Dual nationality in Peru: how it works

What does the Constitution say about dual nationality?

Peru’s Political Constitution recognizes every person’s right to their nationality and states that no one may be stripped of it (Article 2, paragraph 21). In addition, Article 53 is explicit: Peruvian nationality is not lost, except through express renunciation before a Peruvian authority. This means that, in principle, voluntarily acquiring another nationality does not automatically take away your Peruvian one.

Article 52 recognizes as Peruvians by birth both people born in Peruvian territory and those born abroad to a Peruvian father or mother, as long as they are registered according to law. It also recognizes as Peruvians those who obtain nationality through naturalization or by choice.

Does Peru require a treaty with the other country to recognize dual nationality?

This is one of the points that causes the most confusion. A copy of Ley N.º 26574 (Nationality Law) we consulted, hosted by a US university rather than an official Peruvian domain, has an Article 10 that reads: “Las personas que gozan de doble nacionalidad, ejercitan los derechos y obligaciones de la nacionalidad del país donde domicilian” (a person with dual nationality exercises the rights and obligations of the nationality of the country where they reside) — with no mention of a treaty with the other country as a condition. That points toward Peru recognizing dual nationality as a rule of its own domestic law, not one conditioned on a bilateral treaty. Since we didn’t read the full PDF or confirm it on an official domain (gob.pe, El Peruano), this article still flags this point as not officially verified and recommends confirming it with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE) or the relevant Peruvian consulate before making important decisions.

How you keep your Peruvian nationality when acquiring another one

Under Article 53 of the Constitution, there is no “automatic loss” of Peruvian nationality merely from naturalizing in another country. Peruvian nationality is only lost through an express renunciation made before a Peruvian authority. In practice, this means a Peruvian who naturalizes as, for example, American, Spanish, or of any other country, remains Peruvian unless they formally renounce that nationality.

Within the sources verifiable in this research, no specific mandatory “registration” procedure for dual nationality with RENIEC was identified, beyond keeping your Peruvian identity documents (DNI and passport) up to date.

Naturalization of foreigners: is renouncing the original nationality required?

The reverse case -a foreigner naturalizing as Peruvian- raises another common question: must they renounce their original nationality? This point could not be directly confirmed through official sources during this research and is explicitly left flagged as pending verification. What is a known fact in comparative law is that the renunciation requirement often depends more on the rules of the applicant’s country of origin than on Peruvian rules. If you are going through this process, check directly with RREE or Migraciones.

Which passport should you use to enter and exit Peru?

A practice that is frequently reported -though it could not be directly verified against an official source in this research- is that Peruvians, even those holding dual nationality, must identify themselves with their Peruvian document (DNI or Peruvian passport) when entering and exiting the national territory, rather than with the other country’s passport. Before traveling, confirm this directly with Migraciones or your airline, since using the wrong document can lead to delays or immigration problems.

Children born abroad to a Peruvian parent

A child born outside Peru to a Peruvian father or mother can be recognized as Peruvian by birth by registering their birth at the Peruvian consulate corresponding to their country of residence. It is reported that, following a 2018 constitutional reform, this registration can be done even after the person turns 18, although this detail comes from a single secondary source and was not officially verified.

Military service and dual nationality

No verifiable information was found on whether dual nationality creates military service obligations in Peru or another country, or whether any conflict exists between the two. This point is explicitly left unconfirmed; if this concerns you, check with the military or consular authorities of the other country involved.

What to do if you have specific questions

Since several practical aspects of dual nationality -the treaty question or its absence, passport use, renunciation upon naturalization- could not be confirmed against an official source in this research, the safest approach is to contact RREE, a Peruvian consulate, or Migraciones directly before making decisions that depend on these details. If you also need to fix your identity records, see the guide on correcting your data at RENIEC.