Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Peru Property Pack
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Yes, foreigners can buy residential property in Peru under the same rules as Peruvian citizens, with one important exception: you cannot own property within 50 kilometers of Peru's borders.
However, buying a home in Peru does not give you any automatic right to residency or citizenship, so you will need a separate visa pathway if you want to live there long-term.
We constantly update this blog post to reflect the latest regulations from Peru's Migraciones agency and any changes to nationality laws.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Peru.
Insights
- Peru's 50-kilometer border restriction is constitutional and strictly enforced, meaning foreigners cannot buy property near the Chilean border in Tacna or near Ecuador in Tumbes without a rare government exemption.
- Unlike Portugal or Spain, Peru has no "golden visa" program where buying property grants you residency, so foreign buyers must qualify through income, work, or business investment instead.
- The Rentista visa in Peru requires proof of at least 1,000 USD per month in passive income, plus an additional 500 USD per month for each dependent you bring.
- Peru's investor residency is designed for business owners who commit to creating at least 5 jobs for Peruvians, not for people who simply want to buy a home.
- After 3 consecutive years of legal residency in Peru, you can apply for permanent resident status, which reduces the paperwork burden of annual renewals.
- Peru's naturalization rules currently require just 2 years of consecutive legal residence, making it one of the faster citizenship timelines in South America.
- A new nationality law (Ley 32421) was published in August 2025 and may increase the residency requirement to 5 years once its implementing regulations take effect.
- All property purchases in Peru must be registered with SUNARP (the national registry) to be legally recognized, which protects your ownership rights but requires working with a notary.
- Lima neighborhoods like Miraflores, San Isidro, and Barranco are the most popular with foreign buyers because they offer strong rental demand and are nowhere near restricted border zones.
Can buying property help me get permanent residency in Peru?
Does buying a property qualify or at least help for residency in Peru?
As of early 2026, buying residential property in Peru does not qualify you for any residency visa because Peru simply does not have a program that links home ownership to immigration status.
There is no minimum property investment amount that unlocks residency in Peru, since property purchase is not a qualifying route under any current Migraciones procedure.
That said, owning a home in Peru can indirectly help your residency application by showing ties to the country, a stable address, and genuine intent to settle, which immigration officers may view favorably when you apply through a real visa category like Rentista or work permit.
If you want a money-based path to residency in Peru, your realistic options are the Rentista visa (requiring 1,000 USD per month in passive income) or the Investor visa (requiring business capital and a commitment to create local jobs).
Is there any residency visa directly linked to property ownership in Peru right now?
As of early 2026, Peru does not offer any residency visa that is directly linked to buying property, so there is no "golden visa" or real estate investment visa program in the country.
Buying a primary residence (your main home) in Peru does not qualify you for residency because Peruvian immigration law treats home ownership and immigration status as completely separate matters.
Similarly, buying a rental or investment property in Peru does not unlock any special visa, since the Investor visa category is designed for business operations and job creation rather than passive real estate ownership.
Can real estate investment lead to citizenship in Peru?
Can property investment directly lead to citizenship in Peru?
Property investment does not directly lead to citizenship in Peru because the country has no citizenship-by-investment program that accepts real estate purchases as a qualifying pathway.
A higher property investment amount will not accelerate your citizenship timeline in Peru, since citizenship eligibility is based entirely on years of legal residency, not on how much money you spend on real estate.
The typical timeline from arriving in Peru to citizenship eligibility is currently around 2 years if you maintain consecutive legal residence, though this may increase to 5 years once the new nationality law's regulations take effect.
The key difference in Peru is that there is no citizenship-by-investment shortcut: everyone must go through the naturalization process, which requires actually living in the country under a valid visa for the required period.
Is citizenship automatic after long-term residency in Peru?
Citizenship is not automatic in Peru: after meeting the residency requirement, you must submit a formal application to Migraciones and wait for discretionary approval.
Under the current operational rules, you need a minimum of 2 consecutive years of legal residency in Peru before you can apply for citizenship, though this may change to 5 years once the new law's regulations are finalized.
Peru does not require a formal language test or civic knowledge exam for naturalization, but you will need to demonstrate ties to the country, a clean criminal record, and proof of continuous legal residence.
Processing times for citizenship applications in Peru vary, but applicants should expect several months of review once all documents are submitted to Migraciones.
What are the real requirements to become a citizen in Peru?
Do I need physical presence for citizenship in Peru right now?
Yes, Peru requires "consecutive" legal residence for citizenship eligibility, which in practice means you should plan to spend most of each year physically present in the country.
The physical presence requirement is calculated based on maintaining uninterrupted legal resident status, so extended absences could break your consecutive residence count and reset your timeline.
Authorities verify physical presence through your entry and exit stamps, your Carnet de Extranjeria records, and documentation of your address and activities in Peru.
There are no standard exemptions to the physical presence requirement for naturalization in Peru, so if citizenship is your goal, you should treat Peru as your primary home.
Can my spouse and kids get citizenship too in Peru in 2026?
As of early 2026, spouses and children do not automatically receive citizenship when the main applicant naturalizes, but Peru does have family-related nationality pathways that may apply depending on your situation.
Family members generally need to establish their own legal basis for residency and meet the requirements independently, though the new nationality law may introduce specific provisions for spouses and minor children once its regulations are published.
Minor children (under 18) of a naturalized Peruvian citizen may have simplified pathways, but the specific rules depend on the implementing regulations of Ley 32421 which are still being finalized.
Spouses may face additional requirements such as proving the duration and legitimacy of the marriage, and the specific conditions will become clearer once Peru's new nationality regulations are officially in force.
What are the most common reasons citizenship is denied in Peru?
The most common reason citizenship applications are denied in Peru is insufficient proof of continuous legal residence, such as gaps in your immigration status, overstays, or periods where your visa category was unclear.
Two other frequently cited reasons for denial are criminal or judicial record issues (Peru increasingly emphasizes security screening) and document authenticity problems like inconsistencies in paperwork or missing apostilles on foreign documents.
Yes, applicants can reapply after a denial in Peru, though you should first address whatever deficiency caused the rejection and there may be a waiting period before resubmission.
The single most effective step to avoid citizenship denial in Peru is to maintain meticulous records of your legal status, entry/exit stamps, and residence documentation from the very first day you arrive in the country.