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

On the front you find the following information:

• Carné de Extranjería: your Peruvian ID number (memorize it, you will need it often)
• Photo
• Personal data
  • Apellidos: surname(s)
  • Nombres: first name(s)
  • Nacionalidad: nationality
  • Fecha de nacimiento: date of birth
  • Sexo: gender; M for masculino (male); F for feminino (female)
  • Estado civil: civil status; S for soltero (single); C for casado (married); D for divorciado (divorced); V for viudo (widowed)
  • Documento de viaje: passport number
• Calidad migratoria: type of residence visa you have, for example, familiar de residente (family visa); trabajador temporal or trabajador residente (temporary or resident work visa), formación temporal or formación residente (temporary or resident student visa); rentista (retirement visa); …)
• Emissión: date the card was issued
• Caducidad: expiration date of the card

On the back you find the following information:

• Vencimiento de Residencia: expiration of your residence visa
• Departmento/Provincia/Distrito/Dirección: your current address
• Indice derecho: fingerprint
• QR code

One point that quite often causes confusion is related to the different dates on the card. Be aware that

• the Fecha de Emissión is the date the card was issued
• the Caducidad is the date your Carné, so the card itself, expires (not your residence visa!). The card is usually valid for 4 years, minors 3 years or 5 years in case of permanent residents.
• the Vencimiento de Residencia is the date your residence visa expires. It's not printed on the card anymore and you have to check online. Depending on the type of visa you have, the residence permit is only valid for 1 or 2 years and then must be renewed. Even though the carné (card)  itself is still valid without a valid residence visa it's worth nothing. If you don’t renew your residence visa on time, expect to pay a hefty fine next to jeopardizing your residency.

You should as well be aware that the Carné is linked to your 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.) you must inform Migraciones within 30 days and apply for a so-called "Actualización de datos” with or without the issuance of a new Carné.