Countries › Peru › Guide › 8. Immigration › Permanent residence and Peruvian nationality: the three year switch, the 10 UIT income test, naturalization and nationality by marriage

Permanent residence and Peruvian nationality: the three year switch, the 10 UIT income test, naturalization and nationality by marriage

Last verified: 2026-10-28 · Status: Stable

After three consecutive years of residence, workers, investors and family members can switch to permanent residence for S/ 161.40, showing gross income of at least 10 UIT (S/ 55,000 in 2026) where the TUPA requires it, and investors also ten Peruvian jobs. Naturalization is possible after two consecutive years of legal residence with an exam and the same income test (S/ 301.50), and spouses of Peruvians can apply after two years married and resident (S/ 204.40). Permanent residents lose status if abroad more than 365 consecutive days in two years without authorization.

USD figures use S/ 3.452 per US dollar, the banking system selling rate published by the Superintendencia de Banca, Seguros y AFP for 27 October 2026, from the Banco Central de Reserva del Perú statistics series PD04640PD. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Consecutive years of legal residence before applying for permanent residence	3 yearsDL 1350 art. 29.2 o, as amended by DL 1582, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Migraciones fee for the change to permanent residence	161.4 PENTUPA Migraciones PA35005FB1, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Minimum gross annual income for workers and investors switching to permanent residence	10 UITTUPA Migraciones PA35005FB1, requirements 7.1 and 7.2, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Minimum gross annual income for permanent residence at the 2026 UIT (10 x S/ 5,500)	55000 PENTUPA Migraciones PA35005FB1; DS 301-2025-EF, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Maximum consecutive absence within two years before a permanent resident loses the status	365 daysDS 007-2017-IN art. 63 b, as amended by DS 002-2021-IN, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Consecutive years of legal residence before applying for naturalization	2 yearsLey 26574 art. 3, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Migraciones fee for naturalization	301.5 PENTUPA Migraciones PA35007B33, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Years of continuous residence married to a Peruvian before nationality by marriage	2 yearsReglamento Ley 26574 art. 20 a, as amended by DS 002-2021-IN, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Migraciones fee for nationality by marriage	204.4 PENTUPA Migraciones PA3500AED9, as of 2026-10-28 · in force

The rule

1. The Permanente status allows indefinite residence after three years as a legal resident and is granted by Migraciones. Residents on the religious, investor, worker, research, family, consular, diplomatic, official and official family statuses can opt to change to permanent.Decreto Legislativo Nº 1350, Decreto Legislativo de Migraciones, as amended by Decreto Legislativo Nº 1582; Decreto Supremo Nº 002-2021-IN, amending the Reglamento del Decreto Legislativo Nº 1350 and the Reglamento de la Ley Nº 26574, DL 1350 art. 29.2 o; Reglamento art. 65.4 (as amended by DS 002-2021-IN), 2023-11-14 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. The applicant must have resided in Peru for three consecutive years, without being abroad more than 183 consecutive calendar days in any 365 day period, unless an absence authorization was granted. Workers prove gross annual income of at least 10 UIT in the previous tax year through the approved contract and payslips or the fifth category withholding certificate. Investors prove 10 UIT of gross annual income through the annual tax return, a SUNAT certificate of being current with taxes, payroll withholdings and EsSalud, the last three months of payroll showing ten jobs for Peruvians, and the third or fifth category income certificate. The file also needs the INTERPOL Lima exchange record and five year record certificates. Migraciones decides within 30 business days.
Cost to do it: Fee S/ 161.40 (about US$46.76); 10 UIT income test S/ 55,000 (about US$15,932.79) at the 2026 UIT of S/ 5,500.
Example: A manager earning S/ 9,000 a month (S/ 108,000 a year plus bonuses) clears the S/ 55,000 test easily; a part time consultant billing S/ 4,000 a month (S/ 48,000 a year) does not. / 10 UIT is about US$15,932.79 a year at S/ 3.452 per US$.Texto Único de Procedimientos Administrativos (TUPA) de la Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones, as modified by Resolución de Superintendencia Nº 000150-2025-MIGRACIONES, Procedure PA35005FB1 (Cambio de Calidad Migratoria Permanente Residente: Trabajador, Inversionista, Investigación y Religioso), requirements 6 to 9 and note 3, 2025-12-12 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. Permanent residents renew the carné de extranjería every five years (minors every three). They lose the status if they are abroad more than 365 consecutive days within two years, counted from the first departure, unless Migraciones grants an absence authorization for emergency or force majeure (up to 365 days, requested before the limit is reached).
Cost to do it: Absence authorization for permanent residents S/ 30.50 (about US$8.84); carné renewal S/ 22.10 (about US$6.40).Reglamento del Decreto Legislativo Nº 1350, approved by Decreto Supremo Nº 007-2017-IN; Decreto Supremo Nº 002-2021-IN, amending the Reglamento del Decreto Legislativo Nº 1350 and the Reglamento de la Ley Nº 26574; Texto Único de Procedimientos Administrativos (TUPA) de la Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones, as modified by Resolución de Superintendencia Nº 000150-2025-MIGRACIONES, Reglamento art. 93.2; art. 63 b) (as amended by DS 002-2021-IN); TUPA procedure PA3500F5D4, 2021-03-24 official text · verified 2026-10-28

4. Peruvian nationality by naturalization is available to foreigners who express their wish, have resided legally in Peru for at least two consecutive years, regularly exercise a profession, art, trade or business activity, and have no criminal record, good conduct and moral solvency. Foreigners married to a Peruvian and resident in Peru for at least two years in that condition can acquire nationality by expressing their wish. Peruvians by birth who adopt another nationality do not lose Peruvian nationality unless they expressly renounce it.Ley Nº 26574, Ley de Nacionalidad, Art. 3, 4.2 and 9, 1996-01-11 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. The current naturalization procedure requires two consecutive years of legal residence before filing (only the last two years are analysed, and absences count under Reglamento art. 63 unless authorized), passing an evaluation exam, a valid carné de extranjería, proof of minimum gross annual income of 10 UIT according to the migration status, the INTERPOL Lima exchange record issued within six months and an apostilled birth certificate, plus status specific documents (approved contract and payslips for workers; registered investment, tax returns and EsSalud compliance for investors). Nationality by marriage requires two years of continuous residence while married to a Peruvian, a marriage certificate registered with RENIEC, proof of family income and a joint sworn statement of cohabitation.
Cost to do it: Naturalization S/ 301.50 (about US$87.34); nationality by marriage S/ 204.40 (about US$59.21).Decreto Supremo Nº 002-2021-IN, amending the Reglamento del Decreto Legislativo Nº 1350 and the Reglamento de la Ley Nº 26574; Texto Único de Procedimientos Administrativos (TUPA) de la Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones, as modified by Resolución de Superintendencia Nº 000150-2025-MIGRACIONES, Reglamento de la Ley Nº 26574 art. 8, 9 and 20 (as amended by DS 002-2021-IN); TUPA procedures PA35007B33 and PA3500AED9, 2021-03-24 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Step	Earliest	Key test	Fee
Permanent residence	After 3 consecutive years of residence	No absence over 183 consecutive days in 365; 10 UIT income for workers and investors; investors also 10 Peruvian jobs	S/ 161.40 (US$46.76)
Naturalization	After 2 consecutive years of legal residence	Exam, 10 UIT income, clean record, activity in Peru	S/ 301.50 (US$87.34)
Nationality by marriage	After 2 years resident while married to a Peruvian	Cohabitation, family income, clean record	S/ 204.40 (US$59.21)

From residence to passport (DL 1350; Ley 26574; DS 002-2021-IN; TUPA Migraciones as modified by RS 000150-2025-MIGRACIONES; UIT S/ 5,500; S/ 3.452 per US$)

Worked example

A Brazilian engineer arrives in March 2023 on Trabajador and renews every year without long trips abroad.
By March 2025 the engineer has two consecutive years of legal residence and could apply for naturalization (S/ 301.50, about US$87.34) if income is at least 10 UIT and the exam is passed.
By March 2026 the engineer can instead switch to permanent residence (S/ 161.40, about US$46.76) with a 2025 withholding certificate showing gross income of at least S/ 55,000.
As a permanent resident the engineer renews the carné every five years (S/ 22.10) and must not stay abroad more than 365 consecutive days in two years without an authorization (S/ 30.50).

Step by step

Keep a travel log from the first day of residence; a single absence over 183 consecutive days resets the clock unless authorized.
Keep the documents that prove income each year: payslips, fifth category withholding certificate, or company returns and payroll for investors.
For permanent residence, file from inside Peru with the INTERPOL record issued in the last six months.
For naturalization, prepare for the evaluation exam and an apostilled birth certificate; check whether your home country allows dual nationality.
After any change, update the carné and keep the residence address current with Migraciones.

Common traps

The three year count is consecutive: an unauthorized absence of more than 183 consecutive days within 365 ends the residence and the count (DS 007-2017-IN art. 63 a as amended).
Family members of a foreign resident depend on the resident being in a regular situation when they apply for permanent residence.
Rentista and Familiar holders follow their own rules; the 10 UIT income test in the TUPA applies to workers, investors and researchers for permanent residence, and to all applicants for naturalization according to their status.
Ley 26574 art. 11 says dual nationality does not give naturalized foreigners the rights reserved to Peruvians by birth.

Sources

← Family residence in Peru: the Familiar de residente status for spouses, partners, children and parentsAndean and MERCOSUR residence in Peru: two year regional residence without a job offer and the switch to permanent →

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