Digital Nomad Visa Options For Peru

Living in Peru as a digital nomad

Peru welcomes thousands of visitors each year. This beautiful country has so much to offer everyone who decides to spend a few days there—especially digital nomads, who stay in Peru for a more extended time than tourists.

Peru’s weather is varied. Even though the country is located in the tropics and features tropical rainforest climates, it also features desert and mountain climates. The weather will depend on the area of the country you decide to visit, but be prepared to experience the two main seasons: wet and dry.

Peru is a diverse country with plenty of amazing things to explore. While living in Peru, you’ll get the chance to witness breathtaking natural wonders, explore multicultural traditions, and savor delicious Peruvian cuisine.

Peru is friendly to digital nomads. The locals are pleasant and welcoming; they’ll show you the best places to visit while staying in their country. Peru has a fast-growing digital nomad community, especially in Lima. You’ll find coworking spaces, nice cafes, and fantastic accommodations.

Attractions and best places to visit

Peru has plenty of tourist attractions and beautiful places for visitors to visit. It is a country of history, beauty, and adventure. The possibilities for travelers are endless!

Machu Picchu

The ancient Inca City of Machu Picchu is the most popular highlight in the country. Machu Picchu sits 300 meters above the Urubamba River in southern Peru, and in 1983 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2007 it was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

This once-lost Inca City is an impressive combination of ruins and the spectacular mountains that work as a backdrop. While there, you can learn all about the Incas and follow the different paths that surround this ancient city. Afterward, you can go to Aguas Calientes, a town just below Machu Picchu

Chan Chan

Another fantastic archaeological site is Chan Chan, outside Trujillo, in northern Peru. It is the largest pre-Columbian city discovered. You can learn about Chimu Empire while exploring the labyrinth streets.

Nazca Lines

The mysterious Nazca Lines are another exciting attraction. They’re huge images on the desert floor, requiring an aerial view. There are over 70 images of plants, animals, and people. It is unknown who created the Nazca Lines, but many believe they’re the product of the Paracas and Nazca cultures between 900BC and 600AD.

Cities

But to experience authentic Peruvian culture, you must visit as many of their iconic towns and cities as possible.

Head towards Lima, the capital city of Peru, and walk around the Historic Center. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a spectacular place to visit if you’re looking for beautiful architecture and local hotspots.

You can also head toward Cuzco, which is a stunning historic city. Walking down the streets of Cuzco feels like walking through a museum. Inca ruins are the foundation of many colonial buildings, with narrow streets that narrate this town’s great background.

Digital Nomad Hotspots

Lima is the city where most digital nomads decide to stay when they’re living in Peru. The capital city is also known as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of Kings), and it is one of the largest cities in South America.

Lima is Peru’s political, economic, financial, industrial, commercial, and cultural center. Lima is ideally between the Pacific Ocean, a coastal desert, and multiple valleys. Here you’ll find plenty of options for accommodations, many restaurants, and other essential amenities.

Another famous city is Cuzco, located in the center of Peru, in the Sacred Valley. Even though it is a small city with an airport, it’s more peaceful than Lima. The lifestyle in Cuzco is slow-paced and is an excellent location closer to national parks and natural wonders.

Cost of Living

Overall, Peru is a relatively cheap city to live in. Especially if you’re used to US averages of prices, you’ll find that Peru is very affordable.

Peruvians use the Sol (PEN) as their official currency. $1 USD = S/.4 PEN approximately.

You can expect to pay around $450/month for a studio apartment in the city center. A larger apartment costs around $750/month.

A meal at an inexpensive place will cost you around $7.

One of the downsides of Lima is traffic. The city is infamous for chaotic drivers that make traffic during rush hours a nightmare. The public transport in Lima consists of city buses. The fare per trip is $1. These multi-colored buses run all around the city, so you can easily hop into one to reach your destinations. Bear in mind that they make lots of stops along the way, so a trip on the bus is usually much slower than a taxi.

Digital Nomad Essentials

Internet

Peru has an average connection speed of 6.2Mbps and an average peak connection speed of 47.5Mbps. Internet access in Peru will depend on the region, but in big cities like Lima and Cuzco; you won’t find any trouble staying connected.

SIM cards

Peru has four big providers: Movistar, Claro, Entel, and Bitel. They offer different packages for a SIM card with mobile data. For example, you can easily purchase SIM cards at the airport or in shops around the city. Prices range from $1 – $5 for the SIM card with credit.

Additionally, you’ll find that many restaurants, bars, and coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi.

While visiting Peru, keep an eye out for petty theft. Thieves like to target tourists for pickpocketing or stealing from you. So always be careful with your possessions, especially if you’re traveling on the bus.

If you’re a US citizen, you do not need a visa to enter Peru for tourism purposes. You may enter the country and remain there for a maximum of 183 days.

Digital nomads may enter Peru under a Temporary visa. It is technically a tourist visa, and you shouldn’t work with it. However, you would only get in real trouble if you start working for a Peruvian company without applying for a residence visa.

Tourist visas will allow you to stay in the country for 30, 60, 90, and 183-days. If you plan to stay in Peru for 50 days, you’ll receive a 60-day tourist visa. Unfortunately, you can’t extend the time of your tourist visa.

How much does it cost?

The visa fee for the Peruvian tourist visa is $30

Timeline for Applying

The processing period for a tourist visa is up to 30 days, but many visas are processed within five days.

If you’re interested in other digital nomad visa options in South America, why not check out the visa for Brazil or Argentina?
Curious about what digital nomad visas you qualify for? Enter your details in our Visa Wizard to find out!