immigration status (worker, or the "Formación" subcategory, formerly "student"), you must file for an extension with Migraciones before it expires. Rentier and family-member-of-a-resident no longer follow that scheme: since Decreto Legislativo N° 1582, the Rentier term is indefinite and the family-member-of-a-resident term simply tracks the resident it depends on.
Partly verifiedMarrying a Peruvian citizen: how to get residency
Decreto Legislativo 1350 allows a Peruvian citizen to request resident status from Migraciones for their foreign spouse through family reunification (the "Familiar Residente" status), but the text does not say only the Peruvian can start the process: Migraciones also publishes procedures for the adult foreign family member to request that status, so confirm on the current procedure page who files. Migraciones can verify the marriage is genuine before granting it. On how long it lasts, the sources disagree: the regulations and Migraciones' own page say up to two years, but Decreto Legislativo 1582 (2023) says that for a family member of a Peruvian the term stays in force unless a ground for termination applies.
Partly verifiedPTP and CPP in Peru: is extraordinary immigration regularization still open?
No PTP is open. The PTP for Venezuelans closed on 31 December 2018, the Decreto Supremo 010-2020-IN process had its last extension in April 2023, and the 2023 PTP gave six months to apply. Still open: switching from CPP to Especial Residente before the card expires, and the humanitarian status.
Partly verifiedRefugee and asylum status in Peru: the differences and how to apply
Refugee status protects people fleeing persecution or generalized violence. Since Decreto Legislativo N° 1719, the application is filed in person at MIGRACIONES, and CEPR (within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) is the body that evaluates and decides the case. Political asylum is a separate, narrower diplomatic protection mechanism.
Partly verifiedStudent immigration status in Peru: requirements and what happens if you stop studying
Peruvian law has no immigration status called 'student': it's called Formación (article 29 of Legislative Decree 1350, as amended by Legislative Decree 1582), and it comes in two versions — temporary, up to 90 days, for short stays with no intent to reside; and residence, 365 days renewable, for regular studies of one year or more. Whether the temporary version can be renewed is a contradiction between two official sources that this page does not resolve: Legislative Decree 1582 itself says 'se aplica prórroga por el mismo plazo' (it is renewable for the same period), but Migraciones' own procedure page for exchanges or internships says those 90 days are 'no prorrogables' (not renewable). It doesn't let you work unless you have a special Extraordinary Work Permit. Stopping your studies doesn't cancel it automatically, but it does stop you from renewing it: the renewal requires an updated transcript proving you're still enrolled.
Partly verifiedWhat happens if you don't pay a Migraciones fine?
If you're a foreigner and left an immigration fine unpaid, Migraciones can refuse to let you back into Peru: Legislative Decree 1350, as amended in 2023, says so. For leaving the country, the law does not name an unpaid fine as a ground. The fine accrues no interest, and the current text no longer calls it imprescriptible.
Partly verifiedWhat rights do foreigners have in Peru?
The same fundamental rights as a Peruvian — health, education, work, equality before the law, property, access to the courts — except where a written rule expressly limits them. The Constitution, the Civil Code and the Immigration Act all say so in almost the same words.
Partly verifiedWhat types of immigration status exist in Peru?
The law recognizes 31 distinct immigration statuses in two groups: 11 temporary ones (tourist, business, crew member, among others) for people not seeking to reside, and 20 residence ones (worker, resident's family member, rentier, investor, permanent, among others) for people who are. Each has its own authority, term, and rules on whether it allows paid work.
Partly verifiedWhen can Migraciones stop me leaving Peru or refuse me entry?
Only on written grounds. To leave: having no travel document, a court exit ban or arrest warrant, health reasons, or breaching the Migration Law. The entry bans in article 48 apply to foreigners and include an unpaid immigration fine, even if you hold a valid visa.
Partly verifiedWork visa vs. worker immigration status in Peru: what you actually need
Peru does not have a separate 'work visa': what you need is the Resident - Worker immigration status (calidad migratoria), which is only granted after a Peruvian employer gets your employment contract approved by the Ministry of Labor.
Housing59
Building declaration, internal regulations and unit subdivision in Peru: what order do they go in?
First the municipality issues the conformidad de obra y declaratoria de edificación. Then the declaratoria de fábrica is registered at Sunarp. Only after that is the reglamento interno registered, and that registration splits each unit into its own registry file; the parent file keeps the common areas.
✓ Verified against the official sourceBuying a home in Peru: how arras (earnest money) work and when you actually own it
You become the owner of a home in Peru the moment you take on the obligation to buy it — usually when you sign the sale contract or the minuta — not when you register it with Sunarp; registration only protects you against third parties, it isn't what makes you the owner. If you paid confirmatory earnest money (arras confirmatorias) and the seller breaches, you can demand double that amount back; if you paid withdrawal earnest money (arras de retractación) on a preliminary contract and you're the one who backs out, you simply lose it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceBuying a home in Peru: what to check before you sign, pre-construction or already built
If you're buying from someone who sells real estate habitually — a developer, builder, or promoter — you're not only protected by the Civil Code: the Consumer Protection Code (Law N.° 29571) also applies, requiring the seller to give you specific information before you sign (different depending on whether you're buying pre-construction or an already-built unit), to draft a contract with mandatory minimum content, and to answer for structural defects for at least 10 years. If the property or the seller don't deliver what was agreed, you have five ways to complain: the Complaints Book, Indecopi's Reclama Virtual, the Real Estate Client Ombudsman, an administrative complaint to Indecopi, or consumer arbitration.
✓ Verified against the official sourceBuying a Techo Propio home from a developer in Peru: what to check before you sign
Under Techo Propio's new-home track (Adquisición de Vivienda Nueva), you can only buy from a developer whose project is in the Fondo MIVIVIENDA's Registro de Proyectos. Before signing, confirm that registration, that the price is under the current cap, that the contract states price, grant, savings and loan, and how your savings are recorded.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a developer in Peru change the project after you sign?
Not on its own say-so. The contract binds both sides, and what the developer offered in its advertising and brochures binds it too, even if the contract leaves it out. A clause letting it change the project at will can be an unfair term. Municipal approval of the change does not release it from what it promised you.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a developer in Peru mortgage the land your home is being built on?
Yes. The landowner may mortgage the land, and the mortgage extends to the property's integral parts. It is indivisible: your unit stays encumbered even after you pay for it, and only the lender can release it. Check the land's registry entry before signing and get a contract term requiring your unit to be handed over free of that mortgage.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan my landlord keep my security deposit? When it must be returned
The Civil Code does not regulate the rental security deposit at all: no cap, no return deadline, no requirement that it earn interest. What your contract says is what governs. The one exception with written rules is a contract made on the Formulario Único de Arrendamiento (FUA) under Decreto Legislativo 1177, where the deposit sits in a bank account and is returned, without interest, when you hand back the property.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan my landlord raise the rent during a lease in Peru? When an increase is valid
While your lease is running, the rent is what you both agreed: the landlord cannot raise it alone unless the contract already provides for the increase. If the term has ended and you stay on, the same terms apply. What the landlord can do is ask for the property back and offer a new lease.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan you sell or transfer a home bought with Techo Propio or Mivivienda in Peru?
Not in the first five years. Ley 32379 bans transferring a social-interest home for five years from when the sale is registered with SUNARP, and under Techo Propio selling or lending it earlier means repaying the grant with interest. If a mortgage is still owed, the bank must accept any new debtor.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCommon areas and private areas in a building in Peru: roof terrace, parking space, rooftop and storage unit
The building's internal regulations and each unit's Sunarp record decide. If your parking space, storage unit or terrace is not registered as a private unit in your name, it is presumed common. Turning a common area private, or handing it to one neighbour, needs a two-thirds vote, and some areas cannot be transferred.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHidden defects in a Peru property sale: what you can claim
If you buy real estate in Peru and later discover a defect you couldn't have detected when buying — or a hidden charge, like an undisclosed mortgage — the Civil Code gives you two paths: ask for the contract to be voided (acción redhibitoria) or a price reduction (acción estimatoria), plus damages if the seller acted in bad faith or negligence. The deadline to claim is short: just 6 months from when you received the property.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHome handover certificate in Peru: what to check before signing "conforme"
Signing "conforme" on the handover certificate does not take away your right to claim hidden defects: Ley 29571 voids any waiver of consumer rights. But visible defects you approved in writing become hard to claim later. Inspect everything and write each observation down.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you check a real estate project before buying in Peru?
Check three things in official sources before you pay: at Sunarp, who owns the land and what charges or mortgages it carries; at the municipality, where the building permit stands; and in the housing ministry's developer database and Indecopi's sanctions register, the company's track record.
✓ Verified against the official sourceInternal regulations of a building in Peru: what the owners association can and can't impose
A Peruvian building's internal regulations (reglamento interno) can impose real limits on how you use your own unit — not just the common areas — as long as the rule is lawful, but the Constitutional Court has set a key limit: a new rule cannot retroactively take away a use you were already exercising before the rule was approved.
✓ Verified against the official sourceLand invasion and property trafficking in Peru: what to do if someone occupies your property
If you find out within 15 days of the occupation, the law lets you recover the property yourself, with mandatory police support, no lawsuit needed. If that window has passed, you have up to a year to sue for a recobrar interdict. And if there was violence, deceit, or organized land traffickers involved, it's also the crime of usurpación, punishable by up to 12 years if aggravated.
✓ Verified against the official sourceMy neighbor dumps rubble or garbage in the street, or burns waste, in Peru: what can I do?
Dumping rubble or garbage in the street and burning waste are banned under Peru's solid waste rules. Your district municipality is the authority that inspects and sanctions the neighbor, with fines set by its own ordinance. Report it to its inspection office with photos, dates and the exact address.
✓ Verified against the official sourceMy neighbor's branches, wall or rainwater are coming onto my property in Peru: what can I do?
The Civil Code lets you cut branches and roots that reach into your property, bars your neighbor from making water from their property run onto yours, presumes the wall or fence between you is shared, and splits the cost of keeping it up. If there is damage, it must be compensated.
✓ Verified against the official sourceNoise and neighbor disturbances in Peru: what the law says
Article 961 of the Civil Code prohibits noise and other disturbances that exceed the normal tolerance owed between neighbors, and Supreme Decree N.° 085-2003-PCM sets technical noise limits in decibels by zone (residential, commercial, industrial, or special protection). The district municipality is the first authority responsible for enforcement, and only serious, repeated noise can rise to the environmental contamination crime under Article 304 of the Criminal Code.
✓ Verified against the official sourceOff-plan purchase contract in Peru: which clauses should you check before signing?
Buying off-plan in Peru is buying a future good: the contract depends on the property coming into existence. Before signing, check who bears the risk that it is never built, the delivery date, the area and finishes, the penalties, how the price is set and when the contract can be terminated.
✓ Verified against the official sourceOwners' association and common expenses in Peru: what the law says about paying (or not paying) them
If you live in a building, row-house complex, or condominium with shared areas and services, you're subject to the exclusive-and-common-property regime (Law N.° 27157 and its regulations). The Owners' Association (Junta de Propietarios) manages the common property and approves common expenses, which you must pay according to the percentage set in the building's Internal Regulations. If you fall behind on three ordinary fees or one extraordinary fee, you lose your right to vote in the Association until you catch up.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePaying a developer in installments in Peru: what must the contract say?
If the developer finances the price itself, it must first give you a summary sheet signed by both sides with the interest, extra charges, payment schedule, total cost, your right to prepay without penalty, and any guarantees. Interest is capped at a maximum set by Peru's central bank.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePenalty for cancelling a home purchase in Peru: is it valid?
It can be. If you signed the purchase contract and then back out, you are in breach, and the developer can charge the agreed penalty. But the contract had to state it and its amount, you had to be told beforehand, and a judge can reduce it if it is manifestly excessive. Unfair terms in standard contracts are unenforceable.
✓ Verified against the official sourceRent-to-own housing in Peru: what an option-to-buy lease protects — and what it doesn't
In Peru, "alquiler-venta" (rent-to-own) can legally mean two different things: an informal arrangement where the rent you pay automatically becomes the purchase price (Civil Code, articles 1583 to 1585), or a formal, registered contract — the FUAO, under Legislative Decree N.° 1177 — where rent and the purchase price are separate, and nothing transfers until you pay the price and sign the deed.
✓ Verified against the official sourceRenting an apartment in Peru: a general guide before you sign a lease
Peru's Civil Code doesn't require any special format for a lease, and it doesn't cap the security deposit — whatever you agree with your landlord binds both of you. But it does set a floor of rights no contract can take away: the landlord must deliver the property in the agreed condition and cover necessary repairs during the lease (unless you agreed otherwise), can only inspect with 7 days' notice and a justified reason, and if the lease expires and you keep living there, the law says that's continuation, not automatic renewal. If your lease is also in a public deed or the Formulario Único de Arrendamiento (FUA) under Legislative Decree 1177, your landlord can use the faster notarial eviction process instead of an ordinary lawsuit.
✓ Verified against the official sourceRenting and eviction in Peru: when you can be removed and what your landlord cannot do
Nobody can remove you by changing the lock or cutting your power: stripping someone of possession of a property by violence, threat, deceit or abuse of trust is usurpación and carries two to five years in prison. Eviction is ordered by a judge. There is a fast track — notarial eviction — but it only works if your contract is in a public deed or the FUA form and contains two specific clauses.
✓ Verified against the official sourceReservation payment (separación) on an apartment or house in Peru: do you get it back if you change your mind?
It depends on what you signed when you paid. The law gives the separación no single effect: the developer must tell you its terms in advance, including admin fees and penalties. It may only keep what it disclosed beforehand. If the sale falls through because of the developer, you get everything back.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSomething broke in your rented home: does the landlord or the tenant fix it?
The Civil Code's general rule: the landlord pays for the necessary repairs to keep the property in good condition throughout the lease, unless the contract says otherwise. The tenant pays for ordinary upkeep and for damage they caused, and must report any problem immediately. If it is urgent, the tenant can fix it themselves and get reimbursed, as long as they notify the landlord at the same time.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSubletting in Peru: when is it legal and what are the tenant's risks?
Subletting is legal only if your landlord consents in writing. If you sublet without that consent, or against what the lease says, the landlord can terminate your lease. You and your subtenant are jointly liable to the owner, and when your lease ends, the sublease ends with it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceTecho Propio housing bonus in Peru: who is responsible if it is not disbursed?
Fondo MIVIVIENDA pays the bonus, but never to your family: it transfers it to the developer, the bank or the project trust once they post guarantees and documents. If no one requests it within 24 months, your family loses the right, unless the Fondo approves an exception for causes not attributable to anyone.
✓ Verified against the official sourceTecho Propio or Mivivienda: how do Peru's housing programs differ, and which fits you?
Techo Propio gives a housing grant (Bono Familiar Habitacional) to buy, build or improve social-interest housing; in 2026 a new home cannot cost more than S/ 109,100 (house) or S/ 136,100 (apartment). Mivivienda is a mortgage with a Bono del Buen Pagador, for homes from S/ 69,900 to S/ 367,600. Neither grant is repaid.
✓ Verified against the official sourceTecho Propio: what happens if you sign for a home and then don't qualify for the grant?
Under Techo Propio you sign the purchase contract with the developer before the grant is assigned, and the Fondo MIVIVIENDA checks your income and property before assigning it. If you don't qualify or lose the grant, the contract is terminated. The regulation orders your savings returned, but in several cases on the terms of your contract.
✓ Verified against the official sourceUnfair terms in real estate contracts in Peru: examples and what to do
If you buy from a developer, terms you did not negotiate that put you at a disadvantage do not bind you. Examples named by the law or by Indecopi: the developer escaping liability for its own fault, ending the contract on its own, charging you for paying early, or making you waive complaints.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWater leaks between floors or apartments in Peru: what the law says
If water from the apartment above damages yours, Article 1969 of the Civil Code gives you a clear path: your neighbor must compensate you, and it is your neighbor who has to prove they were not at fault, not you. If the leak comes from a shared installation in the building, the responsible party is usually the Owners' Association, not one specific neighbor.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat do I need to get a building permit (licencia de edificación) in Peru before I build?
Almost every building job in Peru needs a permit from the municipality before work starts. Ley 29090 sets four approval tracks (A, B, C and D) by size and use. Under track A, the stamped filing receipt is itself your permit, once you pay the processing fee.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat documents must a developer give you when you buy off-plan in Peru?
Before you sign, the developer must give you, free, the registry record showing it owns the land, the status of the urban development or building permit, the floor plan, an itemised price and the project approval. At signing: the project approval and layout plan. Afterwards: the owner's manual.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat happens if a developer in Peru is late delivering your home?
If the developer misses the agreed delivery date, you can demand delivery plus any late-delivery penalty in your contract, without proving what you lost. You can also terminate the contract and claim damages. As a general rule, you first have to demand performance in writing to put the developer in default.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat happens if you stop paying installments on an off-plan home in Peru?
You do not lose everything automatically. Under the Civil Code, once you miss three installments, in a row or not, the developer can cancel the contract or demand the whole balance. If it cancels, it must return what you paid, though it can claim compensation and damages, or keep some installments if agreed. A judge can reduce an excessive penalty.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat happens to your money if a real estate project in Peru falls through?
It depends on who's responsible for the project not going through. If you bought from a real estate developer, construction company, or promoter (a proveedor inmobiliario) and the sale doesn't go through for a reason attributable to that company, the law gives you a clear right: demand a full refund of everything you paid, just by asking, with no need to prove any damage. If instead it was you who backed out or stopped paying, and you paid arras (earnest money), the Civil Code says the opposite: you lose it. When the problem is a denied municipal permit or financing that didn't get approved, the answer depends on what your contract says — and this guide explains what to check in each case.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat if your new home in Peru is smaller than the area you were promised?
It depends on how the price was set. If you paid per square meter, the seller must refund the price of the missing area; if you paid one total price, the price is only reduced when the gap exceeds one tenth. These Civil Code rights expire six months after you receive the property.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat is the partida matriz of a real estate project in Peru, and why should you check it?
It is the registry record of the land the project is built on. Until your apartment has its own record, it shows who owns the land, any mortgages or court orders, and whether the building and units were pre-registered. Charges still in force that affect your unit move to its record when it is split off.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhen can a lease in Peru be terminated for unpaid rent, and how do you hand the property back?
A lease can be terminated if the previous month's rent is unpaid and another month plus fifteen days goes by, among other grounds. It is not automatic: the landlord asks a judge, sends a notarial letter, or invokes a termination clause in the contract. If you leave, hand the property back and get its condition in writing.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWho can build an extra floor on top of an apartment building in Peru? Air rights, extra storeys and basements
It depends on the building's internal regulations. If they say nothing, the roof terrace and, according to Sunarp, the air rights count as common areas: building on top needs an owners' vote and a permit. If the regulations reserved the air rights to one owner, they belong to that owner and cannot be removed without their consent.
Partly verifiedAcquisitive Prescription in Peru (Usucapión): Requirements and Deadlines to Become the Owner Through Possession
If you possess a property continuously, peacefully, and publicly as its owner for 10 years, you can ask a judge to declare you the owner; the period drops to 5 years if you have just title and good faith. It doesn't happen automatically: you need a court judgment (or, through the notarial route, a notarial instrument) to register the property in your name.
Partly verifiedBoundary disputes and deslinde between neighbors in Peru
Article 966 of Peru's Civil Code lets a property owner compel neighbors, whether owners or possessors, to carry out a boundary-fixing procedure (deslinde y amojonamiento) when the property line is unclear or the existing markers are wrong.
Partly verifiedBuilding without a license in Peru: what risk does the owner run
Building without a construction license (licencia de edificación) is an infraction subject to administrative sanction under Law No. 29090, but that law sets no nationwide fine amount or single procedure: each municipality sets its own fine in its own infraction table and can also order the work stopped or torn down.
Partly verifiedCertificate of completion with changes and regularization in Peru: what if the building does not match the permit?
If the work changed a little from the permit, you ask for the certificate of completion with changes, filing as-built drawings; it only works for non-substantial changes. If you built without a permit between 1 January 2017 and 17 September 2018, Law 29090 lets the municipality regularize it.
Partly verifiedExpedited eviction in Peru: when it applies and how it works
Peru has two fast-track eviction routes, from different laws: Ley N° 30201 creates an executory route (Article 594 of the Código Procesal Civil) for a contract with legalized signatures and a future-surrender clause; and Ley N° 30933 creates a separate notarial-then-judicial procedure. The Formulario Único de Arrendamiento (FUA) with executory force was created by Decreto Legislativo N° 1177, not Ley 30201, and it isn't the only way to qualify (a public deed also works for Ley 30933).
Partly verifiedHow do you correct a property's registered area, boundaries or measurements in Peru: notary or court?
Today, Ley 27333 lets you correct a property's registered area or boundaries in three ways: a public deed signed with every neighbor, a notary procedure if the real area is not larger than the registered one, or a court case if there is overlap or objection. Decreto Legislativo 1595 will replace it.
Partly verifiedIs building or fire insurance mandatory in Peru? When someone can require it
We found no law that requires homes or buildings in general to be insured against fire. Insurance comes in through other routes: the owners' association agrees on it or writes it into the internal rules, a bank makes it a condition of a mortgage, or a CAR policy is required while a multi-unit building is under construction.
Partly verifiedMinuta or escritura pública? When a private contract is not enough in Peru
A minuta is the contract a lawyer drafts and the parties sign; an escritura pública is the deed a notary enters into their register. A house sale is valid with the minuta alone, but to record it at Sunarp you need a public instrument. Some acts, such as gifting property, are void without an escritura.
Partly verifiedMortgage foreclosure in Peru: what it is and what rights the debtor has
It is the judicial process (Articles 720 to 724 of the Código Procesal Civil) through which a bank or creditor collects a debt by auctioning off the mortgaged property; there is no notarial route for this auction. The debtor can only object on very limited grounds.
Partly verifiedNuevo Crédito Mivivienda and the Bono del Buen Pagador in Peru: how they work and who qualifies
The Bono del Buen Pagador is a non-repayable grant added to a Crédito Mivivienda mortgage. To get it, the lender must approve you, your household cannot own another home, and the price must fall within the set ranges. You must pay it back if you are rated a bad payer or repay the whole loan within five years.
Partly verifiedOwners' association meetings in Peru: what quorum and majority do you need, and how can common areas be sold or de-designated?
Peruvian law leaves quorum and simple majority to your building's internal regulations. Selling, mortgaging, leasing or de-designating a common area needs a two-thirds vote, and owners who missed the meeting must be notified by notarial letter. Every resolution must go in the minute book.
Partly verifiedPhysical-Legal Title Regularization (Saneamiento) in Peru: What It Is and Why It Matters
It is the process of making a property's physical reality (boundaries, construction, occupation) match what is registered with SUNARP and the municipal cadastre, fixing title defects before you sell, mortgage, or inherit it.
Partly verifiedRight-of-way easements in Peru: what they are and how to claim one
If your property has no access to a public road, Peru's Civil Code lets you demand a right-of-way easement across a neighboring property, usually paying compensation, and generally along the route that causes the least damage.
Partly verifiedShort-term rentals and Airbnb in Peru: what rules apply
There is no special MINCETUR regime for Airbnb-style rentals; they are governed by the Civil Code as ordinary leases, and a host's income generally falls under first-category rental income tax.
Partly verifiedTestimonio, parte notarial or plain copy: what goes to Sunarp, and is there a deadline to register?
Sunarp registers from the parte notarial, not from the testimonio or a plain photocopy. We found no legal deadline to register a purchase, but if another good-faith buyer registers first, the law prefers them. Once filed, the presentation entry lasts thirty-five days, with extensions.
Partly verifiedThe developer in Peru will not give you your documents: what can you do?
Ask in writing and, if that fails, by notarial letter: the Civil Code requires a seller to hand over the property's documents unless agreed otherwise. You can complain to Indecopi, get the registry copy from Sunarp yourself and, if they will not sign the public deed, sue to make them sign it in a fast-track case.
Partly verifiedWhat is an anotación de demanda on a Peruvian property record, what does it do and how is it removed?
It is a court-ordered notice, entered on the Sunarp record, that a lawsuit concerns the property. It does not stop a sale or mortgage, but the person who obtained it takes priority if they win. The one-year expiry of other notices does not apply: as a rule, only another court order removes it.
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A Peruvian government office refused my procedure or asked for something not in its TUPA: what can I do?
A public body may only require what its TUPA lists. If it refuses your procedure or asks for more, get the answer in writing, file your request at the mesa de partes, use the Libro de Reclamaciones or a complaint about procedural defects, and go to Indecopi or the Defensoría del Pueblo.
✓ Verified against the official sourceAccess to public information in Peru: deadlines, what the State can withhold, and how to appeal
Anyone can request information from any Peruvian government entity without saying why they want it. The entity has ten (10) business days to respond; if it doesn't, the request is treated as denied (negative silence) and you can appeal to the Transparency and Access to Public Information Tribunal within fifteen (15) calendar days. The State can only withhold information classified as secret, reserved, or confidential, and you can only be charged the cost of reproduction.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a restaurant or shop put tables, awnings or goods on the sidewalk in Peru?
The sidewalk is public road: Peruvian law treats it as property for public use. The municipality regulates and sanctions its use through its own ordinances. It can hold or remove anything occupying the sidewalk in breach of its rules, and any resident can report it in writing.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCourt costs and attorney fees in a Peruvian civil case: who pays for the lawsuit?
As a rule, whoever loses the case reimburses the winner for court costs (costas: court fees and other case expenses) and attorney fees (costos: the winner's lawyer), even if nobody asked for them in the lawsuit. The judge can exempt the loser with stated reasons. Special rules apply if you accept the claim in time, settle without agreeing on costs, or receive legal aid.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDefault in a Peruvian civil case: what happens if you don't answer the lawsuit?
If you do not answer the lawsuit in time, the judge declares you in default (rebeldía): the case continues without you and the facts in the claim are presumed true, although that presumption is rebuttable and has exceptions. You can join the case at any point, but in whatever stage it has reached: deadlines that passed do not come back.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDigital Signature and Digital Certificate in Peru: Which Procedures Are Really 100% Virtual?
Your digital signature legally counts the same as your handwritten signature — but that doesn't make every procedure virtual. Law N.º 27269 and its Regulation say expressly that this validity "does not exclude compliance with the specific formalities" certain acts require, including notarial certification. That's why the procedures that are genuinely 100% virtual today are the ones that only need your digital certificate (activated on your electronic ID, the DNIe) and the electronic filing of already-notarized documents with the public registry (SID-SUNARP). What is not yet virtual is the act of executing the notarial instrument itself: signing a public deed by video call remains a legislative proposal, not current law.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do I get a RUC and a Clave SOL as an individual in Peru?
With a DNI you can register for the RUC online through SUNAT Virtual or the App Personas SUNAT, and you create your Clave SOL at the end. As a foreigner you do it in person with your carné de extranjería or another document SUNAT accepts. If you forget your Clave SOL, you recover it online with your RUC number.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do I get criminal, police and judicial records certificates in Peru, and who can demand them?
They are three separate certificates: criminal (Poder Judicial, S/ 40.40), police (PNP, S/ 5.40 online) and judicial (INPE, S/ 37.70), each valid for 90 days. The Certificado Único Laboral combines all three for free. A public office should not demand them if it can get that information through data sharing between agencies.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow Do I Register My Peruvian Child, Born Abroad, at the Consulate?
Registration is free, and can be done at any time before the child turns 18, at the Peruvian consular office with jurisdiction over the country where the child was born. Either the Peruvian father or mother can do it alone, or both together; if that is provably impossible, grandparents, an adult sibling, a blood aunt or uncle, or whoever has custody of the child can do it instead. A foreign father or mother cannot complete the process alone, and it does not cover children adopted abroad or children of naturalized (not birth-citizen) Peruvians.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do I report an illegal bureaucratic barrier to Indecopi?
You file a complaint (*denuncia*) with Indecopi's Commission for the Elimination of Bureaucratic Barriers, or a regional commission, and pay the fee in Indecopi's TUPA (S/ 507.60). The Commission has up to 120 business days to decide. If you win, the requirement stops applying to you, and in some cases to everyone.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do I suspend or close my RUC in Peru if I stop working as a freelancer?
If you are stopping for a while, you report a temporary suspension of activities online with your Clave SOL, for up to twelve months. If you are stopping for good, you request the baja (deregistration), also online. Neither is the same as suspending fourth-category withholding (Form 1609), which closes nothing.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you change your immigration status without leaving Peru?
You apply to Migraciones from inside Peru while your status is regular. If you file before your current period expires, that period is suspended until they decide; to travel meanwhile you need an authorization to stay outside the country.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you correct an error in a relative's death record in Peru?
If the person has died, relatives up to the fourth degree of blood kinship or second degree by marriage can ask for the correction. There are three routes: free administrative correction at Reniec, a notary for evident errors only, or a court. A notarial or court correction is then registered at Reniec.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you get a foreign university degree recognized in Peru?
There are two separate routes: recognition by Sunedu, available only when a treaty provides for it or the university is in the top 500 of certain rankings, or revalidation at a licensed Peruvian university. Recognition does not license you to practice: the professional association (colegio) decides that.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you get a municipal business license (licencia de funcionamiento) in Peru, and what can they ask for?
The district municipality where your premises are located issues it, and every business needs one before opening. For low- or medium-risk premises approval is automatic and must be issued within 2 business days; for high or very high risk there is a prior inspection and a limit of 8 business days, with positive administrative silence. The law sets a maximum list of requirements.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you get a single status certificate in Peru, and how much does it cost?
In Peru a single status certificate is issued as a constancia negativa de inscripción de matrimonio (a certificate that no marriage is registered). It comes from the municipality where your birth was registered or from Reniec, which charges S/ 4.10 (code 06645) in person or through its online filing desk. To use it abroad, you apostille it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you get an immigration movement certificate in Peru, and what is it for?
It is the Migraciones record of your entries into and exits from Peru. You request it online on the Migraciones Agencia Digital, it costs S/ 15.10, downloads immediately and is valid for three months. It covers the last ten years.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you get the Interpol record check (ficha de canje internacional) for Migraciones?
It is issued by Interpol's National Central Bureau in Lima (part of the Peruvian National Police) and states whether you have an international arrest warrant. You apply in person, with an online appointment and a S/ 31.50 fee. For worker residency, Migraciones accepts it only if issued within the last 6 months, and minors do not submit one.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you get, renew or replace a carné de extranjería in Peru?
You don't apply for the carné de extranjería on its own: Migraciones issues it when it approves your resident immigration status. Renewal (S/ 22.10) and replacement (S/ 20.20) are done on the Migraciones Agencia Digital, and only while your residency is current.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you get, renew or replace a Peruvian DNI?
An adult's DNI is valid for ten years; a child under twelve gets one valid for three. Reniec now issues only the electronic DNI. Renewal and replacement fees depend on your type of DNI, and a DNI issued after you turn sixty does not expire.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you protect your home or land from registry fraud in Peru? Alerta Registral, locking the registry file, and what to do if a fake deed was already registered
Sign your registry file up for Alerta Registral, which is free, and ask for an inmovilización de partida, which blocks unverified voluntary sales and charges for up to ten years. If a fake deed was already registered, report it to the Registry Zone so a block is noted, and go to the notary or authority named as the document's author.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you register a birth in Peru and get a certified copy of the birth certificate?
Registering a birth is free, even after the deadline, and the ordinary deadline is 60 calendar days from the birth. The first certified copy is also free; later copies cost S/ 10.30 online or S/ 12.00 at an office. A public office cannot demand a 'recent' birth certificate, except in procedures in the exercise of patria potestad (parental authority).
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you register a death in Peru and get a copy of the death record?
With the medical death certificate signed by a doctor, anyone can register the death at any authorised Reniec or civil registry office. There is no deadline and, according to Reniec, the record is issued on the spot at no cost. Later certified copies cost S/ 10.30 online or S/ 12.00 at an office.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you transfer a used vehicle in Peru, and what happens to the tarjeta de propiedad?
Buyer and seller sign an acta de transferencia vehicular before a notary, and the notary's office files it for registration at Sunarp. The 2026 registry fees add up to 1.8% of the UIT (S/ 99.00), not counting notary fees, and review can take up to seven business days.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow do you update your marital status on your DNI and register your divorce with Reniec?
First the divorce is recorded on your marriage certificate: S/ 8.20 if it was by court or municipal ruling, S/ 8.00 if it was notarial. Then you update the marital status on your DNI: S/ 35.00 with an electronic DNI. Changing to married can be done online; to divorced or widowed, only in person.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow does a foreigner become a Peruvian citizen by naturalization or by marriage?
You apply to Migraciones. Naturalization needs two consecutive years of legal residence, a passed exam and proof of income; marriage needs two continuous years living in Peru married to a Peruvian. Neither is automatic.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow does the complaints book work at a Peruvian public office?
Every public entity in Peru has a complaints book (Libro de Reclamaciones), now mostly digital on gob.pe. Complaining is free, you must get a copy on the spot, and the entity has up to 30 business days to answer, not the 15 a shop gets. If it does not answer, you can go to the Ombudsman's Office.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow long the State has to respond to a procedure in Peru, and how to appeal: reconsideration vs. appeal
A Peruvian public entity has a maximum of thirty business days, counted from when you start your evaluación previa procedure, to resolve it and notify you (Article 142 of the TUO of Ley 27444), unless a specific law sets a different period for that procedure. If you're notified of a decision you disagree with, you have fifteen business days to challenge it: with a reconsideration (recurso de reconsideración), filed before the same authority with new evidence, or with an appeal (recurso de apelación), asking that authority to send the case up to its superior over a different reading of the existing evidence or a pure question of law.
✓ Verified against the official sourceHow much is an electoral fine in Peru, and what happens if you don't pay?
Not voting costs between S/ 27.50 and S/ 110 depending on your district, and missing your polling-station duty costs S/ 275. The JNE can collect them by coercive collection. Whether an unpaid fine blocks other procedures is disputed: the law removed that requirement, but the JNE says otherwise.
✓ Verified against the official sourceI Lost My DNI or Passport Abroad, or They Were Stolen: What Do I Do?
These are two separate procedures, and you may need one or both. If you lost or had your passport stolen and need to travel, apply for a salvoconducto: a travel document valid for 30 non-extendable calendar days, only to return to Peru or your country of residence. If you lost or had your DNI stolen and it was still valid, request a duplicate at the consulate; if it had already expired or was about to, the correct procedure is renewal, not a duplicate. Both are requested in person at the nearest consulate, paid in local currency, though the DNI procedure can also be done online at 58 of Peru's 202 consulates.
✓ Verified against the official sourceI'm a foreign parent: can I handle my Peruvian child's passport, DNI or travel permit?
Yes. The rule is that the child goes with at least one parent, not that the parent must be Peruvian. A foreign parent brings a carné de extranjería or passport whose details match the child's DNI, and must have a valid immigration stay or residence.
✓ Verified against the official sourceInstallment plans for municipal tax debt in Peru: when they apply and what ends them
You can ask your municipality to let you pay overdue property tax (predial) or arbitrios in installments: Article 36 of the Código Tributario allows it, and once a resolution grants the plan, coercive collection must be suspended right away (Article 16.1.g of Ley N.º 26979). But each municipality approves its own regulation with its own minimum amounts, terms, and guarantee rules — Lima's, for example, requires a minimum monthly installment of S/ 60 and lets SAT ask for collateral once the debt exceeds 35 UIT — and losing the plan by missing installments makes the entire remaining debt, plus interest, immediately due.
✓ Verified against the official sourceMunicipal arbitrios in Peru: what they are, how they're calculated, and how to challenge them
Arbitrios aren't an amount your municipality sets however it likes: the law requires them to be calculated from the real cost of the service and distributed among taxpayers using, among other criteria, your property's use, size, and location — and the ordinance that sets the amount must be published by December 31 of the prior year. If you think your individual bill is miscalculated, you can dispute it within 20 business days; challenging the ordinance itself is a separate and far more restricted route.
✓ Verified against the official sourceMunicipal coercive collection in Peru: what happens if you don't pay property tax or arbitrios
Your municipality doesn't need to sue you in court to collect unpaid property tax (predial) or arbitrios: Law No. 26979 gives it its own coercive-collection track, separate from the one Indecopi or Sunat use. If the debt becomes collectible and you miss the 7-business-day window after the coercive-collection order is notified, the enforcement officer can freeze your accounts, register liens on your assets, or garnish funds third parties owe you -- but under more limited rules than Indecopi has, and at an interest rate each municipality sets on its own.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePeruvian passport: what do you need, what does it cost, and how long is it valid?
Peru's electronic passport is issued by Migraciones inside Peru and by consulates abroad. At Migraciones it costs S/ 120.90 and is handed over the same day; it lasts 10 years for adults, 5 for ages 12 to 17 and 3 for children under 12, and a minor can go with just one parent.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePositive or negative administrative silence in Peru: which procedures fall under each
The general rule is positive silence: if the agency does not resolve your evaluación previa procedure within the deadline, your request is considered approved. Negative silence is the exception and only applies to the matters the law expressly lists, such as health, the environment, public safety, the financial system, or trilateral procedures.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePower of attorney in Peru: carta poder, poder fuera de registro or escritura pública — which one do you need?
It depends on what your representative will do. For administration or errands a lesser power can be enough; to sell, mortgage or encumber property, the Civil Code requires a power by escritura pública (public deed), or the act is void. Before a notary there are three forms: a letter with a certified signature, a poder fuera de registro and a public deed.
✓ Verified against the official sourceProof of address in Peru: can they demand a certificado domiciliario, or is a sworn statement enough?
For a procedure, Ley 28882 treats the certificado domiciliario requirement as met by a simple written sworn statement of your current address, and an official who refuses it commits an infringement. The exceptions are electoral and judicial purposes. The notarial certificate still exists if you want it or a private party asks for it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceProvisional measures and attachment in a Peruvian civil case: how do they work and how do you object?
A judge can order an attachment or other provisional measure before or during a lawsuit without hearing you first. Once it is ordered, you have 5 days from when you learn of it to object, although objecting does not suspend it. If it was ordered before the lawsuit, the claimant must sue within 10 days or it lapses. Part of your salary cannot be attached.
✓ Verified against the official sourceRestaurant business obligations in Peru: license, ITSE and sanitary rules
To open, you need a municipal operating license (licencia de funcionamiento, which never expires) and, depending on your venue's risk level, an ITSE safety inspection either before or after that license (the ITSE certificate does expire, every 2 years). You also need to meet what this site already has verified for restaurants: a visible price list, a complaints book, receipts, the service-charge cap, and the smoking/vaping ban. The food-handler health card (carné de sanidad) is still charged by most municipalities, though Indecopi has ruled it illegal to require periodic medical exams as a condition to operate.
✓ Verified against the official sourceServed with a lawsuit in Peru: how many days do you have to respond?
It depends on the type of proceeding: 30 business days in a proceso de conocimiento, 10 in an abreviado and 5 in a sumarísimo, counted from the day after you were served. In an enforcement proceeding (a bill of exchange, a promissory note) you have 5 days to object. Miss the deadline and the judge declares you in default.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSunarp copia literal and registry certificates: which one to order, what they cost and how to get them online
A copia literal reproduces the entries in a registry file; the certificado registral inmobiliario summarizes a property's owner, encumbrances and pending filings; a vigencia de poder confirms a representative. You order them online through Sunarp's SPRL. Consulta Vehicular and Alerta Registral are free.
✓ Verified against the official sourceValid notification of an administrative act in Peru: electronic mailbox, home address, and public notice
A notification is valid when the agency follows the legal order (personal delivery to your home address first, then email or an electronic mailbox only if you authorized it, and publication only as a last resort) and uses the correct address. Your deadline to pay, appeal, or respond starts running from when the notification takes legal effect, not from the date the act was issued.
✓ Verified against the official sourceVirtual mesa de partes in Peru: when does your filing count, and when does the day cut off?
If you file through MESA DIGITAL PERÚ, your filing counts as made that same day at any hour, even on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, and the entity's deadline starts the next business day. Every public entity must also run a digital filing desk open 24 hours and give you a cargo showing date and time.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat do you need for a civil marriage in Peru, and how do you get the marriage certificate?
You marry before the mayor of the district or province where either of you lives, or before a notary in that province. You file birth certificates, proof of address, a medical certificate and two witnesses, and a public notice is posted that the mayor can waive. The Civil Code says officials charge nothing, yet each municipality publishes fees.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWhat pension is left for the widow, the children or the parents when someone insured with the ONP or an AFP dies?
If the person who died was in the ONP, their spouse or de facto partner, their children and, in some cases, their parents can claim a widow's, orphan's or parents' pension (Decreto Ley 19990). If they were in an AFP, the family claims a survivors' pension and the funeral-expense refund. Apply early: the ONP only pays up to twelve months of back pension before the application.
✓ Verified against the official sourceWho fines pollution in Peru: the municipality, OEFA, or both?
It depends on who is polluting. OEFA oversees companies in sectors such as mining, energy, industrial fishing and manufacturing. Your district municipality controls noise, smoke and street cleaning. If you are unsure, file with OEFA's national environmental complaints service: it forwards the complaint to the right authority, or to several.
Partly verifiedBurying, cremating or moving a family member's remains in Peru: what does the law require?
Burial takes place in a cemetery between 24 and 48 hours after death, unless the body is embalmed or an authority orders otherwise. Cremation, and moving a body outside the health jurisdiction, need a health authorization requested by the spouse or close relatives. Exhumation generally waits one year after burial.
Partly verifiedCan I drive in Peru with my foreign license, and how do I exchange it?
A valid foreign license can be used for up to six months from your entry into Peru, but only if it was issued under conventions Peru has ratified. To keep driving you exchange it for a Peruvian one: health certificate, authenticity certificate, knowledge exam (except Spain, Korea and Chile, according to gob.pe) and fee; there is no driving test.
Partly verifiedCar impounded in Peru? How to get it back from the depósito, who pays, and when it is declared abandoned
Your vehicle can only be impounded in the cases the traffic regulation lists. To get it out you fix the problem and pay the fine where required, plus storage and towing. If you do not ask for it back in time, the authority can declare it abandoned and send it to scrapping or auction.
Partly verifiedCars blocking your garage or the sidewalk, informal parking attendants and towing in Peru: what the law says
Peru's traffic regulation bans parking on the sidewalk and in front of a garage entrance. The traffic authority acts, not the neighbor: a tow truck is used only in the cases the regulation sets. The street is for public use, and a parking charge is a municipal fee.
Partly verifiedHow do you apostille a document in Peru, and how much does it cost?
Only Peru's Foreign Ministry (Cancillería) issues apostilles, and only on documents from Peruvian authorities whose signature is already on file. It costs S/ 31.00 in person or S/ 18.00 online for digitally signed documents, takes five business days, and is free for Peruvians' degrees and study certificates.
Partly verifiedHow do you get and renew a driver's license in Peru?
For an A-I license you must pass a medical exam, a knowledge exam and a driving test, all registered in the Sistema Nacional de Conductores, and pay the processing fee; driving school is not required. To renew it, gob.pe asks for no unpaid fines or pending sanctions and a passed medical exam.
Partly verifiedHow often does a car in Peru need its technical inspection, and what is the fine without one?
Every registered vehicle on public roads must pass the vehicle technical inspection at an authorized inspection center (CITV) that you choose and that sets its own price. For a private car, the MTC's gob.pe page puts the first one from the fourth year after manufacture and then once a year. Driving without a valid certificate is ticket M27: a fine of S/ 2,750, 50 points and impoundment of the vehicle.
Partly verifiedIs serving as a polling-station member mandatory in Peru? Excuses, pay and what happens if you don't go
Yes. If you are drawn, you cannot decline except on five grounds, which must be filed in writing with proof. If you serve, ONPE pays you 3% of the UIT per election day and, if you completed the training, you get a paid day off. If you don't show up, the fine is 5% of the UIT.
Partly verifiedLost or stolen license plate, deregistering a vehicle, and scrapping it in Peru
If your plate is lost or stolen, you ask for a duplicate; the Asociación Automotriz del Perú makes the plates. To take a vehicle off the register, Sunarp closes its entry after total loss, theft, scrapping or export, or records a permanent withdrawal. If you scrap it, the plant asks Sunarp for the withdrawal.
Partly verifiedSomeone is using your Clave SOL: what to do about identity theft with SUNAT
Cut off access now: getting a new user code and Clave SOL cancels the old ones. Fix your tax address, check your receipts, report it in writing to SUNAT and file a criminal complaint, since digital identity theft is a crime. Move fast: SUNAT treats every operation made with your user and Clave SOL as yours.
Partly verifiedSunarp archived title vs. registry entry: what each one is and how to get a copy
An entry (asiento) is the summary of a transaction that Sunarp writes into the file (partida) for a property, company or vehicle. The archived title (título archivado) is the set of documents behind that entry: the deed, the plans, the registrar's decisions. A copia literal shows the entries; to see the documents, request the archived title online through the SPRL.
Partly verifiedTwo Sunarp records for one property, a lost testimonio, or a notary who no longer practices: what do you do in Peru?
If two registry records exist for the same property, Sunarp can close the newer one; if someone objects, the court route opens. If you lost your testimonio, the notary issues a new one to whoever asks. If the notary stopped practicing, the Colegio de Notarios and later the national archive hold the files.
Partly verifiedWhat does a Peruvian notary certify when you get a signature or copy notarized, and when do you need it?
The notary certifies that the signature belongs to whoever signed, or that the copy matches the original, but is not responsible for the content. There is no official fee: the law leaves prices to free competition. And for a government office, you often do not need a notary at all.
Partly verifiedWhat to do after a car crash in Peru: police, alcohol test, SOAT and who pays for the damage
Stop, help anyone injured, mark the scene and stay until the police arrive. Report the crash at the police station and take the alcohol test. If you leave without calling the police, you are presumed at fault. SOAT covers people; car damage is paid by the driver at fault together with the vehicle's owner.
Partly verifiedWhen can a Peruvian municipality close your business, and how does the ITSE safety certificate work?
The municipality may only order a temporary closure on the grounds listed in Ley 31914, such as having no business license or no ITSE safety certificate. It cannot make you pay fines before reopening, and it must lift the closure within 48 hours of your formal notice that you fixed the problem. The ITSE certificate lasts two years and must be renewed.
Partly verifiedWhich documents can Peruvian public offices no longer demand in a procedure?
Since 2016, Decreto Legislativo 1246 bars public bodies from demanding a copy of your DNI, «recent» birth records, notarized signatures without a law requiring them, a copy of your RUC, a proof-of-life certificate or a moving certificate, and stops them from turning you away because your DNI has expired. The document bans bind public bodies, not banks or private companies in general; the expired-DNI rule, however, also mentions commercial and notarial acts.
Partly verifiedWho pays property tax (impuesto predial) in Peru, how much is it, and when do you file the declaration?
Whoever owns the property on 1 January pays, even if they sell during the year. It is an annual municipal tax charged at 0.2%, 0.6% and 1% on brackets set in UIT, paid in full by the last business day of February or in four instalments. A buyer must declare the property to the district municipality.
Health22
Can a clinic hold you for not paying? The 'carta de garantía' trap and your rights
No. No health facility in Peru can detain you, hold your body or a deceased relative's body, or condition emergency care, to force payment while your insurer delays the 'carta de garantía' (guarantee letter): Article 70 of the Health Facilities Regulation bans it in absolute terms — 'terminantemente' (utterly forbidden). What they can do is bill you or pursue payment afterward, through normal channels.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a family member stay with you while you are in hospital in Peru?
No general law guarantees you a companion for your whole hospital stay. At EsSalud, a September 2026 resolution orders the insurer to regulate companionship by a close relative or a person you choose. For exams and surgery you can authorise someone to be present, if the doctor approves and you pay the costs.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a hospital in Peru move you to another hospital in an emergency without your consent, and who pays for the transfer?
If a facility cannot handle your emergency, it must stabilise you and refer you at once to a higher-level facility. You must be told why, and cannot be moved without your consent, unless there is a justified reason. The facility answers for your safety in transit and can bill your insurer if the transfer is covered.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan I refuse treatment or leave hospital against medical advice in Peru?
Yes. As an adult you can refuse to start or continue a treatment, and you can decide to leave the hospital or clinic. The doctor must explain the consequences, and your decision is recorded in writing with your signature, which releases the doctor and the facility from liability. The exception: an emergency, or a risk to public health.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan you be admitted for mental health care in Peru without your consent? Admission, rights and discharge under Ley 30947
As a rule, no. Peru's Mental Health Law requires your informed consent and treats hospitalization as an exceptional measure. The only exception is a psychiatric emergency in which you cannot express your will: your chosen support person signs or a court is asked to appoint one, and the order expires after 12 hours, up to 72.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan you smoke or vape in a restaurant in Peru?
No, if the space has a roof and two or more walls: Ley N.º 32159 declares that a 100% smoke-free environment, and the ban covers both smoking and vaping. The place must post a visible sign saying so, and enforcement is split between the municipality and Minsa.
✓ Verified against the official sourceEsSalud vs EPS: how to choose, and what stays yours even if your employer signs up for an EPS
Your employer signing a private EPS health plan isn't a unilateral call: it requires an absolute majority vote of the workers, and you can individually opt to stay 100% with EsSalud even if the majority votes for the EPS. And whether you're in an EPS or not, EsSalud still covers high-complexity care, chronic disease management and your cash subsidies — the EPS only handles the routine stuff.
✓ Verified against the official sourceInformed Consent and Medical Records: What Rights Patients Have in Peru
No medical or surgical treatment can be given without first explaining your diagnosis, treatment and its risks in terms you can understand. You also have the right to request a copy of your medical record — the facility must give it to you, though you pay the copying cost — and to be issued a certification of your health status whenever you need one. The law allows admitting you without your prior consent only in a psychiatric emergency where you cannot express your will.
✓ Verified against the official sourceMedical decisions for a minor child in Peru: how far does parental authority go?
Parents give consent for their child's treatment, but that power has limits. If they refuse a treatment, the doctor must notify a judge. In an emergency, their permission is not needed. And if no one is there to decide, the hospital must protect the child's health and notify the prosecutor's office.
✓ Verified against the official sourceOrgan donation in Peru: is everyone a donor? Presumed consent, your DNI and your family
On paper, yes. Law 31756 presumes you agree to donate your organs after death unless you refuse at Reniec, and your DNI records the choice. You can change it at any time. Objections by relatives or doctors are void, but the regulation still gives the close family a role in several cases.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePalliative care, refusing treatment and dying with dignity in Peru: what does the law say?
In Peru you can refuse to start or continue a treatment, have the natural process of your death respected if you are terminally ill, and receive palliative care. Euthanasia is still a crime (homicidio piadoso, article 112 of the Penal Code); the Ana Estrada case was a court exception for one person.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePatient complaints to SUSALUD: what to do when a clinic, your insurer or EsSalud fails you
You don't complain straight to SUSALUD. First you file a reclamo in the Libro de Reclamaciones en Salud of your IAFAS, IPRESS or UGIPRESS, which generally has 30 business days to resolve it plus 5 more to notify you. Only if you're unsatisfied, they refuse to attend you, or something was handled irregularly do you escalate to a free denuncia with SUSALUD directly — which can order a fix, but doesn't pay you: for that you need CECONAR or the courts.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePrivate health insurance denied your coverage in Peru: pre-existing conditions, undisclosed history and where to complain
Ask for the denial in writing, with reasons. If the insurer says you left something out of your health declaration, it must prove it, and it can void the policy only for intent or inexcusable fault. Complain to the insurer first; it has 15 business days. If it says no, go to SUSALUD, Indecopi or the Defensoría del Asegurado.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSecond medical opinion: is it a legal right in Peru?
Yes. Peru's General Health Law and its regulation give you the right to ask for the opinion of another doctor, from outside the facility, at any stage of your care. You must tell your treating doctor, who records it in your medical file. You or your insurance plan pay for it.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSIS health insurance in Peru: who qualifies and what it covers
Since 2019, Peru's public health insurance (SIS) is no longer only for people living in poverty: any resident of Peru who has no other health insurance can enroll for free in the "SIS Para Todos" plan, with no income or poverty screening required. Beyond that free plan, SIS has four others: SIS Gratuito (for people officially registered as poor or extremely poor, pregnant women, children under 5, and other groups), SIS Independiente and SIS Emprendedor (paid monthly or through the simplified tax regime), and SIS Microempresas. All of them cover more than 12,000 diagnoses, but you can only be treated at public Ministry of Health and regional-government facilities — not at EsSalud or private clinics.
✓ Verified against the official sourceSOAT and the hospital bill after a traffic accident in Peru: what SOAT pays and what your own insurance pays
The clinic or hospital must treat you and bill your medical expenses to the vehicle's SOAT, up to 5 UIT per person. The insurer may pay the clinic directly. SOAT pays first; your private insurance or social security covers what SOAT does not. The rules do not say who pays if you have no other cover.
Partly verifiedAt the pharmacy in Peru: can they sell you expired medicine, skip the prescription or swap your brand for a generic?
No pharmacy may sell expired medicine: Ley 29459 prohibits it. Dispensing must follow each drug's sale condition, prescription included. The pharmacist must offer you generics with the same active ingredient, strength and form, starting with generics sold under the INN, without pushing you: you choose.
Partly verifiedFood poisoning or spoiled food at a restaurant in Peru: who do you complain to?
You have two tracks, not one: your district municipality regulates and controls the venue's hygiene (Ley N.º 27972), and you can complain to Indecopi because the restaurant is responsible for the safety of what it sells (article 30 of Ley N.º 29571). The national health authority sets the sanitary standards above both.
Partly verifiedMedical malpractice in Peru: where to complain and what you can (and can't) get
There are two different paths and they don't give you the same thing. A complaint with SUSALUD is free and can get the facility fined or shut down, but — per press reporting, not confirmed against the official regulation itself — it does not pay you anything. For compensation, the path is a civil lawsuit, which usually needs a lawyer and has a two-year deadline from the event.
Partly verifiedRespectful childbirth in Peru: is there a law, and what rights do you have in labour?
Not yet. Peru has no law on humanised childbirth or obstetric violence; the bill in the previous Congress never reached a vote. You already have rights, though: dignified treatment and privacy, signing before a non-emergency caesarean, refusing examination by students and, in public-sector vertical births, choosing your position and a companion.
Partly verifiedThe epicrisis is free: what a clinic must give you at discharge at no cost
A copy of your epicrisis — the medical summary of your care, the document most often requested afterward for insurance or another procedure — is free: the facility cannot charge you for it. What does have a cost is requesting a full copy of your medical record (historia clínica), which must be delivered within five business days and whose reproduction cost you bear.
Partly verifiedVaccination in Peru: is it mandatory, and can you refuse?
Peru's General Vaccine Law makes vaccination mandatory, and the General Health Law allows exceptions only for medical or biological reasons. But the Ministry of Health's technical standard requires signed informed consent, from you or from a parent. When public health is at serious risk, refusal does not stand.
Personal finance18
Bank account garnishment for debt in Peru: a judge orders it for private debt, and some income is protected
For a private debt (a loan, a credit card, a commercial debt), a bank or a private creditor cannot freeze your account on their own — only a judge can order that, through a garnishment-by-retention that forces the bank to hold the money and deposit it to the court's order (article 657 of the Code of Civil Procedure). That is not true of every debt: for a tax debt (for example, owed to Sunat), an administrative collector (ejecutor coactivo) can order that same retention without going through a judge (article 118 of the Tax Code); for municipal taxes (property tax, municipal fees) the same no-judge retention is in article 33(d) of Law 26979 on coercive enforcement. In both cases, your salary and pension are protected up to 5 Unidades de Referencia Procesal, and only a third of the excess can be garnished — unless the debt is child support, where up to 60% of your total income can be taken.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan creditors seize your CTS, AFP fund, or pension in Peru?
Your CTS (severance savings) and the funds accumulated in your AFP (private pension fund) are, as a general rule, protected from garnishment. Your CTS can only be garnished up to 50% when the debt is child or spousal support (Article 37 of D.S. N° 001-97-TR); your AFP fund is protected without that exception appearing in the text of the law that protects it (Article 20 of D.S. N° 054-97-EF). Once you start collecting a monthly pension, different rules apply: the general income-garnishment regime kicks in, protecting up to 5 Procedural Reference Units, with the cap widened to 60% for support debts.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCredit life insurance (desgravamen), insurance tied to a loan, and refinancing vs. rescheduling in Peru: what is the difference?
If a bank requires insurance for a loan, you can bring your own policy and endorse it to the bank, as long as it meets the conditions the bank disclosed; for credit life insurance, the endorsement carries no fee. Refinancing means changing term or amount because you struggle to pay, and it drops a Normal rating a step.
✓ Verified against the official sourceFourth- and fifth-category income tax in Peru: the difference between freelance and payroll work
Fourth-category income is independent work (recibos por honorarios) and fifth-category is dependent, payroll employment; each is withheld differently (a flat 8% for fourth category, a twelfth of the estimated annual tax each month for fifth), but both share a fixed 7 UIT annual deduction that, combined with the automatic 20% deduction on fourth-category income, means many freelancers and modest-income employees end up owing no income tax at all.
✓ Verified against the official sourceIncome tax when selling an inherited property in Peru: why your cost basis can be zero
Since August 1, 2012, the cost basis (costo computable) of an inherited property is zero by default — not the property's value at the time you inherited it. You can only use a higher cost basis (and pay less tax) if you can reliably prove what the deceased person originally paid for it. If you inherited before that date, a different, more favorable rule applies: the property-tax self-assessed value (autoavalúo). The effective tax rate on the gain is 5%, and it can be zero entirely if the property qualifies as your primary residence (casa habitación).
✓ Verified against the official sourceInsurance claim denied or ignored in Peru: what deadlines does the insurer have and what can you do?
Without a loss adjuster, the insurer has 30 days from your complete documents to accept or deny your claim. If it stays silent, the claim counts as accepted and it must pay within 30 more days. A denial needs written reasons and documents. You prove the loss; the insurer proves why it need not pay.
✓ Verified against the official sourceNegative credit reports in Peru (Infocorp and other CEPIRs): how fast they update and when an employer can see yours
The deadlines don't run on their own from the date you pay: you have to request them. If you pay off or regularize a debt, you can request proof from the lender, which has 7 business days from your request to give it to you; and if you also request that the SBS notify the credit bureau (like Infocorp) of the regularization, the SBS has another 7 business days from that request to do so. The credit bureau must then update your report within 2 business days of receiving the information — and an employer needs your written consent to check your credit report and cannot disqualify you because of it.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePensión 65 in Peru: who qualifies, how often it pays, and what happens if you are removed
Pensión 65 pays a grant every two months to people aged 65 or over who hold a DNI, are classified as extremely poor and receive no pension or EsSalud cash benefit. Meeting the rules does not guarantee a place: there is prioritisation and a budget limit. You stay in only while you meet every rule.
✓ Verified against the official sourceTCEA on credit cards in Peru: what it is, the legal maximum interest rate, and how you're protected from abusive late fees
The TCEA is the real annual cost of your credit card — interest, fees and charges included — and by law the bank must give it to you before you accept the contract; on top of that, Peru's central bank (BCRP) sets a maximum interest rate every six months (114.13% effective annual in soles for the May-October 2026 period) that also covers credit cards, and charging above it is usury, a crime, not just an administrative infraction.
✓ Verified against the official sourceThe borrower on a loan or credit card with credit life insurance died or became disabled: who notifies, and what can the heirs do?
Tell the bank in writing. If the bank sold the insurance, that counts as telling the insurer, and the bank must notify the insurer immediately once it learns of the death. Anyone with an interest can ask the insurer whether it paid the bank or denied the claim. If it paid, the bank has thirty days to close the loan.
Partly verifiedA relative died with money in a Peruvian bank: what can the bank do before the heirs are declared?
The money passes to the heirs at the moment of death, but no one can take it alone. We found no SBS rule forcing the bank to pay without a registered intestate succession or will, nor any small-amount exception. If the deceased owed the bank, it can set the debt off against the deposits.
Partly verifiedBounced cheques and unpaid negotiable invoices in Peru: what can you do if you are not paid?
If the bank refuses your cheque, ask it to record the refusal on the cheque itself: that counts as a formal protest and lets you sue. Writing a cheque without funds can also be a crime. A negotiable invoice the buyer accepted, expressly or by staying silent, can also be collected through fast-track court proceedings.
Partly verifiedCurrency exchange in Peru: what can they ask you for, and how much cash can you carry when you travel?
Every exchange house in Peru, in person or online, must be on the SBS's public registry. For small amounts it only asks for your ID; from a higher amount it asks for more details and records your transaction for the UIF. If you cross the border with a lot of cash, you must declare it to SUNAT.
Partly verifiedFuneral costs in Peru: what EsSalud, your AFP or the ONP really cover, compared with private funeral insurance
If the person who died was an EsSalud primary insured, working or retired, EsSalud pays up to S/ 2,070 to whoever paid for the funeral. If they were in an AFP, the AFP reimburses a reference funeral up to an SBS cap. We found no funeral benefit in the ONP law. Private insurance covers what its policy says.
Partly verifiedIs there personal bankruptcy in Peru? What the Insolvency Law says
Yes, but only for debtors with a business activity. Since a 2015 reform (Legislative Decree N.° 1189), Peru's General Insolvency Law (Ley N.° 27809) only allows an individual who carries out a business activity, in the law's own terms, to be brought into an insolvency proceeding and, at the end of that road, declared bankrupt — whether they request the proceeding themselves (article 24.4) or their creditors do (article 26.1). Purely consumer debt, with no business activity behind it, does not expose you to an insolvency proceeding through either route.
Partly verifiedProblem with a mutual fund or brokerage firm in Peru: complain to the SMV or to Indecopi?
Complain to the firm first. If that fails, there are two routes: Indecopi, if you want compensation for a consumer-protection breach, and the SMV, if the firm broke securities-market rules. The SMV's Investor Ombudsman (Defensoría del Inversionista) guides you for free, but does not rule on who is right.
Partly verifiedProtested bills of exchange and promissory notes in Peru: what 'protesto' means and what happens if you don't pay
'Protesto' is the notarial record that a bill of exchange (letra de cambio) or a promissory note (pagaré) wasn't paid or accepted on time. A título valor that meets its formal requirements already has 'mérito ejecutivo' on its own (Article 18 of Law No. 27287), so the protesto — or a 'sin protesto' clause written into the document — is what lets the creditor sue you directly through the fast executive process, without needing a prior lawsuit to establish that you owe the debt.
Partly verifiedSavings and credit cooperatives (Coopac) in Peru: what does the SBS supervise, and are your savings protected?
Since Ley 30822, the SBS supervises savings and credit cooperatives (Coopac) and keeps their register. Only registered ones may take members' deposits. Your savings have their own insurance, the Fondo de Seguro de Depósitos Cooperativo, but only if your Coopac has that coverage, and only up to a cap.
Pets5
Animal cruelty: how to report it in Peru
Animal cruelty and abandonment are a crime in Peru: up to 3 years in prison, or 3 to 5 years if the animal dies, under article 206-A of the Criminal Code. Anyone can report it — not just the owner — to the municipality, the police, or the prosecutor's office, and the administrative and criminal tracks run at the same time.
✓ Verified against the official sourceCan a restaurant, shop or bus in Peru refuse your pet? What about a guide dog?
For an ordinary pet, we found no Peruvian rule that forces a business or a transport operator to accept it: they can restrict entry for objective reasons, announced in advance. A guide dog registered with Conadis is different: the law requires entry, with no extra charge.
✓ Verified against the official sourceDog bites: the owner's liability in Peru
In Peru a dog owner is liable for a bite even without negligence — liability is strict. If the injury is serious, Ley N.° 27596 also requires the owner to cover hospitalization, medication and reconstructive surgery until you fully recover, on top of a separate damages claim.
✓ Verified against the official sourcePet custody after a separation in Peru: who keeps the dog or the cat?
Peruvian law has no rules on custody, visitation or support for pets. The Civil Code treats a pet as property: if you bought it during the marriage it is usually shared marital property to be divided, and if it belonged to one of you before, it stays theirs. Ley 30407 calls animals sentient beings, but only for applying that law.
Partly verifiedCan a building or a landlord ban pets in Peru?
It depends on when the rule was set and what kind of ban it is: an owners' association can ban pets in the building's internal regulations, but can't apply that ban to you if you already had the pet before the rule was adopted; a landlord can validly include a no-pets clause in a rental contract.