— Before You Fly

Before you fly to Peru

Four things to do before you board: check the offer with the destination's own authority, know your rights, carry the right papers, and get the practical details in writing.

Check your offer Destination guide

Step 1 · Check the offer

Who to check with in Peru.

Peru

Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones

A foreigner needs a worker migration status, resident or temporary, from Migraciones. The agency tells foreigners they can change status without using intermediaries.

Official site ↗

Last checked 29 September 2026. Links go to official sites we do not control; treat each site as the authority, not this page.

Your Rights, From Official Sources

What the government and the ILO publish, in plain words. Laws change: your contract and the official page always win over this summary.

Contract and pay

A foreign worker's contract in Peru must be in writing and for a fixed term of at most three years, renewable in periods of the same length, and it must include a commitment to train Peruvian staff in the same occupation. The visa is granted with the contract term in mind. Foreign workers fall under the private-sector labour regime.
Peru Legislative Decree 689 (law on hiring foreign workers), Articles 2 and 5 as replaced by Law 26196, as published on the Migraciones website (a 1991 text with its amendments noted; later regulations may apply), read 8 October 2026

Who can apply

The employment contract and any changes to it must be approved by the labour authority. The employer files the application with a sworn statement on the staffing limits, the written contract, legalised professional titles or certificates, and a legalised copy of the ticket that guarantees the return of the worker and their family to their country of origin. The contract is treated as approved from the day the application is filed.
Peru Legislative Decree 689, Articles 2, 7 and 8 (Migraciones copy, see note on the first claim), read 8 October 2026
A company may employ foreigners up to 20 percent of its staff, with their pay not above 30 percent of the payroll. Limits do not apply to, among others, a foreigner with Peruvian spouse, parents, children or siblings, a foreigner with an immigrant visa, and some specialised professional or technical staff who can be exempted.
Peru Legislative Decree 689, Articles 3, 4 and 6 (Migraciones copy), read 8 October 2026

If something goes wrong

Employers are fined, besides other penalties, for skipping the contract approval, for fraud in the sworn statement or documents, for failing to carry out the contract, for using the approved contract for other purposes, and for not honouring the commitment to train Peruvian staff.
Peru Legislative Decree 689, Article 9 (Migraciones copy), read 8 October 2026

Checked against the linked pages on 2026-10-08. This is general information, not legal advice.

Step 2 · Carry

What goes in your hand luggage.

Papers, originals

Your passport, with your visa or entry documents ready
Your medical and any clearance certificates your destination required
Your flight details and the address you are going to

Papers, copies

The employment contract exactly as you signed it, printed and on your phone
Education and trade certificates, kept apart from your main folder
A photo of your passport photo page saved where your family can also reach it

People and health

Phone numbers for your specialist, your employer contact and your family, written down
Any prescription medicine in its original packaging, with the prescription
A small amount of cash for the first day, not a large sum

Keep your own passport with you. If anyone asks to hold it, do not hand it over before you have checked the rights above and talked to your specialist.

Step 3 · Get it in writing

Ask these before you board, and keep the answers.

Details such as pickup, housing and how pay reaches you differ by employer and city. We do not guess them for you; ask, and get the answer in a message or document you can show later.

Who meets me at the airport? A name, a phone number that works from abroad, and where they will be standing.
Where will I sleep on the first night, and after? The address, who pays for it, and whether it matches what the contract says.
Who is my contact on the first day? A named supervisor or HR contact, not just a company name.
How and when is my salary paid? Into which bank account, on which date, and in which currency. Paid to you directly, not to someone else.
Who pays for the flight, the visa and the medical? It should match your contract. If something is charged to you that the contract does not mention, ask why before you pay.
What happens if the job is not the one in my contract? Know who to call first, and keep the authority above and your specialist's details to hand.

Step 4 · When you land

Your first days.

Tell your family you have arrived, and send them the address you are staying at.
Check what you were given against your contract: job, pay, hours, housing. If they differ, tell your specialist the same day.
Keep every document you are given, and take a photo of each one.
If something is wrong, contact your specialist first, then the authority in Step 1.

Local practicalities such as phone plans, banking and transport are not covered here because we do not publish anything we have not verified. Your specialist and employer can tell you what applies to your city.

Go Deeper

Routes into Peru

Full pre-departure checklist · Sending money home · When your contract ends · For your family