Lima
Preparing for your move to Lima
Preparing to travel abroad includes securing important documents, making copies, and a lot of planning. Ideally, you should make 3 copies of your passport, visas, and other important paperwork. Keep one with you, one in an accessible, but safe place, and give one to a trusted relative of friend that can give you the information if something were to happen to you.
A checklist of other things to consider:
- Passports: Check the expiration date. Some countries will require you to hold a passport it that does not expire within 6 months of your arrival.
- Secure Insurance: If your current insurance does not cover you in Perú, look into medical insurances and travel insurances to prevent unmanageable medical bills and enable entry into other countries.
- Research and apply for a Visa: This can take several months to obtain before you leave. To make sure you require an entry visa to visit Perú and apply for it as soon as possible, check the following list (see that country agreements may change occasionally. We recommend you to contact your closest Peruvian embassy/consulate to make sure you don't require visit to enter).
- Money: Get enough funds to support your cost of living and lifestyle plus travel costs with a buffer to be prepared for the unexpected.
- Bring things to facilitate transition: Think about universal electric plug adaptors, medications or anything else to make you comfortable during the transition.
- Round trip flight: Perú requires an onward travel proof to some of its visitors. To enter the country you will need to proof that you will be exiting it whether by land or air within, at most, 183 days (depending where your passport has been issued).
Visas for Peru
Most of America and Western Europe countries do not require a tourist visa to enter Perú. The maximum length of stay granted by the authorities is 183 days (it cannot be extended).
For a longer stay or with other objectives (business, study, work, etc.) it is necessary to previously apply for the corresponding visa to the Peruvian consulates.
In any case, to enter Perú, it is an essential to present a valid passport. Citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela and Chile can enter with their national identification document.
For more information, refer to our full section on "Passport, Visa & Permits".
Financial Planning for a Move to Peru
On the home front, make sure all bills are paid or have a means of being paid.
- If you are retaining a residence while abroad, make sure the rent/mortgage is taken care of and that utilities are being paid while you are away. Insure that important institutions like your bank are able to reach you.
- If you are retaining a bank in your home country, ask about fees for overseas transactions, and
- If you have a credit card, find out if there are additional fees or any changes you need to make with your account. Inform banking industries that you will abroad so as to not arouse suspicious activity on your account as anti-theft systems can see this activity and put a most inconvenient hold on your account.
Informing the Tax Office of Move to Peru
It is best to inform tax offices of any change in residency. Some countries have reciprocal tax agreements, and others may require you to pay some form of taxes both in your home country and abroad.
National Tax Administrations are an excellent resource to know exactly what steps to take when moving away. In Perú, the National Tax Administration Superintendency (SUNAT in Spanish) is the institution in charge of collecting the main taxes. For example, the General Sales Tax (IGV), which is the tax on the value added at each good/transaction made at different stages of the economic cycle.
For more information, refer to our full section on "Taxes".
Health Planning for Move to Peru
For concerns about your health when abroad, the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes International Travel and Health, which is revised annually and is available online for free. Another excellent resource is MD Travel Health, which provides free and complete travel-health recommendations for every country, and is updated daily.
Vaccinations for Peru
Most travellers will need vaccinations for hepatitis A, typhoid fever and yellow fever, as well as medications for possible diarrhea and altitude sickness. Malaria is recommended for all areas below 2,000 m (6561 ft), including the cities of Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado.
These recommendations only apply for Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu. If you are planning to visit other destinations or Amazonian areas, you should pay special attention into health and vaccinations requirements. Other immunizations may be necessary depending upon the circumstances of the trip and the medical history of the traveller.
Insect repellent is recommended, in conjunction with other measures to prevent mosquito bites.
It is also recommended to visit either a travel health clinic or a personal physician 4-8 weeks before departure.
Remember that long-term travellers who are under regular treatment may not have access to their medical care during their trip. Therefore, it is advised to bring along enough medications for the entire stay.
Update 7/05/2019
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