What 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.
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El Peruano
Checked 1 Oct 2026Next review 26 Dec 2026
What is still unverifiedArticle 29 of Decreto Legislativo 1350, in the text substituted by Decreto Legislativo 1582, was read directly and in full in the official El Peruano edition of 14 November 2023: this page reproduces all 31 immigration statuses, the authority that grants each one, and its term of stay exactly as the rule states them. Two things this page does not verify: Article 29 defers the minimum income and investment amounts for the rentier and investor statuses to the implementing regulation without stating them itself, and we did not read that regulatory text, so this page gives no figures for those; it also does not reproduce each procedure's documentary requirements (forms, processing times, fees), which are on the official gob.pe fichas and on this site's specific pages linked below.
What an immigration status is
Your “immigration status” (calidad migratoria) is the legal category Peru assigns you as a foreigner when you enter the country or when it approves a procedure while you’re inside it. It is not the same as your visa — the stamp a Peruvian consulate gives you before you travel — even though the two get used interchangeably in everyday speech. The immigration status is what actually sets your term of stay, whether you can work, and which procedures you can or can’t request while you hold it.
Article 29 of Decreto Legislativo 1350 (the Immigration Act), in the text that has been in force since Decreto Legislativo 1582 of November 2023, splits every immigration status into two large groups.
Group 1: temporary statuses (no intent to reside)
These let you enter and stay for a fixed term, without the law presuming you plan to settle. There are 11:
| Status | Who grants it | Term of stay | Allows paid work? |
|---|---|---|---|
| International agreements | MIGRACIONES | Whatever the applicable treaty or agreement sets | Per the treaty |
| Artistic or Sports | MIGRACIONES, before entry | 90 days, not renewable | Yes, the contracted activity (shows, events) |
| Special | Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MREE) or MIGRACIONES, depending on the case | Up to 183 days, renewable once for the same period | Depends on the case; it’s residual and exceptional |
| Temporary Training/Research | MIGRACIONES | 90 days, renewable for the same term | Not its purpose (studies/research without intent to reside) |
| Business | MREE, or MIGRACIONES if the country has a business-visa waiver | 183 days, cumulative up to 365, not renewable | No — it’s for business dealings, not employment |
| Temporary Worker/Assignee | MIGRACIONES | 183 days, cumulative up to 365, renewable for the same term | Yes, the same activities as worker or assignee, without intent to reside |
| Journalism | MREE | Whatever the Peruvian State sets | Journalistic activity under special rules |
| Tourist | MREE, or MIGRACIONES if the country has a tourist-visa waiver | Up to 183 calendar days, cumulative up to 365 | No. The rule says so expressly: no paid or profit-making activity of any kind |
| Crew member | MIGRACIONES, at the border checkpoint | 30 days, not renewable | Not applicable — it’s for crew on an international carrier |
| Consular | MREE | Whatever the MREE sets | Accredited consular function |
| Diplomatic | MREE | Whatever the MREE sets | Accredited diplomatic function |
Group 2: residence statuses
These “authorize entry and/or residence in national territory.” All are renewable and allow multiple entries, per Article 29.2 itself. There are 20:
| Status | Who grants it | Term of stay | Allows paid work? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooperant | MREE | Whatever the State sets | Cooperation/relief activity |
| Assignee | MIGRACIONES | 365 days | Yes, the specific task their foreign employer sends them for; not self-employment |
| Training (Formación) | MIGRACIONES | 365 days | No, except with an Extraordinary Work Permit issued by MIGRACIONES |
| Religious | MIGRACIONES | 365 days | No, except with an Extraordinary Work Permit issued by MIGRACIONES |
| Exchange | MREE | Whatever the State sets | Academic/training activity |
| Investor | MIGRACIONES | 365 days | Yes, managing their investment (minimum amount set in the regulation — not verified on this page) |
| Research | MIGRACIONES | Up to 365 days | Yes, any income-generating activity, employed or self-employed |
| Worker | MIGRACIONES | 365 days | Yes, with an employment contract previously approved by the Ministry of Labor |
| Digital nomad | MIGRACIONES | Up to 365 days, renewable | Only for an employer based outside Peru; no Peruvian-source income allowed |
| Special Resident | MIGRACIONES | Up to 365 days, renewable | Yes, employed or self-employed paid activity |
| Resident’s family member | MIGRACIONES | Same as the resident they depend on | Yes |
| Suspended | MIGRACIONES | Whatever the State sets | Yes, formal paid activity (for people in prison or serving a suspended sentence) |
| Humanitarian | MIGRACIONES if you are already in Peru; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if you are abroad and there is a recognised humanitarian crisis | 365 days; can be kept while the vulnerability persists | Yes: employed, self-employed or own-account work |
| Rentier | MIGRACIONES | Indefinite | Doesn’t work: lives off a pension or permanent income (minimum amount set in the regulation — not verified on this page) |
| Permanent | MIGRACIONES | Indefinite | Yes, with no restriction of its own |
| International agreements | MIGRACIONES, or MREE for asylum/refuge/statelessness | Per the treaty; 1 year renewable for asylum and refuge | Depends on the case |
| Consular | MREE | Whatever the MREE sets | Accredited consular function |
| Diplomatic | MREE | Whatever the MREE sets | Accredited diplomatic function |
| Official | MREE | 365 days | Accredited official function |
| Official’s family member | MREE | Whatever the MREE sets | Yes, employed, self-employed or independent paid activity |
Temporary vs. permanent: the distinction that actually matters
Here’s the most common confusion, and the one this page exists to clear up: “resident” is not the same as “permanent.” Nineteen of the twenty residence statuses in the table above — worker, rentier, investor, resident’s family member, all of them — are still exposed to their term expiring and needing renewal. Only one, the permanent status, gives you indefinite presence without that renewal cycle.
Reaching permanent status takes two things, both confirmed in the rule:
- Three years as a legal resident, under Article 29.2.o of Decreto Legislativo 1350.
- Starting from one of the statuses the regulation enables for the switch. Decreto Supremo 002-2021-IN (Article 65.4 of the regulation) limits the list to: religioso, inversionista, trabajador, investigación, familiar de residente, consular, diplomático, oficial and familiar oficial. If your residence status isn’t on that list — special resident or digital nomad, for example — the switch to permanent isn’t available through this route, based on the text we read.
The procedure itself — requirements, fee, form — is outside the scope of this page. It’s covered in changing your immigration status.
What to do with this information
This page is a map, not a procedure. Once you’ve identified your current status and the one you need, the next steps — how to change it, how to renew it, how to get or renew your foreigner ID card — are on the specific pages linked below, each independently verified with its own procedure, fee and timeline.
How to file
- Identify which status you entered with, or were approved forIt's on your Migraciones stamp or resolution, and you can also check it in your Electronic Mailbox or on your carné de extranjería if you're a resident.
- Find your status in the tables on this pageConfirm whether it's temporary or residence-based, who grants it, how long it lasts, and whether it allows work. That determines what you can and can't legally do while you hold it.
- If you need a different status, don't assume you have to leave the countryMost changes of immigration status are requested while inside Peru and in regular status. Check the specific procedure before buying an exit-and-return ticket.
What people fail to ask in time
What if your current status no longer matches what you're actually doing in Peru — for example, you're working under a status that doesn't allow it?
Find out before it matters →What most people believe — and what the law says
'Visa' and 'immigration status' (calidad migratoria) are the same thing.
Not under the rule. A visa is the authorization a Peruvian consulate stamps in your passport before you travel; the immigration status is the legal category Migraciones (or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) assigns you on entry or once it approves a procedure inside the country, and that status is what actually sets your term of stay and whether you can work. You can need a visa to travel and still have your immigration status defined only afterward, on entry or through a later procedure.
There are only two kinds of residency: temporary and permanent.
Article 29 doesn't split statuses into 'temporary residency' and 'permanent residency.' It splits them into temporary statuses (no intent to reside, 11 types) and residence statuses (20 types, of which 'permanent' is only one). A resident worker, a rentier and an investor are all 'residence' statuses and remain residents — not permanent — until they meet the requirements to change.
Any residence status lets me work.
No. Article 29 itself says the formación (student/trainee) and religioso (religious) statuses 'do not allow working or any paid or profit-making activity, except with prior issuance of the Extraordinary Work Permit.' The rentier status isn't for work either — it's for someone already living off a pension or income. Check yours against the table on this page before assuming you can work.
After enough time living in Peru, Migraciones grants permanent status automatically.
It is not automatic. Article 29.2.o requires three years as a legal resident before you can apply, and the regulation (D.S. 002-2021-IN, Article 65.4) limits who may apply: only religioso, inversionista, trabajador, investigación, familiar de residente, consular, diplomático, oficial and familiar oficial. You have to request it; it does not arrive on its own.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a temporary immigration status and a residence one?
Temporary means 'no intent to reside': it lets you enter and stay for a fixed term (for example, 183 days as a tourist) without the law presuming you plan to settle. A residence status 'authorizes entry and/or residence' and, under Article 29.2, is renewable and allows multiple entries — it's the entry point to settling in, working on a stable basis, bringing family, and eventually applying for permanent status.
How long do I need to be a resident before I can apply for permanent status?
Three years as a legal resident, under Article 29.2.o of Decreto Legislativo 1350. But not every residence status qualifies: the regulation (D.S. 002-2021-IN, Article 65.4) only allows the switch to permanent from religioso, inversionista, trabajador, investigación, familiar de residente, consular, diplomático, oficial or familiar oficial.
Can tourist status convert directly into worker status?
Yes, without leaving the country, by requesting a change of immigration status while you're in regular status. The procedure, fee and timelines are on this site's page about changing immigration status; this page only covers which statuses exist, not how to move between them.
What status do I need if I'm coming to work for a Peruvian company?
The trabajador (worker) residence status, which under Article 29.2.h requires an employment contract previously approved by the Ministry of Labor. If your contract runs under a year or the relationship is temporary, the matching status is trabajador/designado temporal (Article 29.1.f), not the residence one.
What happens if my immigration status doesn't allow work and I work anyway?
This page doesn't cover the penalties in detail — that's on this site's page about Migraciones fines and sanctions — but Article 29 is explicit that statuses like tourist, formación and religioso don't authorize paid activity except by express exception, and carrying out activities your immigration status doesn't authorize is an infraction under Decreto Legislativo 1350's sanctions framework.
The exact law
Decreto Legislativo N.º 1582Article 2 (text replacing Article 29 of Decreto Legislativo N.º 1350)read
Decree amending Decreto Legislativo N.º 1350, the Immigration Act — types of immigration status
«Artículo 29.- Tipos de Calidades Migratorias. Son tipos de calidades migratorias, las siguientes: 29.1. Temporal: Permite el ingreso y permanencia de un extranjero en el territorio de la República, sin ánimo de residencia. [...] 29.2. Residencia: Autoriza el ingreso y/o residencia en el territorio de la República. Estas calidades migratorias son prorrogables y permiten múltiples entradas.»
Decreto Supremo N.º 002-2021-INArticle 65, item 65.4, of the Decreto Legislativo 1350 regulation (amended text)read
Which resident statuses can switch to permanent status
«Las personas extranjeras con las calidades migratorias religioso, inversionista, trabajador, investigación, familiar de residente, consular, diplomático, oficial y familiar oficial residentes pueden optar por el cambio a la calidad migratoria permanente.»
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What this page already lets you do
- Name the rule that protects you
- Copy the exact article and send it
- Follow the steps, in order
What this page does not give you yetArticle 29 of Decreto Legislativo 1350, in the text substituted by Decreto Legislativo 1582, was read directly and in full in the official El Peruano edition of 14 November 2023: this page reproduces all 31 immigration statuses, the authority that grants each one, and its term of stay exactly as the rule states them. Two things this page does not verify: Article 29 defers the minimum income and investment amounts for the rentier and investor statuses to the implementing regulation without stating them itself, and we did not read that regulatory text, so this page gives no figures for those; it also does not reproduce each procedure's documentary requirements (forms, processing times, fees), which are on the official gob.pe fichas and on this site's specific pages linked below. See the sources ↑