Rentista Versus Carnet de Extranjera

by **thomasg** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:09 pm

I am a Rentista visa now and I am legally married to a Peruvian Woman. She told me to try to get a Carnet de Extranjera but I am uncertain what to do. I do not have her claimed on my Rentista as I thought we were legally divorced when I applied. I later found out that all the papers were not finished. We are on good terms and she said it would be nice to become a citizen by getting the Carnet. I do not want to do the wrong thing here. I love Peru and want to make it my home but I also want the benefits. So my question is this. Should I go for the Carnet and have B0TH Rentista and Carnet or should I remain a Rentista only. What are the advantages and disadvantages... Thank you

by **naturegirl** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:23 pm

First you need a resident visa, then you have to go to get the carne. The Ultimate Peru List explains more.

Rentisita is the visa, you still need the carne, YOu have two choices

Get rentista visa OR get PEB visa (which is for those married to Peruvains)

Either way, you still need the carne. IF you're PEB, you can work, that's about the only differences. With Rentista you have to prove that you have a stable income, 1000 usd a month

by **thomasg** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:31 pm

First i want to thank you for answering me so quickly. I am a rentista now. I never plan to work in Peru as I am 67 years young but it is the little things that I wanted the Carnet for like when I went to Ripleys to apply for a card they told me that they only give to peruvian citizens. So it is the little things that I need. I have gone thru the whole process of becoming a Rentista and tomorrow I go to emigration to recieve it. I left the country on the 28th of Feburary but forgot to inform the immigration. so when I arrived in manchala there was no visa for me.

by **naturegirl** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:33 pm

So, first get the visa, then go back to migraciones for the carne. It's a pain, but that's what you have to do.

by **thomasg** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:53 pm

I guess I am not making myself clear. I want to know if it is to my benefit to have the Rentisa visa and the Carnet or should I just stick with the Rentista. What will I gain by getting a carnet that I won't have with the Rentista?

by **Kelly** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:27 am

Like you said - it's the little things, like going to Ripley and getting a credit card. A carnet does NOT make you a citizen.

by **curlyguy18** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:31 am

Kelly wrote:Like you said - it's the little things, like going to Ripley and getting a credit card. A carnet does NOT make you a citizen.

So a carnet does not make you a naturalized citizen, but does it give you all the rights of a citizen but for voting and taking office? Just wanna get that clear.

by **Kelly** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:33 pm

As far as I understand it, that's correct. It's basically like having a 'green card' in the US. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong - all I was worried about was not having to leave the country every 5-6 months and being able to get a job.

by **gypsy** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:36 pm

IF you are NOT going to generate earned income, and you are on a fixed income, such as social security or pension plan from retirement, you are better off with your RENTISTA visa.

You CANNOT buy a house in your name, or do anything that has the potential of generating business with a rentista visa.

If your wife has earned income, no matter how small, with your rentista visa, you CANNOT claim her as a dependent.

Since your wife is Peruvian, I would not touch the status even attempting to claim her as a dependent. Because, if your wife is Peruvian, first you should find out if this 'prompts' you to a different visa than a rentista one. I do not know this for sure.

On the other hand, if you remain an American living in Perú with a rentista visa, and you inherit from your wife, and you decide to sell, let us say, the house you inherit, I am not sure if you would have to pay taxes on it as if you were not living here.

In other words, tax situations are not as simple as the law reads, for the most part. It is, definitely, to your advantage to be able to own jointly, since living in your own house two years is now required to sell without paying capital gains taxes, just as it is in the U.S.

The issue is greater and involves many questions, beyond the simplicity of choice between one visa and another. Your situation is what determines what is best for you!

Hope you consult someone who knows the ins an outs of what has become much more complicated starting on the First of January of 2004. Your taxes abroad will not change! And you may be subjected to pay taxes here in Perú and in the U.S. if you make the wrong move.

Take everything into account before you make a move!

gypsy

by **naturegirl** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:16 pm

SO if you have a rentista visa, you can't get a CE?

by **ducado** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:50 pm

If you want to get a Ripley card, they will need proof of Peruvian income. So even if you get a Carnet based on marriage, you still don't have income in Peru, so you don't exist in the Peruvian system for Ripley and the likes.
So you still would not get a Ripley card.
Your income comes from abroad, so for a Peruvian credit system that doesn't exist.
About taxes/inheritence etc I don't know.

by **curlyguy18** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:10 pm

ducado wrote:If you want to get a Ripley card, they will need proof of Peruvian income. So even if you get a Carnet based on marriage, you still don't have income in Peru, so you don't exist in the Peruvian system for Ripley and the likes.
So you still would not get a Ripley card.
Your income comes from abroad, so for a Peruvian credit system that doesn't exist.
About taxes/inheritence etc I don't know.

As far as taxes goes, I think Peruvians pay taxes when their income exceeds 2000 soles or something like that (it's called 5ta Categoria) and there's a percentage for it, which I am not aware of.

Can anyone elaborate as to how taxes work here??

by **ducado** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:39 pm

Not too long ago there was a topic about this, plus all the percentages.
The only thing is that a UIT is in 2008 S/. 3500
An UIT is 'Unidad Impositiva Tributaria' and the tax free income is 7 UIT ( S/. 24500 , so per month S/. 1750 ( 14 months )

by **mammalu** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:45 pm

Without confusing anybody more on the situation. As a RENTISTA you cannot buy any property, even if you sign and pay the $50 at DIGEMIN to sign contracts?

So all Rentistas must rent a place to live?

:cry:

by **Serionlv** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:40 pm

This thread is a bit confusing, so I will make it worse! :lol:

My Peruvian partner says I will need the Rentista visa to enter/stay the country as a permanent resident. I must meet the qualifications, and abide by the restrictions of that visa (primarily, that I will have a foreign pension and NOT be employed in Peru, and spend at least a total of 184 days per year in Peru).

I would need the carnet to prove I am a legal resident (but not a citizen with all rights). It is my "DNI" as a foreign national legally residing in Peru.

So I need both when the time comes.

I have never heard of ANY restrictions on property ownership for a Rentista. It would seem illogical since, as a tourist with permission to sign contracts, I was allowed to purchase a condo.

Buying into a business or renting the condo out for profit might be a different matter since it might produce income that violates the terms of a Rentista. You would definitely want legal advice on that one.

Because my legal residency and investment in property in Peru is very important to me and my future security, I will definitely be consulting with an attorney in Lima to help me through every step of the process when the time comes. I am factoring the cost of this legal assistance into my cost of retirement. It is like insurance, it may not protect me from everything, I may not have any troubles, but it reassures me that I have probably done it properly. I want to minimize my risk.

by **suecote** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:52 pm

curlyguy18 wrote:As far as taxes goes, I think Peruvians pay taxes when their income exceeds 2000 soles or something like that (it's called 5ta Categoria) and there's a percentage for it, which I am not aware of.

Can anyone elaborate as to how taxes work here??

Oh this is a classic!! :lol:

That must be the million dollar question, can anyone explain Peruvian taxes?? Well if ANYONE can, EXPATPERU can!

by **suecote** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:56 pm

mammalu wrote:So all Rentistas must rent a place to live?

Yeah that's why it's called rent-ista! :lol:

I think serionlv is right on the money here. Visa and CE are two different, albeit connected, things. The visa is a one-off entry permit, granting you a certain status (business visitor, investor, retiree, what ever). The CE is the proof of your resident status, confirming that you are registered with DIGEMIN, and your Peruvian ID card. Like a DNI, but as someone said, much prettier. And a lot more expensive...

by **thomasg** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:25 pm

WOW I sure did open up a can of worms but it is all very interesting and informative to me and others in this group. I welcome everything that everyone has posted and I thank you all. I now know that I will stay JUST a rentista for the time being. Maybe in the future I will change but that is in the future. Thank you everyone and keep them coming...I read every one of the posts and I am sure others do also. Tom

by **rgamarra** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:10 am

Ripley will give you a credit card on a C.E., but you have to be residing in Peru for 6 months and prove that either A.) You have your own Business or B.) You have a job.

You can also obtain a Metro card by showing 6 months of Remesas del Exterior (Money transfers from abroad.) They will consider this as an income.

by **Chiclayo gringo** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:52 pm

Somewhere there is a single, thorough and understandable source of information explaining the various Peruvian visas. It will look something like this:

Name: Rentista
Obligatory: (yes – no)
Steps to apply/receive: 1, 2, 3, etc
Benefits:
Drawbacks:

Immigration in Chiclayo told my Peruvian wife that we did not need the rentista (or carnet for that matter) – that the visa we needed is the LLAMADO DE FAMILIA (call on family) visa. For my circumstances (retired… no intention of working in Peru; Peruvian wife) this visa supposedly provides all of the benefits of all the other immigrant visas and none of the drawbacks. I have been able to learn absolutely nada about this visa.

Somewhere there is a single, thorough and understandable source of information explaining the various Peruvian visas. I will keep looking for it. I believe in miracles.

Tom

by **naturegirl** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:05 pm

Tom, Check here on the home page, there's info on visas. Also at www.theultimateperulist.blogspot.com

One reason that it's hard to find a simple piece of info, is that nothing here in Peru is simple. What one person may have to do, another person has to do differently depeding on the mood of the immigration officer, their whims, etc.