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Inside-Peru Home - Living in
Peru
Living in Peru
Discover the ins and outs of living in Peru. It's easy to get inside
the culture and life of Peru with the following information.
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On
this page, you'll find a good introduction to:
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Living in
Peru - Relocating
to Peru
When relocating to Peru, it is necessary to take into consideration
residency vs. tourist visas.
Residency in Peru can be obtained
through three methods:
The processing time for residency when you are locating to Peru varies
from a couple of weeks to a
couple of months.
Once
resident status is
obtained, you will be granted a foreign
resident card called Carnet de
Extranjeria.
One option for foreigners relocating to Peru is to try to obtain the
maximum time allotted
for a tourist visa (183 days) and then, once in Peru, seek residency.
However, if one overstays the given time on their visa, there is a fine
of $1 per day.
When your 3 or 6 month visa is up, you can cross the border to Peru or Ecuador for a couple of days and re-enter with a new tourist visa
If you are planning on sticking around, though, that soon becomes costly and time-consuming.
Therefore, to avoid unnecessary problems and headaches, it would be
better to seek residency as soon as possible if one plans on
relocating to Peru and living in
Peru long-term.
Living in Peru - Finding Rooms or Apartments in Peru
Once in Peru, the challenge becomes finding a place to stay.
A good starting point is to purchase the local newspaper with ads on
rooms or apartments for rent.
Some spaces will come fully furnished while others will come with
little or no furnishing.
When looking for a room or apartment, be sure to consider the safety of
the neighborhood, cost of living in Peru, and lifestyle.
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Living
in Peru
Relocating to Peru
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Be realistic about the amount that one can spend on their living
arrangements given their intended lifestyle in the country.
Life in Peru
Living in Peru will be an adventure
from day one!
During the first weeks, you'll see everything through the eyes of a
tourist. New food, tours, sightseeing... you name it, it's all so
different!
As the weeks go by, the process of adaptation kicks in as you begin to
learn more about your new country and its culture.
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Money:
The currency in Peru is the Nuevo Sol, with an
exchange rate of
approximately 2.68 for one U.S. dollar.
When exchanging money, it is
important to beware of false coins or bills. For maximum security,
exchange your money in banks.
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Food:
For those who plan to cook their own
food, visit the local supermarkets
such as Plaza Vea (Lima) and Mega (Cusco).
For those who wish to eat
out, you can visit local restaurants for a three course menu of
approximately 6 soles or tourist restaurants for a three course menu of
approximately 15 soles.
Safety:
For maximum safety, always be aware of
your surroundings as robbers
patiently wait for the right opportunity.
Carry a copy of your passport rather than the original passport and
refrain from flashing around expensive jewelry or accessories.
In
addition, take particular attention when in a crowded festival or
restaurant, as these are often the scenes of pick-pocketing.
Living in Peru - Jobs in Peru
For U.S. citizens looking for jobs in Peru to support themselves, it is
necessary to have a work visa before being
able to start your Peru job search.
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| Oldest Home in Americas to be
Continuously Inhabited, Las Casa Aliaga, Lima, Peru |
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Options
for jobs in Peru
include:
- Working for a company located in your home country. The same
company could
assist with the visa process; or, if you work online, you can remain on
a tourist visa.
When your 3 or 6 months is up, cross the border to Peru or Ecuador for a couple of days and re-enter with a new tourist visa.
- Looking for work when
arriving in Peru.
This can be done by checking the
local newspapers or
certain websites, such as www.computrabajo.com.pe.
Once you are hired,
you can begin the process of applying for a work visa. |
Living in Peru - Teaching in Peru
For those with a work visa, there are many opportunities to teach in
Peru, especially in Lima.
Teaching in Peru can include:
- Elementary school to
university classes
- Offering private services
In order to
get a postion teaching in Peru at an institution, a bachelor's degree
is preferable (any major),
although some
schools may be more flexible concerning this.
Additionally, new
teachers can expect the pay to start at approximately $5/hour. While
that is likely far less than you would be making in your home country,
the dollar goes a lot farther even in major cities like Lima, and many ex-pats are teaching in Peru
and making ends meet with no problem.
It goes
without saying that the highest paying jobs teaching in Peru are
at the university or
international schools. The latter even provides opportunities to get
hired before arriving in Peru.
One thing to keep in mind is that the
school year in Peru runs from March to December. Therefore, if you are
planning on teaching in Peru, hit the pavement with your resume in hand
well before the Peruvian school year starts!
Living in Peru -
Teaching English in Peru
Opportunities for teaching English in
Peru abound as this language has
grown in popularity around the country.
New residents or
those without
experience can begin teaching English in Peru by:
- Volunteering at orphanages
- Teaching English to
children
- Tutoring adolescents
From there one can look for work with schools or
organizations, particularly those that have Native English Programs.
These organizations look for native English speakers, as this is a
unique way to stand out among other companies.
One such organization hiring native English teachers in Peru is Maximo Nivel, located in
Cusco, Peru (www.maximonivel.com).
This
organization even provides the opportunity to obtain TEFL
certification, which may be required for the bigger schools/companies
when teaching English in Peru.
Thus, if you are planning on
living in
Peru, consider your options, obtain certifications if needed, and
prepare to make a difference in the lives of students overseas!
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Living
in Peru
Teaching English in Peru
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Contributed by Inside-Peru's
Associate Writer Michelle Dinos
More interesting information about life in Peru:
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Peru People
These various groups mixed with the Amerindian native population to
form the ... Mestizo refers to people who are descended of mixed
Amerindian and Spanish ...
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