Just Landed in Peru? Your First 7 Days

Prepaid mobile data is cheap and 4G coverage is strong across cities, though it thins out in the highlands and the Amazon. Every SIM must be registered to your passport to work, so buy from an official Claro, Movistar, Entel or Bitel store or an authorised mall kiosk rather than a street seller. Free WiFi is common in malls, cafés and co-working spaces, but treat public networks with caution.

Typical cost: Prepaid plans run roughly 20 to 50 PEN per month for generous data and calls; Bitel and Entel often undercut on price. Home fibre from Claro, Movistar or WIN costs about 90 to 150 PEN per month, though installation can require a local address contract and some patience.

The sol is one of Latin America's more stable currencies and prices are low by Western standards. Cards work in supermarkets, malls, chain pharmacies and mid-range restaurants, but markets, bodegas, combis and street taxis are cash-only, so always carry small notes and coins. The US dollar is also widely accepted for large transactions like rent deposits, but keep everyday spending in soles.

Opening an account: Opening an account at BCP, BBVA, Interbank or Scotiabank normally requires your Carné de Extranjería; a passport alone is rarely enough in practice, though a June 2025 regulation began broadening accepted ID for certain savings accounts. Branches apply their own extra checks, so bring patience and every document. Once you have an account, the digital wallets Yape (BCP) and Plin are near-universal for local peer-to-peer and QR payments.

Cash: Cash is essential for taxis, the set-menu almuerzo, markets, tips and small bodegas. Keep small denominations, because vendors and taxi drivers routinely claim to have no change for a 100 or 200 sol note. It is worth deliberately breaking big notes in supermarkets so you always hold 10s and 20s for daily use.

Tipping: Tipping is modest and not obligatory: round up or leave about 10 percent in restaurants if service was good and a service charge is not already on the bill. App taxi fares are fixed, so tipping drivers is not expected, though rounding up is appreciated. A sol or two for hotel porters and helpful attendants is normal.

Peru has no local town-hall or address registration system for residents of the kind found in much of Europe. Instead, foreigners who hold a residence visa must obtain a Carné de Extranjería (foreigner ID card) from the Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones and keep their immigration status current, including annual foreigner-tax payments where they apply. Short-stay visitors have no registration duty beyond their immigration entry record and the terms of their stay. The Carné, not any address registry, is the document that unlocks banking, formal contracts, phone lines and most administrative processes, so treat obtaining it as the real bureaucratic priority once your visa is granted.

Where: Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones offices and the online portal at migraciones.gob.pe, generally by prior appointment.

Lima traffic is heavy and driving is famously aggressive, so most newcomers rely on ride-hailing apps and the Metropolitano bus corridor rather than a car. The Metropolitano and Metro Line 1 are cheap and reasonably fast on their fixed routes; combis and micros (minibuses) are the cheapest option but confusing, crowded and best avoided until you know the city. Outside Lima, long-distance buses from operators like Cruz del Sur and Oltursa are the backbone of intercity travel.

From the airport: Jorge Chávez International (LIM) is in Callao, roughly 40 to 60 minutes from Miraflores or San Isidro depending on traffic. Use an app or the official in-terminal counters such as Taxi Green; expect around 60 to 90 PEN by app to Miraflores, more at peak times. The airport's own Airport Express bus also runs to Miraflores. Never take a taxi from a tout inside the hall.

Most expats rent furnished flats in Miraflores, San Isidro, Barranco or Surco, found through Facebook rental groups, the Urbania and Nestoria listing sites, or a local agent. Long unfurnished leases usually demand a local guarantor or aval plus proof of income, which newcomers rarely have at first, so many start with a short-term furnished let or an Airbnb-style monthly rental before signing a formal contract. Always view in daylight and check security, water pressure and the reliability of the building's water supply.

Typical rent: A furnished one-bedroom in Miraflores or San Isidro runs roughly 2,500 to 4,500 PEN per month; expect noticeably less in Surco, Jesús María, Magdalena or Pueblo Libre. Unfurnished long leases are cheaper but come with more paperwork.

Deposit norm: Typically one to two months' rent as a deposit plus the first month up front; furnished short-term lets may ask for more or a larger deposit. Deposits are often quoted and paid in US dollars for higher-end flats.

Public healthcare through MINSA and the SIS scheme is stretched, underfunded and Spanish-only, so most expats and middle-class Peruvians use private clinics, which offer good quality at a fraction of Western prices. Standards are highest in Lima; serious or specialist cases in the highlands and the Amazon are often referred to the capital, so factor that into where you live.

How to access it: Pay out of pocket or use private insurance at clinics such as Clínica Anglo Americana, Clínica Internacional, Clínica Ricardo Palma or Clínica San Pablo in Lima. A private GP consultation typically costs 150 to 300 PEN. Pharmacies (Inkafarma and Mifarma, often side by side) are everywhere and dispense many medicines, including some antibiotics, without a prescription, though this is worth using responsibly.

Insurance: Buy private health insurance from Pacífico, Rímac or Mapfre, take a clinic membership plan, or keep comprehensive international cover, especially for the first months. Foreigners cannot rely on public EsSalud unless formally employed and enrolled by an employer, so do not arrive uninsured expecting the state system to catch you.

• Greet with a light handshake, or a single cheek kiss between women and between a man and woman who know each other; a warm greeting is expected before getting to business.
• Use señor and señora and at least a little Spanish even if it is broken, because the effort is genuinely appreciated and often warms the whole interaction.
• Treat lunch (almuerzo) as the main meal of the day, and the cheap set menú as a respected daily ritual rather than a downgrade.
• Be punctual for business and official appointments, but expect social plans and hora peruana to run comfortably late without offence.
• Accept offered food or drink graciously; hospitality is a point of pride and refusing outright can seem cold.
• Learn a little about Peruvian food and take pride in it with locals, as national cuisine is a genuine source of identity and a reliable icebreaker.
• Dress reasonably neatly for offices, restaurants and official visits; Limeños tend to present themselves smartly.

• Do not flash phones, laptops or jewellery on the street or in taxis; grab-and-run theft at traffic lights and on pavements is common.
• In Cusco, Puno and other high-altitude towns, ascend gradually and rest on arrival to avoid soroche (altitude sickness).
• Avoid unlicensed street taxis flagged from the road, especially at night; use apps or booked cabs and confirm the plate.
• Be discreet with political and social opinions early on, as attitudes to recent governments and protests can be strongly felt.
• Do not drink tap water untreated anywhere, and be cautious with raw street food until your stomach adjusts.