Obtaining a Rentista Visa in Peru (Part II)

By Ricardo Guevara Bringas RGB Avocats

In my previous article, I mentioned the many advantages of having a rentista visa. In the last part of such article, it was stated that the holder of a rentista visa benefits from an exoneration of tax and duties in connection with the import of menaje and equipaje (personal and domestic items) they bring to Peru according to the relevant law. Without this exoneration they would have to pay a 20% duty on the value of menaje.

According to a special regulation related to equipaje and menaje of 2006, equipaje refers to all new and used goods that a traveler may reasonable need during his trip. In addition, the aim and the duration of the trip will be taken into consideration in order to assess whether the items are brought for personal or commercial purposes.

Menaje or menaje de casa amounts to new or used furniture owned by the traveler or by his/her family and the Peruvian regulations stipulate exactly which items shall be considered as menaje. Note that cars are not included in such a list. Consequently cars imported by foreigners with rentista visa will be subject to duties since they not fall into the scope of menaje.

In order to obtain the status of rentista, the petitioner must produce the following documentation:

• Letter written by the petitioner expressly asking to benefit from such migratory status,
• Copy of the passport of the petitioner,
• Document in which the petitioner states the he/she does not have any criminal record in Peru and abroad;
• Certificate guaranteeing reception of a permanent income from outside Peru of at least US $1,000 a month, exclusively for the sustenance of the applicant. This income, declared in Peru must enter the country via a banking institution.
• If the certificate is expedited outside Peru, it must be legalized in the pertinent Peruvian Consulate and endorsed by the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Peru. If it is not in Spanish, the document must be translated into Spanish by a translator certified by the Peruvian government.

In addition, if the applicant wishes that his or her family being considered as rentista he/shemust prove that he or she gets an additional income of at least US $500 for each dependent as well to bring the proof of the relationship with the dependents (children who are minors, spouse…).

Once the rentista visa is obtained, the visa holder must apply for his/her registration with the Foreigner Registry (Registro Central de Extranjería), within 30 days from his/her entrance to Peru with such visa. This must be understood in light of the fact that resident visas are retrieved in Peruvian Consulates located abroad. Specific regulation does not mention the requirement of an INTERPOL certificate, but in practice DIGEMIN asks for such document in order to deliver the carné de extranjería (resident permit). It is advisable to perform such procedure in order to get the certificate from INTERPOL at an early stage in Lima, ideally at the time where the rentista visa is requested from DIGEMIN.

Enjoy being a rentista !