Moving Away From Peru

Why people leave

Peruvian outward migration is real and well documented, not a niche pattern: INEI reported that as of June 2024, roughly 3,505,511 Peruvians — about 10.3% of the national population — were living abroad, with the United States (30.4%), Spain (16.1%), Argentina (12.9%), Chile (11.6%), and Italy (10.3%) together accounting for over 81% of that total. Economic opportunity and family reunification with relatives who emigrated during earlier waves (particularly the economic and political instability of the 1980s-90s) remain the most commonly cited drivers, alongside job relocation for the smaller population of foreign residents and expatriates based in Lima who eventually move on.

Departure checklist

1. Confirm your SUNAT tax-domicile timeline — losing 'domiciled' taxpayer status after you leave takes effect starting 1 January of the following year, not immediately, so your worldwide income may still be taxable for the rest of the departure year
2. File any outstanding Declaración Jurada Anual (annual income tax return) with SUNAT covering your last full year as a domiciled taxpayer
3. Request your pet's export health certificate from a SENASA office — bring a private vet's current health certificate plus proof of rabies vaccination (required for pets over 3 months old); apply about 72 hours before travel
4. Notify Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones and settle your carné de extranjería (residency card) status if you're a foreign resident leaving permanently
5. Arrange international access to or closure of Peruvian bank accounts and check your AFP private pension fund's rules for contributors leaving the country
6. Set up mail forwarding through Serpost or a trusted local contact
7. Cancel or transfer EPS private health insurance, or notify EsSalud of your departure
8. Arrange export paperwork or sale of any vehicle you aren't shipping
9. Give formal notice at your child's school and request transferable academic records

Container shipping corridors from here

Country-to-country container guides from Peru will appear here as they are published. Destination country guides and the quote form are available now.

Exit tax and customs

Peru taxes individuals by domicile rather than citizenship: spending more than 183 days in Peru within a 12-month period makes you a 'domiciled' taxpayer subject to worldwide income tax, but the reverse change back to non-domiciled status after you leave only takes effect on 1 January of the following year, so a departure mid-year doesn't immediately end worldwide-income exposure. No Peru-specific exit tax on worldwide assets (comparable to a capital-gains deemed-disposal rule) was found in official SUNAT guidance. This is general orientation only, not tax advice — confirm your position with SUNAT or a qualified Peru tax advisor.

This is general orientation, not tax, legal, or immigration advice.