Carné de Extranjería – Peru’s ID Card for foreigners

The Carné, officially the Carné de Extranjería or abbreviated CE, is an ID card for foreigners in Peru. It is issued by Migraciones after the application of a residence visa was approved and accredits its owner as a legal resident of the country.

Like the DNI the Carné is a personal and non-transferable document recognized by the Peruvian State in most cases (administrative, civil, commercial and judicial) as form of identification for a foreigner in Peru (rarely a passport is required additionally).

Next to confirming the identity of a foreigner, the CE card verifies that a foreigner lives legally in Peru for a limited or indefinite period of time and is allowed to work, start a business or study (depending on the visa type), open bank accounts, take out loans, have access to the public health system, get a postpaid cell phone plan and much more.

The Carné is a credit card sized card and contains:

• Type of residence visa (for example family, work, student (now called formación), retirement visa, …)
• Photo
• Personal data such as given name(s), surname(s), nationality, date of birth, sex, civil status, address, fingerprint of right index finger and signature
• Carné de Extranjería number (memorize it, you will need it often)
• Passport number
• Date of inscription in the Peruvian foreigner registry
• Date of issue of the card
• Expiration date of the card (caducidad)
• Expiration date of residence visa (vencimiento residencia)

CE holders should know the Carné is linked to their passport. So, if you get a new passport or if any other of your data changes (name, civil status, address, if applicable employer, educational institution or religious order, etc.) Migraciones must be informed about it within 30 calendar days.

Another point that quite often causes confusion is related to the different dates on the card.

• Fecha de Inscripción: is usually around the date the application for a residence visa was approved and you were registered in the Peruvian foreigner registry
• Fecha de Emissión: is the date the card was issued
• Caducidad CE: is the date your Carné, so the card itself, expires (not your residence visa!). The card is usually valid 4 years (minors 3 years) or 5 years in case of permanent residents.
• Vencimiento Residencia: is the date your residence visa expires. Most often it’s not printed on the card anymore and you have to check online. Depending on the type of visa you have, the residency has to be renewed every 1 or 2 years even though the card itself is still valid. If you don’t renew your residency on time, expect to pay a hefty fine next to jeopardizing your residency.