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Tourist Visa extension in Peru

Tourist Visa extension in Peru

How to extend your tourist visa in Peru

For the past two decades, every few years Peruvian regulations changed, allowing or denying foreigners to extend their stay as a tourist in the country. Since August 2021, foreign tourists cannot extend their time in Peru anymore. 

However, this general “no” for tourist visa extensions was softened with the implementation of new Migraciones administrative regulations, called TUPA, on October 22, 2023, which allow foreign nationals from member countries of the Andean Community, and only these (!), to extend their stay as a tourist again and officially abolished with the new Foreigner Law, Decreto Legislativo 1582 on November 14, 2023.

The new Foreigner Law, Decreto Legislativo 1582, published on November 14, 2023, states that foreign tourists can stay in Peru for 183 accumulated days in a 365-day period; so, half a year within one year. It further describes that in case foreign tourists don't get the full 183 days, an extension can be granted until the 183 days are reached, unless international agreements or conventions determine a shorter period or don't allow extensions.

So, for now, the only foreign nationals, who can extend their stay as a tourist, are Bolivians, Ecuadorians and Colombians, which is stated in the TUPA from October 2023. All other foreign nationals cannot extend their stay as a tourist in Peru. 

Overview

To understand what's going on with tourist visa extensions in Peru, first some important background information about the situation from May 2018 to March 2020 and from March 2020 to August 2021, and then the unpleasant situation since August 2021 and the new development that gives hope for the future since October 2023.

Tourist visa extension in Peru, May 2018 to March 2020

From May 15, 2018 to March 2020, when Covid hit Peru, tourists who got less than the from the 2017 foreigner law allowed 183 days in a 365-day period when entering the country could extend their tourist visa, for those you can enter Peru visa-free the "temporary authorization to enter and stay as a tourist" (which is nothing more than an entry in the Migraciones database while in Peru quick and easy online. The procedure was and still is called "Prórroga de Permanencia - PRPL". However, it seemed that the online extension process was only supposed to work for South American nationals according to bi- and multilateral agreements and Migraciones was a bit surprised to find that all nationalities, some with problems, could suddenly extend online.

Back then, the platform to extend a “tourist visa” was embedded in the Migraciones website - where you still, however unfunctional, can find it - and didn’t work properly. While some foreigners could extend without any problems, others got seemingly never-ending error messages from “no data record found”, to “information of the bank receipt not found”, to “requested extension days invalid”. If the problems were just the result of bad programming or that the system supposedly only was intended to work for some nationalities - which makes sense to me and seems plausible as the Banco de la Nacion payment code with which you paid for the extension under "prorroga permanencia" explicitly stated that this option is only for South Americans - we will never know.

Anyway, in June 2019, it got a bit more complicated - welcome to Peru. The Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs quietly published an updated list showing which nationals need a "real" tourist visa issued by a Peruvian consulate before coming to Peru and which nationals can travel visa-free to Peru and for how long. With this new publication, the general rule to be allowed to stay 183 days in a 365-day period became outdated for most nationalities.

So suddenly and mostly unnoticed, next to Schengen State nationals, many other nationalities including, for example, US and Canadian nationals were only allowed to stay for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Immigration officers increasingly applied the new regulations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, giving many nationalities only the for their nationality allowed 90 days upon entry, which resulted in an increasing number of visitors in need of an extension and challenging the system.

Please see our PDF " Visas for Peru by country and allowed length of stay" at the end of this article to find out how long you can stay visa-free in Peru - this PDF is an English translation of the original from the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which can be found here.

Tourist visa extension in Peru, March 2020 to August 2021

Then, in March 2020, Covid hit Peru, borders and airports were closed from one day to the other and thousands of tourists were stuck in the country for months. The Peruvian government assured all visitors that they can stay in the country, even with an expired "tourist visa" without having to fear any reprisals. As long as Peru is under the State of Emergency “tourist visa” extensions wouldn't be necessary and all overstaying fees would be waved. Additionally, visitors would get a 45-day grace period to leave the country after the State of Emergency is lifted.

Then in mid-2020, Migraciones - back then all offices were still closed - introduced a completely new online platform for Peruvians and foreigners, the Agencia Digital. Since then foreigners can for example change their immigration status (so apply for or change their residence visa), extend their residence visa, apply for different permits (such as the permit to sign contracts), check the status of several procedures, etc. online. One menu point of the Agencia Digital is named “Prórroga de Permanencia”, so the extension of your temporary stay which technically includes the tourist visa / authorization to enter as a tourist.

However, in March 2021 the Supreme Decree 002-2021-IN, which updated and partly changed the Peruvian foreigner law (Decreto Legislativo 1350) from 2017, and in July 2021 a new TUPA, which establishes new administrative regulations and procedures under the jurisdiction of the National Superintendency of Migration, was published. Both new texts lack any information regarding tourist visa extensions and only establish the rules and regulations for extending "real" temporary visas, such as a temporary student visa or the temporary work visa.

Tourist visa extension in Peru, August 2021 to October 2023

Despite still being in a State of Emergency, in mid-August 2021 Migraciones announced that - with air travel being possible for months now - the grace period for foreigners being in the country on an expired tourist visa /authorization to enter as a tourist is over. Starting August 20, 2021 foreigners who are in the country on an expired tourist visa / authorization to enter as a tourist have to pay the overstay fee of S/ 4.40 (0.1% of an UIT) per day they overstayed when leaving.

Furthermore, it was communicated that at the moment, the "tourist visas" of those that are already in the country are not extended anymore. Those visitors only have the option of leaving Peru or applying for a temporary or permanent residency.

Visitors who entered Peru in or after August 2021 might have noticed that they only got 90 days, which - except for a few nationalities - is now the number of days most foreigners are allowed to stay in Peru on a "tourist visa". See below pdf document "Visas for Peru by country and allowed length of stay - October 2021" in the attachments.

And even today nothing changed. Tourists still can NOT extend their tourist visa / authorization to enter as a tourist anymore.

Tourist visa extension in Peru for foreign nationals from member countries of the Andean Community since October 22

As already explained above, since August 2021, foreign nationals - those who can travel to Peru visa-free and those who have a real tourist visa in their passport - cannot extend their stay as a tourist in Peru anymore.

Upon entry all foreign tourists get up to (!) 90 days, which - except for a few nationalities - is the number of days most foreigners are allowed to stay in Peru as a tourist in a 180-day period. But even those few nationalities, who are allowed to stay longer or who have a real tourist visa allowing them to stay longer, still only get up to 90 days upon entry.

However, while the number of days foreign tourist get when they enter the country for now seems to remain at up to 90 days, on October 22, 2023, a new TUPA, a document establishing the Migraciones administrative regulations and procedures, was published.

There you find that now foreign tourists in Peru, whose home country is a member of the Andean Community, which includes Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, can extend their stay as a tourist for up to an additional 90 days if they don’t exceed the maximum allowed stay as a tourist of 183 days per year.

So, if you have a Bolivian, Colombian or Ecuadorean passport you can quite easily extend your stay as a tourist on the Agencia Digital (under Prorraga de permanencia).

All other nationalities be aware that tourist visa extensions are only possible for foreigners from Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador. According to the current regulations, other foreign tourists still cannot extend their stay.

Tourist visa extension in Peru since November 14, 2023

On November 14, 2023, a new Foreigner Law, Decreto Legislativo 1582, was published, stating that foreign tourists can stay in Peru for 183 accumulated days in a 365-day period; so, half a year within one year. It further describes that in case foreign tourists don't get the full 183 days, an extension can be granted, unless international agreements or conventions determine a shorter period or don't allow extensions.

As the current TUPA, which outlines the Migraciones administrative regulations and procedures, still states that only Bolivians, Ecuadorians and Colombians (so, foreigners whose home country belongs to the Andean community) can extend their stay, for other foreign nationals there seems to be international agreements or conventions in place determining a shorter period allowed to stay as a tourist or not allowing extensions.

So, still no tourist visa extensions for most foreign nationals in Peru.

Overstaying as a tourist in Peru

If your allowed time as a tourist in Peru is up, you either have to apply for a temporary or resident visa or leave the country. If you, however, decide to overstay, since January 1, 2025, a fine of S/ 5.35 (0.1% of an UIT) per overstayed day in 202 (S/ 5.15 per overstayed day in 2024) has to be paid when leaving the country.

Our article "Peruvian Overstay Fine for tourists" explains in detail the legal backgrounds of overstaying, consequences of overstaying, and how and where you can pay the overstay fine.

Peruvian Overstay Fine for tourists

Peruvian Overstay Fine for tourists

Legal Stuff
Tourists who stayed longer than the number of days they were given when they entered Peru must pay a fine when leaving the country. While this usua...

 

Please note: We from LimaEasy are not a Peruvian government agency, a public authority or (immigration) lawyers. All information is published to our best knowledge and should be seen as general guidance introducing you to Peruvian regulations and procedures. All information is subject to change, as regulations, requirements, and processes can change quickly without prior notice!

And if you find something wrong on this page, please help us to keep this guide as up to date as possible and contact us either below with a comment or use our contact form. Thank you!

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  • This commment is unpublished.
    Joe Ek
    Joe Ek · 07/06/2022
    Hello Sunflower,
    Thank you for the excellent article! 
    I am a US citizen with a Peruvian fiance. I arrived in Peru on June 14th, 2021. I left February 2nd, 2022. Obviously, I overstayed my visa. Upon departure I paid the overstay fine and even asked the gentleman if I would have any problems returning and he said no. One thing that struck me odd was that the fine did not seem to add up; it seemed as if I only paid for the days past 183 eve though I was given 90 days upon entry. Strange. But anyway I paid the fine without any drama. I have a flight booked for September 10, 2022. This would put me out of Peru for just over 7 months. Do you predict any problems for me? Has enough time passed for me to return without incident? 
    On a side note, I also had my passport renewed so I would be entering with a new passport number. 
    Thank you very much!
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 07/06/2022
      @Joe Ek Hello Joe,

      Thanks a lot for your nice words.

      I’m not sure how they calculated your overstay fee, but when you entered in June 2021, they should have given you 183 days (they only started with enforcing the 90 days at the end of August). Or they only counted your 90 days starting from August 20, 2021, when the grace period for foreigners being in the country on an expired tourist visa /authorization to enter as a tourist was over. Or someone couldn’t count / didn’t know how to calculate the days or was just nice. Not sure.

      Anyway, I think you shouldn’t have any problem re-entering Peru in September and getting 90 days, especially as you are now traveling on a new passport. However, it’s always at the discretion of the immigration officer how many days he/she gives you.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    George
    George · 01/06/2022
    Hi there,

    I entered Peru in August 2021 and overstayed slightly and had to pay a fee as mentioned above. (I’m a UK National).

    What’s the regulations regarding re-entering Peru on a new tourist visa? I heard something about it only being allowed after passing a 365 day period from when you first entered, however I’m not too sure and can’t find official confirmation of this anywhere. I’ll be going back in August this year so wanted to see what might happen before I buy flights and try to re-enter - any thoughts or advice on this?

    Hi there,

    I asked a question a minute ago - forget that as I’ve got more specifics here. Apologies it might seem confusing but I would really like some help with this if possible.

    I arrived in Peru on the 24th July 2021, however left
    on the 21st October 2021 (this was Day 90). I came back in again on 11th December, and stayed on until the 21st February this year.

    I think in the first 180 day period (which was up until the 18th January) I overstayed 40 days, and when I then left in February I paid the fee to leave (no long discussion - simply paid and left for Brazil).

    Now here comes my question! The second 180 day period runs from 19th January until the 21st July, and during that time I stayed only 34 Days. So in total (overall) I stayed 164 days in Peru over the two 180 day periods.

    Now I’m thinking of going back to Peru in August. Having read the regulations mentioned in this thread, it seems that by the time the third 180 day period starts (22nd July), I should be clear to re-enter after this as I stayed 164 out of a possible 180 days. Does this seem right? Also do you think I might be banned from re-entering due to overstaying 40 days before?

    Thanks so much for your help!
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 01/06/2022
      @George Hello George,

      I have combined your two comments.

      Anyway, I can’t give you a 100% guaranteed answer, as there are no regulations on how to count the 180-day periods for those visitors who have overstayed. So, here are just my two cents.

      When you returned to Peru in December 2021, you came back before your first 180-day period was over even though you already stayed the 90 days allowed and, when I calculated correctly, only were given 30 days which you “abused” by overstaying 40 days.

      But, when you return in August 2022, you haven’t overstayed the for tourists allowed maximum 183 days in a year (365 days) as laid down by the Foreigner Law Decreto Supremo 1350. So, in my opinion your third 180-day period should start either on July 19, 2022 (after two 180-day periods as described in the publication of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) or on July 24, 2022 (after 365 days according to the Foreigner Law).

      If you return to Peru in August, you surely won’t be banned from re-entering and, in my opinion, you shouldn’t even have a problem to get another 90 days as a new 180-day period should start. But it’s always up to the immigration officer how he or she interprets the laws and evaluates your situation.

      I wish you all the best.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Spax
    Spax · 31/05/2022
    Hey Sunflower,

    first of all thanks for this very informative article and all the individual visa-related situations you addressed just as meticulously. You can not imagine how incredibly helpful all that input is. I also have a question. 

    I am from Germany and here on a tourist visa. I am planning to overstay my tourist visa for 2-3 weeks. Since I am planning to go on a domestic flight within Peru after my visa is expired..

    1) Will I have to worry about airlines checking my digital entry stamp? Normally not, right? And I also wont have to go past immigrations either on such a flight, right? 
    2) Upon exiting Peru, how likely is it that an immigration officer will impose an entry ban for Peru on me on top of paying the fine for overstaying? Which consequences could such an entry ban have for traveling other countries within South America? 
    3) If I am detained by the police for whatever reason when my visa is expired already, how likely is it that the police officers can check the digital entry stamp on my passport and what would be the consequences if they notice I am overstaying? 

    Thanks and keep up the good work! 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 31/05/2022
      @Spax Hello Spax,

      Thank you so much for your nice words. Great to hear that the information we publish is helpful.

      Answer to question 1

      Usually, there is no need to worry (even though I would), but especially at the airport, there is always a chance that someone will not only check your passport but also have a look at their computer. But it’s not the airline staff, it might be immigration officers doing random checks or police or the narcotics unit or whoever.

      If everything works as usual, at Lima’s airport you check in on the ground floor, then go to the second floor, pass the security check and  turn right to the gates for the national flights. And no, there are no immigration counters. However, there might be staff checking the passports.

      Personally, I wouldn’t fly nationally on an expired tourist visa and won’t recommend it, but under normal circumstances, you shouldn’t have a problem. But who knows …

      Answer to question 2

      If you haven’t overstayed your tourist visa in Peru (excessively) before and just overstayed two or three weeks, it’s extremely unlikely that they will punish you with a re-entry ban. Pay the S/ 4.60 per overstayed day before you leave, don’t start unnecessary discussion with the immigration officer, be friendly and you should be fine. Personally, I think that’s nothing to worry about. And the re-entry ban for Peru won’t affect travel to and in other South American countries.

      Answer to question 3

      Honestly, I can’t answer this question as there are so many variables that are unpredictable. Depending on the situation, police can and might check your immigration status, but if they just stop you for whatever reason, that’s unlikely; if you are arrested probable. If they find out that you overstayed things can go three ways, here as well depending on the severity of the situation: either you can talk your way out of it or you are asked to pay a bribe and they let you go or they go the official route and issue an “orden de salida” (extremely unlikely as you leave in a few days anyway; but it might be used in combination with a threat of jail and deportation to scare you and get more money out of you).

      Enjoy the rest of your time in Peru.

      Greetings

      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Sarah
    Sarah · 29/05/2022
    Hi,

    I returnee to Peru today from the Ecuador border and was thankfully given a month stay. Prior to this I was in Peru from November 2021 to March 2022 and just paid a fine before crossing to Ecuador. I am recently planing to return to Canada for the summer and I asked the lady at immigration if they would allow me to return in September and she said no since the 90 days are over. I am very sad because I started a life here and have a boyfriend as well. I am not sure what my option are to be able to return in the future since it seems that it is only possible until next year. Anybody know or experienced this before? Thank you 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 30/05/2022
      @Sarah Hello Sarah,

      As every country around the globe Peru has laws regulating how long tourists can stay in the country. While for years, Peruvian immigration was quite lax, since August 2021 they seemingly enforce the allowed time foreigners can be in Peru more strictly. So, most nationalities are allowed 90 days in a 180-day period as a tourist; so, up to three months in Peru and at least 3 months out of Peru.

      Unfortunately, you not only overstayed your welcome by at least a month, but additionally re-entered the country before your 180-day period was over. So, you stayed already at least 4 months during your first visit, now you got another month, leaving you with only one month in two 180-day periods.

      While I personally think, you won’t have a problem to enter Peru in September, your return can go two ways: either the immigration officer you have to face, does his/her job by the book and will give you only anything between a few days and a month. Or you are lucky, no-one bothers, and you get another 90 days. The question is if you want to take the risk.

      In my opinion the best would be to wait with your return until November, so a year (two 180-day periods) after you first entered. Then, you can expect to get another 90 days. And if you plan to spend more time in Peru and, as you said, continue with your life here, you should apply for a resident visa. The times of living in Peru on a tourist visa are over.

      Sorry.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Haqdil
    Haqdil · 29/05/2022
    Hello Sunflower.
    First of all thank you very much for the clear information.

    I am a Pakistani living in Germany. My girlfriend is Peruvian. I have been in a relationship for more than 2 years. Since I have a Pakistani passport, I have to apply for a visa every time I want to visit her in Peru. The consulate/embassy of Peru in Germany is aware of my situation as I have applied for a visa there three times already. The last time I was issued a visa valid for one year (Jan 21, 2022 to Jan 20, 2023) with a 183 day stay permit.

    I was in Lima this year on February 15 to March 15th. On March 15th 2022 I have to return to Germany for work and study reasons.

    Now I plan to travel to Peru again in July/August 2022 with the same visa. My visa is valid, but I suspect that it has exceeded the 183 days of the stay permit (which started on February 15 when I first entered Peru this year).
    I don't know how long I can legally stay in Peru (if I go)? or do I also need to apply for an extension? or is there any way to get a longer residence permit (like 2 or 3 years)?

    I asked the consulate here in Germany to give me a longer residence permit so that I don't have to apply for a visa again and again. They answered me that this is not possible.

    Marriage is not an option at the moment because we are both financially unstable. A business is also not possible. But maybe in the future (not right now).
    Can you please give me some information about my situation. I would be very grateful for this.

    Best:
    Haqdil
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 29/05/2022
      @Haqdil Hello Haqdil,

      Usually, tourist visas issued by a Peruvian consulate are single-entry visas; so, you can enter Peru only one (!) time and stay the allowed number of days. Once you leave the country, even when you haven’t stayed the allowed time, you cannot use the visa again and have to apply for a new visa to be able to return. Sometimes, however, multiple-entry visas for tourism purposes are issued by the consulates. With this, you can enter and leave Peru multiple times during its one-year validity as long as you don’t exceed the maximum number of days; so, adding all days of your different visits shouldn't exceed 183 days.

      So, the question is, do you have a single-entry or a multiple-entry tourist visa? If you have a single entry-visa you have to apply for a new one when you travel in July. If you have a multiple-entry visa and just “used” around 1 month, then you can enter Peru again with it and stay up to another 5 months. In case you stay again only once a month, you can return with the same visa, for example, in December and stay another month or until your visa expires in January.

      When I understand your current situation correctly, your center of life at the moment is in Germany and you just come to Peru for short visits. In this case applying for a residence visa makes little sense, as once you got residency you must be in Peru for at least 183 days per year, otherwise you lose your residency again. So, at least for now I don’t see any longer-term visa options for you, simply because you don’t stay long periods of time in the country.

      However, to make your life and your travel to Peru easier, you should apply for a multiple-entry tourist visa in case you don’t have one already. If you already have one, visits to the Peruvian consulate for re-applying are just once a year, so not too bad.

      Sorry.

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Haqdil
      Haqdil · 01/06/2022
      @Sunflower Dear Eva
      Thank you very much for responding in details
      Yes, I have a multiple entry visa for 1 year validity ( I had it twice)
      What I understood that 183 stay permit starts once I enter Peru, either I stay complete 183 or not but then the visa validity will be only up to 183 from the date of entry.

      I asked the embassy about it. Below is the reply
      "Your visa is for multiple entries so you can re-enter during the period
      several times, as long as it does not exceed 183 days in total"

      So does that mean 183 days of total stay ? any time when I am not in Peru is not considered? (as you mentioned above)?

      So there is no other way from which I can ask for Temporary/permanent resident for a longer time?

      Thanks

      Best:
      Haqdil
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 01/06/2022
      @Haqdil Great that you have a multiple-entry visa. Then you can stay in Peru 183 days in a year; so, all days from all your visits are added and shouldn't exceed 183 days. The time you aren't in Peru is not considered.

      As mentioned above, you stayed already one month, now you have 5 more months left until your visa expires. You can stay July and August in Peru, so another 2 months, still leaving you with 3 months that you could spend in Peru until your visa expires.

      And no, there is no way to apply for a resident visa if you aren't in Peru for at least 183 days in a year. If you, however, plan to complete a semester or two in Peru, then you could apply for a temporary or resident student visa which is valid for one year and then has to be extended for which you, of course, have to be in Peru.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Jamin Julie
    Jamin Julie · 25/05/2022
    Hi sunflower, do you have a reliable email address i could use to contact immigration ? Thank you 😊 
  • This commment is unpublished.
    MarkM
    MarkM · 24/05/2022
    Hi sunflower, thanks for the useful article! Wondering if you could advise on my situation. I'm an Australian here on the tourist 90 day visa, already been here for 1.5 months, and need to be here for the month of August which is currently 2 months away (3 months including staying in August).  I have a flight back home end of August, and I'll stay outside of Peru until 183 days have passed when I'll come back with all the necessary documents to apply for a family visa as my finance is Peruvian. So Im deciding if I should leave right away to Chile avoiding any overstay, leave to Chile in a few weeks and risk just a week or so overstay, or just stay and have about 2-3 months overstay. Main concerns are if it will cause any problems 1) getting back in on another tourist visa after the 183 days, and 2) cause any issues applying for the family visa. Do you have an opinion on what would be best?
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 25/05/2022
      @MarkM Hello Mark,

      What a tricky situation.

      You said that you are already in Peru for 1.5 months, so 45 days. That means you entered the country around April 10, and, if you got 90 days, have to leave latest July 9. Correct? So, until the end of August, when you plan to leave, you would overstay less than 2 months.

      I can’t tell you what’s the best, guaranteed successful and less risky way to handle your situation as there are so many unpredictable variables. In my opinion you have two options, which one is the best for you, I don’t know; that’s up to you to decide:

      Option 1

      Just overstay, pay the fine (S/ 4.60 per overstayed day) when you leave and return earliest 90 days after you left. You are allowed to stay a maximum of 90 days in a 183-day period: so, three months in Peru, three months out of Peru. I think, it isn’t necessary to stay out of Peru for half a year, as you wrote. You paid the fine for overstaying your welcome and your infringement should be compensated by that.

      As things stand today (this might or might not change in the future) you shouldn’t have a problem re-entering Peru after your stay in Australia and getting another 90 days. But be aware that it’s always at the discretion of the immigration officer you have to face how many days he or she gives you. If you are having trouble, just schmooze a bit, tell them you are getting married and blablabla. If you don’t overdo it and the immigration officer has a heart, this usually works.

      And again, as things are today (which might change or not) you don’t have a problem applying for your residence visa when you have overstayed your tourist visa before (at least if you haven't overstayed excessively, meaning a year or more).

      Option 2

      Leaving for Chile for me only makes sense if you can ensure that you then don’t overstay. So, let’s assume you leave today. That means you stayed in Peru 45 days of your 90 allowed days in the 183-day period. When you return, you should at least get the remaining 45 days. But, as already mentioned above, it’s always up to the immigration officer, so he or she can give you only 10 days or 30 days or only the remaining 45 or, if you are really lucky, another 90 days.

      If you leave for Chile shortly before your tourist visa expires and try to return before your 183-day period is over, things can go two ways: upon returning to Peru

      - either the immigration officer is doing his/her job by the book, scolds you and only gives you a few days (unfortunately I don’t have feedback on how strict they are at the land borders, at the airport in Lima people usually only get anything between 3 and 30 days in such cases)

      - or you are lucky, no one bothers, and you get another 90 days.

      So, the question is if you are willing to take the risk.

      No matter how you decide, I highly recommend using your time in Peru and in Australia to prepare as much as possible and already get appointments before you return where necessary. When you return to Peru, you only get a max of 90 days and getting through the steps for your marriage, getting your marriage certificate and the Interpol ficha, which you need for your family visa application, takes time which you don’t have and obstacles or delays, which you can’t afford, are nothing uncommon. So, plan ahead and hope everything works smoothly.

      All the best.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Lili
    Lili · 24/05/2022
    Hi Sunflower,

    Do you have any idea how could I possibly get a temporary residency in Peru? I entered as a tourist and I have already overstayed for nearly 3 months. I would like to stay longer and if possible open a business together with my friend, but I am not sure that is possible at the moment while I have an "illegal status". Thanks for the article, it was really helpful 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 24/05/2022
      @Lili Hello Lili,

      As long as you are in Peru on an expired tourist visa, you will have problems getting anything substantial done, but you can still get as much information about options as possible and probably even prepare as much as possible for a possible setup of a company and / or the application for a resident visa.

      Anyway, to apply for residency, you have to be in the country on a valid visa. So, before you can apply, you have to leave the country. The question is if you can fulfil the requirements for a certain resident visa and for which. Married to a Peruvian or child of a Peruvian? Then you could apply for a family visa. Or are you employed by a Peruvian company? Then apply for a work visa. Are you considering studying in Peru? Then the visa formación is the right one… Do you have all necessary documents? If not, try to get them.

      If none of this applies to you, you wrote, you think of opening a business. That’s a good start. For quite some time now it is possible to set up a Peruvian company as a foreigner (be aware that you need a Peruvian (silent) partner who owns a small percentage), then employ yourself as the general manager, get your contract approved by the Peruvian Labor Ministry and then apply for a resident work visa. I highly recommended to discuss the details with a trusted Peruvian notary or lawyer, as you should be aware of all implications and, if you are going this way, need everything to work smoothly.

      So, if no other resident visa fits you, in your situation I would first contact a notary (or lawyer) and prepare as much as possible for setting up your company on your expired tourist visa. Once all the preparation work is done, you need to leave the country, return to Peru and hope that the immigration officer you have to face gives you enough days to complete the setup of your company, get your contact approved and apply for your visa.

      I wish you all the best.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Alex
    Alex · 28/04/2022
    I entered Peru on March 20, 2022. I would like to stay more than 90 days, but have not budgeted for the fees I would accrue. If I leave at or just before my 90 days are up, and go to Ecuador, how soon could I come back to Peru for another 90 days? 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 28/04/2022
      @Alex Hello Alex,

      According to a publication by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE) which you can find at the end of this article above the comments as “Attachment” in an English translation or here as original, most nationalities can stay up to 90 days in a 180-day period in Peru as tourists; so you can stay up to three months in Peru and then have stay at least three months out of Peru.

      If you leave Peru and try to re-enter the country before your 180-day period is over or rather before your three months you are supposed to stay outside Peru, two things can happen:

      - either the immigration officer you have to face doesn't bother and just lets you in giving you another 90 days

      - or he/she is doing his/her job by the book, might give you a hard time (so be prepared for some discussion) and only allows you to return to Peru for a few days.

      As land borders only opened in mid-February 2022, after being closed for nearly 2 years, I can’t tell you how strict or relaxed the officials are there at the moment. Over the past months travelers, who already stayed their allowed 90 days in a 180-day period, reported that when trying to re-enter the country at Lima’s airport (!) before their 180-day period was over, that they were scolded and only given anything between 7 and 30 days.

      So, leaving Peru and trying to re-enter a few days later is a huge gamble which might not pay off taking the costs for travel to Ecuador, staying there, the stress and uncertainty into account.

      If you want to make sure that you get another 90 days, only come back to Peru three months after you left.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Sara
    Sara · 23/03/2022
    Hi Sunflower,

    I am currently staying in Peru with no visa, as my plan was to leave before 90 days. I want to travel to Bolivia via land border, but now it looks like I will be leaving at the 90th or 91th day. So maybe there will be one day overstaying. Should I try to avoid this, or can I just pay the fee? (I don't mind that, but want to make sure I can cross the border). 

    Have a nice day!

    Sara
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 23/03/2022
      @Sara Hello Sara,

      As you are leaving exactly 90 days after you entered Peru or probably just overstay a day, I, personally, would do nothing at all, just proceed to immigrations at the border and see if they even bother. However, as the land borders just re-opened in mid-February I'm not sure how strict they are.

      So, as you probably will travel by bus and try to avoid any complications and delays at the border, it might be a good idea that, in case you overstayed, you pay the fine for the one overstayed day of S/ 4.60 beforehand on pagalo.pe. So, if immigrations tries to give you a hard time because of the one overstayed day, just show them your payment receipt. That should end all discussions.

      Have a nice trip.

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sara Vestergaard
      Sara Vestergaard · 23/03/2022
      @Sunflower Hi Eva,

      Thank you so much. I will pay the fee just to be sure 😊

      Thank you!

      Kind regards,
      Sara 
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Margharita
    Margharita · 16/03/2022
    Hello Sunflower,

    First of all, thank you for all the information you have provided :)

    I entered Peru in October last year and received a 90-day visa. Strangely enough, the border control officer assured me that it was possible to extend to 183 days - I only found out later that this option was not valid at that point in time anymore.

    Since I had planned to stay longer than 90 days anyway, I contacted MIGRACIONES through their online chat to inquire about my options. I was informed that I could stay simply longer paying the daily fee of 4.60 Soles until accumulating 183 days.

    My question is, what could possibly happen if I overstayed another 30 days or so? Would I just have to pay the fee of [(183+30)-90]*4.6 soles? Most likely I would be unable to return within a year, that's clear to me. But apart from that, could there be any other, more severe, legal actions (such as "salida obligatoria del pais" etc.)?

    Thank you for your time.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 17/03/2022
      @Margharita Hello Margharita,

      I’m always stunned at how “creative” the answers of Peruvian immigration officers and Migraciones are. Often, they lack any legal or factual basis and just show a huge deficit of knowledge regarding the Peruvian foreigner law, publications of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, current regulations, and changes.

      Anyway, at the moment, most foreign nationals are allowed to stay in Peru as a tourist 90 days; there is no extension and no overstaying until having accumulated 183 days isn’t that bad or a big deal.

      You should be aware that from the day your tourist visa (which isn’t a “real” visa, but rather an authorization to enter for tourism purposes for x days) expires, you are illegally in the country. The Peruvian foreigner law speaks of a “situación migratoria irregular”.

      However, as things stand today, Migraciones is quite lax regarding foreigners overstaying. No matter if they overstay a week, a month, 3 months, half a year, or even a year, they usually just have to pay a fine - which is the first level of sanctions - of S/ 4.60 (2022) per overstayed day when leaving and won’t get sanctioned in any other way.

      But, you never know what happens; regulations and their execution can change from one day to another, or for whatever reason you are checked by not so friendly police or immigration officers, or you are at the wrong time, in the wrong place, with the wrong person and this with an expired visa. Not good. And then level 2 (salida obligatoria with re-entry ban for up to 5 years or without) or level 3 (expulsion with re-entry ban for up to 15 years or without) sanctions that the Peruvian foreigner law (Decreto Legislativo 1350, see article 54, 57 and 58) stipulates could or might be enforced.

      Nevertheless, when it comes to foreigners, officials are instructed to always use the principle of proportionality and first always the “mildest measure”, which would be the overstay fine. And personally, I only know of a few cases who got a re-entry ban for excessively, meaning a year and more, overstaying and just a handful of people who were sanctioned with a salida obligatoria /deportation (mostly for being involved in criminal activity, not following Peruvian laws, etc.)

      So, all in all, while I highly recommend not overstaying your welcome and respecting the time you were given to stay in Peru, honestly, as things are today (!!!), it doesn’t make a difference if you overstay 90 or 120 days. The situation is the same, the possible consequences as well. Before leaving, you have to pay the S/ 4.60 per overstayed day.

      Let’s assume you entered Peru on October 15, 2021, and got 90 days, which means you can stay until January 13, 2022. Starting January 14, 2022, for every day you stay longer you have to pay the S/ 4.60. Let’s assume you leave on April 14, 2022, you have to pay for 90 days overstaying, so  S/ 414; or if you stay until May 4, 2022 (calculated from January 14 you overstayed 110 days) you have to pay S/ 506.

      To pay the fine you can either walk up to immigrations at the airport or at the border, they will calculate the overstayed days for you, and you pay the fine at the Banco de la Nacion branch or online on pagalo.pe, return to them and then usually can leave. Or you calculate the overstayed days yourself, enter pagalo.pe, on the top of the page select “Migraciones” and then “00675 Multa Extranjeros - Exceso Permanencia (por dia)”, on the next page under concepto choose the year 2022, enter your passport number and the number of days you overstayed and pay. When leaving Peru, just show the payment receipt.

      Greetings
      Eva


    • This commment is unpublished.
      Margharita
      Margharita · 17/03/2022
      @Sunflower Hello Eva,

      Thank you so much for your detailed answer. I very much appreciate that.

      I overstayed once before, in 2014. Of course, as you mentioned, Peruvian regulations were somewhat different back then. It really was not much of an issue to pay the fee and pass the migrations office in the airport.

      However, considering the recent regulatory changes after the pandemic, I felt like things have become a little more strict - especially when exceeding 183 days within a 365-day period.

      As from what I know, and as already mentioned by you, the Decreto Legislativo N°1350 is the current regulation in action, where chapter 2 (De las conductas y sanciones a nacionales y extranjeros) states the possible sanctions that may be implemented by migraciones. Perhaps you could kindly share your point of view on the following information?

      Article 56 ("Multa") A states that a foreigner will have to pay a fee (0.1 % of UIT per day) when having overstayed at the moment of departing from Peru. This sounds a lot like the situation of a tourist arriving at the airport and having overstayed an X amount of days.

      Article 57 ("Salida obligatoria del país") B states that a foreigner will be prompted to leave Peru in case the granted duration of stay was exceeded and not extended within the stipulated period. That somehow sounds a lot like Article 56 A; However, I understand that Article 57 B is rather applied to cases when e.g. a "carné de extranjería" was not renewed within the necessary period (every 2 years or so). Perhaps I should also add that a tourist "visa" de facto cannot be extended, hence Article 57 cannot be applied to somebody with a tourist visa.

      Article 58 seems mainly applicable to tough cases such as using false travel documents, comitting certain crimes, and ignoring the request to leave the country (Article 57).

      Well, these are my interpretations and I am far from being a specialist in migratory law :D
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 17/03/2022
      @Margharita Hi again,

      I’m not an immigration specialist or lawyer either and my interpretation as well as yours (sorry) is irrelevant, but it’s important that we know the laws in case we need them. Unfortunately, the person in charge is the immigration officer you have to face when you enter or leave; you are at his or her mercy and can only pray that he/she knows the current regulations and has a heart.

      Additionally, yes, Migraciones tries for ages to regulate and organize immigration issues and enforce the laws. But whenever they closed a loophole, another would pop up, something unforeseen would happen, and corruption plays a part as well. But since August 2021 they really seem to be stricter, however land borders just opened a month ago and it will be interesting to see if and how enforcing the stricter regulations work there.

      Article 56 just lists the cases for which foreigner can be sanctioned. For example a) exceso de permanencia (excess of your temporary stay, so overstaying your tourist visa). And yes, according to the law the fine has to be paid “at the moment” you leave the country. But the law is from 2017. Back then, pagalo.pe wasn’t a thing, and you just went to the airport or border. The immigration officer would give you a piece of paper with the days you overstayed and send you to the nearest Banco de la Nacion to pay. You returned with the receipt and could leave (you still can do it this way today). Now, you as well can pay before going to the airport / border or at the immigration counter with the pagalo.pe app.

      As already mentioned above, the payment of the fine for overstaying is a first level sanction, the mildest measure to penalize those visitors staying longer than allowed; and everyone overstaying no matter the time has to pay.

      Then, you have another sanction, let’s call it level 1.5, that isn’t mentioned in the foreigner law in this context (only in the context of the salida obligatoria and the expulsion), the re-entry ban. No matter how long you overstayed, additionally to the overstay fine, the immigration officer can penalize you for overstaying and impose an entry ban for half a year or a year or two years... It’s completely up to him/her. Someone just recently posted a comment (not sure if it was here on the visa extension page or elsewhere on LimaEasy) sharing that he overstayed once for quite some time, just paid the fine and left with no further problems and then overstayed excessively another time and got a re-entry ban.

      Article 57 explains in which cases a salida obligatoria can be imposed on foreigners. b) is not meant for foreign residents (carné holders), but for foreigners who are in “an irregular migratory situation because of exceeding their temporary stay (“encontrase en situación migratoria irregular por exceder el tiempo de permanencia”), so exactly for people like you who overstayed their tourist visa. Nowhere does the text mention “extension”, but “regularización”, so getting your immigration status in order. This could be done by extending your tourist visa, which isn’t possible anymore, or by applying for a resident visa.

      So, yes, if you overstay your tourist visa, legally it’s possible to order a compulsory departure. Is it common? No. As the salida obligatoria doesn’t make sense when you are already at the airport or border leaving the country and Migraciones doesn’t look for overstayers, they first have to find you when you are in Peru. Usually that doesn’t happen. But if you for whatever reasons end up in a random police control, have an accident, or whatever when being in Peru on an expired tourist visa, a compulsory departure - though rare - is a possible measure (or a threat a not so nice official could use to convince you to better support him financially).

      Article 58 yes, exactly

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Margharita
      Margharita · 23/07/2022
      @Sunflower Hello Sunflower,

      It's been a while since I asked you for advice here. However, in the meantime, I returned to Europe (without any issues), and I'd like to report my experience regarding overstaying in Peru on a tourist visa. I hope that may be of help to any fellow tourists, even though I recommend not overstaying as a tourist in Peru.

      As mentioned above, I arrived in Lima in October 2021, expecting to be able to stay in Peru for a maximum number of 180 days. However, shortly after my arrival, I learned that tourist visas are now only issued for a maximum number of 90 days. Since I had not planned to return to Europe before April 2022, I contacted the Superintendencia de Migraciones and asked for advice. I was told that I could overstay and that I'd only have to pay a daily fee of 0.1 % UIT per day (approx. 4.60 soles). I ended up staying in Peru until late May 2022, therefore overstaying a total number of 120 days.
      Once at the airport, I only had to pay the corresponding fee at Migraciones, and I was free to board my plane. The officer at Migraciones only indicated that I overstayed quite long and that regulations had recently changed (max. 90 days of stay on a tourist visa instead of 180 days as before). Apart from that, he was really nice and understanding. Though other officers may respond differently, who knows!
      Due to my long overstay, I was afraid that I may be banned to come back to Peru for a certain amount of time. However, I inquired with the officer, who said there was no issue at all considering I had paid my fee of 120*4.6 soles.

      What did I learn? Well, it's always good to thoroughly review Peru's travel regulations for tourists, as they seem to change quite frequently.

      Happy travelling!
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 23/07/2022
      @Margharita Hello Margharita,

      so good hearing from you again. And a huge "Thank you" for sharing your experience with us which surely is extremely helpful for others in similar situations.

      I'm so happy that despite overstaying for 4 months, you ended up with a nice immigration officer and everything went well.

      Thanks again.

      Greetings
      Eva
  • This commment is unpublished.
    Charles
    Charles · 11/03/2022
    Hi Sunflower,
    I've read through this entire thread and first want to say that all the information and answers you've provided are incredible. Something that I haven't seen mentioned here is the how to extend one's visa by crossing a land border. For example, crossing the Peru/Ecuador border from Tumbes to Huaquillas. Do you know anything about that?
    I came to Peru last year, and my stay expired November 20. I came to Peru for my girlfriend, I proposed while I was here, and now we're going to get married. I've already had many additional expenses related to the wedding, and my budget is extremely limited. So, I'm considering leaving by land to save money.
    Do you have any knowledge on this? Anything you can share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 11/03/2022
      @Charles Hello Charles,

      Thank you so much for your nice words. You made my day! And congratulations on getting engaged.

      As this article was first written and intended to inform about the “real” visa extension that was possible between May 2018 and March 2020 for those that didn’t get their 183 days when they entered and then was regularly updated and as crossing the border to get a new tourist visa technically isn’t an extension, it never came to my mind to add the border-hopping option here. But you are right, as things stand today, mentioning it here as well makes sense. So, thank you for your input.

      I already wrote a few paragraphs about border hopping on our Tourist visa page. In short: Since August 2021, when Migraciones started counting again and you could only enter Peru by plane (the land borders were still closed) travelers, who already stayed their allowed 90 days in a 180-day period, reported that when trying to re-enter the country at Lima’s airport before their 180-day period was over, that they were scolded and only given anything between 7 and 30 days.

      As land borders only re-opened in mid-February 2022, we will have to see if and how the stricter rules are applied there. Be aware that it’s always at the discretion of the immigration officer you have to face if you may enter at all and how many days you get.

      In your case, it’s still a gamble to try returning to Peru when you haven’t stayed outside at least 3 months, but in my opinion, your chances are not so bad; the question is, how many days are you getting.

      As, depending on the days you are given, time is an issue (even if you get another 90 days, time might be short), personally I would try to arrange everything possible before I leave. So, get all your papers and other necessary documents for your marriage ready, best try to get a date, then have everything ready for the family visa application (best get already now an appointment for the Ficha de Canje from Interpol), so once you are married and get your marriage certificate, you can immediately without losing valuable time you might not have, apply for your residence visa (your tourist visa must (!!!) still be valid at that point).

      When you return to Peru, be nice and friendly, have copies of all the papers and anything proving that you are engaged, plan to marry as soon as you are back in Peru and then apply for your residency with you. If necessary and you have to discuss with the immigration officer and / or bargain for every single day, you have some proof in your hands and can show the officer “look, my Interpol appointment is on that day, I marry on this day …. Then cross your fingers that the immigration officer has a heart and gives you at least 30 but hopefully another full 90 days.

      All the best!

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 11/03/2022
      @Sunflower
      Charles, what I completely forgot. When I understood correctly, your visa is already expired since November. So before you can leave, you have to pay for each overstayed day in 2021 S/ 4.40 and for each overstayed day in 2022 S/ 4.60. You can do so at the border at a Banco de la Nacion branch (might not be directly at the border, might be closed at the time you are crossing) or pay on pagalo.pe under Migraciones - 00675 Multa extranjeros exceso de permanencia (pro dia) - choose correct year.

    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sigurd
      Sigurd · 03/05/2022
      @Sunflower For Pagalo.pe, do you need a Peruvian credit card or how is the payment submitted practically? On some Peruvian web sites, they don't accept international Visas and MasterCard. While others do. 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 03/05/2022
      @Sigurd Hello Sigurd,

      Any - Peruvian or international - Visa, Master or American Express debit or credit card is accepted.

      You find more info about paying with pagalo.pe in our article Paying administration charges and processing fees in Peru.

      Greetings
      Eva

  • This commment is unpublished.
    Aude
    Aude · 09/03/2022
    Hello! 
    I’m writing to you hoping you could help me with my case. 
    I’m French married with a Peruvian in feb 22. 
    We are still waiting for our “acta de matrimonio”delivered by reniec to change my status : Cambio de calidad migratoria résidente por la de familiar residente.
    The pb is that my tourist visa will expire soon and I have a flight ticket to France in April 4th ( for personal reason I have to go back to my Country but I don’t want to wait another 3monts to come back to Peru) . 
    Can I apply while I’m in Peru and go to France waiting for the answer ? 
    Thank you for your help. Have a good day 

    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 09/03/2022
      @Aude Hello Aude,

      You have two options:

      If you get your marriage certificate at least a week before you leave Peru, you can apply for your residency. However, be aware that for doing so you need among others the background check from your home country (with Apostille and certified translation; if you don’t have this document, you can’t apply and have to get it when you are in France) and the Interpol check (Ficha de canje) in Peru (if you don’t have it yet, try to get an appointment as soon as possible; in case you can’t get it before you leave, make it for the time when you are back).

      So, in case you have all documents together a week or so before leaving, apply for your family visa, correct make the Cambio de calidad migratoria résidente por la de familiar residente on the Agencia Digital. Once you have the confirmation mail, your visa application is in process.

      To leave the country during the application process, you have to apply for a travel permit (Autorización de Estadía fuera del País) which allows you to exit and re-enter Peru within 30 days. If you plan to stay longer outside the country, then it doesn’t make sense to apply for your residency before you leave, as your application will be canceled and you have to start from scratch once you are back in Peru.

      And you don’t really wait in France for the approval. Officially, your visa application process is supposed to be on hold while you are outside the country. Once you re-enter with the travel permit the process continues. But as processing times at the moment are anything between one and three months anyway, you won’t notice a difference.

      Your other option is to leave Peru without starting the visa application process and return whenever you have planned to do so. If it’s before the 90 days you have to be outside Peru are over, be nice to the immigration officer, tell him that you just married and couldn’t apply for your residency because time was running out, show him your Acta de Celebración de Matrimonio which you have gotten from the municipality or any other proof and hope that he or she will give you a month or so which gives you enough time to apply for your residency (prepare all documents needed / make the Interpol appointment already now, so you are not running out of time again). Once you filled in the application on the Agencia Digital and you received the confirmation date of your application, you are fine and don’t have to worry if your tourist visa expires during the time it takes until your residency is approved.

      Greetings
      Eva


  • This commment is unpublished.
    Charles
    Charles · 01/03/2022
    Comment 1 so sorry I'm super confused is the change of status on pagalo.pe where I pay my overstay fee.

    Comment 2: Hola sunflower, I would really appreciate your help I would like to pay my overstay fee, but I'm having trouble finding the correct form or links seem to be broken.
    Also if at this stage or after making a payment I can apply for a carnet? and what are the options I have?
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 01/03/2022
      @Charles
      Hello Charles,

      first of all, I put both of your comments here.

      Then, you can pay the overstay fee at any Banco de la Nacion branch (as well the one in the airport) or on pagalo.pe. If you pay online at the top of the page under "Que tramite deseas pagar" select Migraciones and then in the drop-down menu "00675-Multa Extranjeros - Exceso Permanencia (Por Día)"; under concepto choose the year. If you need more help, check out our article "Paying" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.limaeasy.com/peru-guide/legal-stuff/paying-administration-charges-and-processing-fees-in-peru">Paying administration charges and processing fees in Peru" where we explain the system in detail.

      The overstay fee has to be paid before leaving the country. It's a fine for staying in Peru longer than allowed and makes it possible for you to exit the country without further consequences.

      Paying the fine doesn't "renew" your tourist visa. But to apply for a resident visa (change your immigration status)/ carné you have to be in Peru on a valid (tourist) visa which you do not achieve by paying the overstay fee.

      So, if you are right now in Peru on an expired tourist visa, you have to leave the country and re-enter in a few months to get a new tourist visa. Only then can you apply for a resident visa (change your immigration status)/ carné (the only exception from this would be if you can arrange a regulation of your immigration status with Migraciones)

      Greetings
      Eva


  • This commment is unpublished.
    BURT
    BURT · 27/02/2022
    Hi Sunflower,
    I'm Australian and similarly have only been allowed 90days which is due to expire in a few day. I was planning to get married before this time period however unforeseen circumstances such as covid infection,  as well as my partner still being in hospital prevent this happening. My question is, now that I will be 'illegal' I assume I  will not be allowed to either marry nor get a extension of the 90 days entry? Is there a way to extend so I can get married? If I do stay longer is it still possible to get married or as an illegal is that not possible? Information is extremely hard to obtain digitally. Regards Burt
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 27/02/2022
      @BURT Hello Burt,

      First of all, I hope you are doing good, and your partner is getting better soon.

      Yes, Australians as many other nationalities are only allowed to stay as tourists 90 days in a 183-day period.

      Once your “tourist visa” expires, you are illegal in Peru. From that day on, your options are extremely limited. Most municipalities won’t allow you to marry, or even if, they might ask for a “permit to sign contracts” so you can sign your marriage certificate which you can’t get on an expired “tourist visa”. And even if you manage to get married, you can’t apply for a residence visa (change your status from tourist to family resident) when you are in the country on an expired visa.

      And as far as I know, no matter the circumstances Migraciones won’t do extensions at the moment. However, you could always try to get in contact with them (try to call or use the chat on the Agencia Digital), explain your case and ask what options you have. Personally, I fear they can’t and won’t do anything.

      So, the point is to find a tolerable solution for you and your partner. So, have you already started to prepare for your marriage (see our article “Marrying in Peru")?  Have you already talked to the municipality you plan to marry? Do you already have all necessary documents? Do you already have the medical certificate? Or ideally, do you already have a date?

      Personally, I think your only option is to leave Peru (best as long as your “tourist visa” is still valid; if not, so be it) and then return after a few days. Yes, you will return before your 183-day period is over and it’s uncertain how many days the immigration officer you have to face will give you when re-entering (other travelers reported they got anything between only 7 and 30 days). So be prepared that you might get scolded by the immigration officer, might have to explain your case, might have to beg for every single day. So, anything proving that you planned to marry when you first entered, that you and your partner got sick, that you already have done some preparation work for your marriage, etc. might be helpful, so you get as many days as possible. If it works? I don’t know, but it’s the only chance I see.

      Before you leave Peru make sure that you can get married in the time frame you may get when re-entering. So, prepare as much as somehow possible, best have a date and then cross your fingers that the immigration officers has a heard.

      Greetings
      Eva
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Burt
      Burt · 27/02/2022
      @Sunflower Thankyou for your well wishes, speedy and honest reply. As I imagined this would be the case. I have been coming here for 12 years now and have found that in the land of Adidas anything is possible, however, this is become more and more like a bad Adidas copy from Gamara. Cheers and best regards Burt
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 27/02/2022
      @Burt Sorry. I wish you all the best and hope that everything somehow works out for you.
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Abram
      Abram · 27/02/2022
      @Burt @Burt Yes anything is possible here in Peru as long as you have money. This is Peru not United States of America. I’ve been overstay here in Peru until I get married, they allowed in municipality as long your documents are apostille and translated in Spanish 
    • This commment is unpublished.
      Sunflower
      Sunflower
      • LimaEasy
       · 28/02/2022
      @Abram Hello Abram,

      Having money? Is this a nice paraphrase for bribing someone or paying an immigration lawyer enough money that he is handing out the bills at the right place?

      Yes, as everyone who is familiar with Peru knows, unfortunately bribing someone at the right place can work until it doesn’t and you are in real trouble. We from LimaEasy and I personally do not support corruption and give advice based on current Peruvian laws / regulations and my personal experience.

      As mentioned above, there are municipalities that might allow you to marry on an expired tourist visa (no need to bribe someone), but what comes after that? At the latest, when you try to apply for your residency - one requirement is to be on a valid visa / be legal in Peru - you hit yet another wall. While bribing someone at a municipality in my opinion is already bad enough, when buying off someone at Migraciones (as well through an immigration lawyer) to forget about this little requirement, you enter dangerous territory.

      However, everyone must decide for themselves if greasing someone’s palm is the right way to go, start a marriage and a life in a new country.

      Greetings
      Eva

      P.S. I only published one of your two comments as both were the same.

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