What a Fujimori Presidency Means for Foreigners in Peru

Peru · Expat Guide

*Keiko Fujimori has won Peru's June 7 runoff with roughly 50.1% of the vote, but the electoral board will not proclaim her winner until July 3–7, meaning no visa, tax or residency rules change before the July 28 handover.*

Peru has, in effect, chosen its next president. Keiko Fujimori has edged a razor-thin runoff that her rival still contests, and for the foreigners who live in Lima the practical question is what actually changes — and when.

The result, and what is still pending

At nearly all tally sheets processed, Fujimori leads Roberto Sánchez by roughly 0.2 of a percentage point, a gap of some tens of thousands of votes. Her lead has widened as the last ballots came in, putting the outcome beyond the votes still to count.

The result is not yet formal. The Jurado Nacional de Elecciones is expected to proclaim the president-elect between July 3 and 7, once challenged ballots and appeals are resolved, with the handover set for July 28.

Why nothing changes for residents yet

For expats and digital nomads, the immediate answer is reassuring: nothing changes before the new government is sworn in on July 28. No visa category, tax rule or residency requirement shifts on the strength of an election result.

Existing carnés, work permits and applications in progress continue under the current rules. Any practical effects will come only with the laws and decrees a new administration actually pursues.

The agenda Fujimori ran on

Fujimori campaigned on a security-first platform, promising a tougher line on crime after years of rising insecurity. Her proposals included military-backed street patrols and the swift expulsion of foreigners who commit crimes.

For the law-abiding foreign resident, that rhetoric changes little day to day. It is worth watching, though, for any tightening of enforcement at the migration and policing level.

The visa picture nomads should know

Peru’s much-discussed digital-nomad visa, created by Legislative Decree 1582, still lacks the enabling regulation that would let anyone file for it. As of now it is not an option, and remote workers rely on tourist stays or the independent-worker (trabajador independiente) route.

A 2026 reform also lengthened the road to a Peruvian passport, moving the residency requirement for citizenship from two years to five. Tourists should note that staying beyond 183 days in a year can trigger Peruvian tax residency.

What to watch in the coming weeks

The nearest-term issue is on the street, not in the statute book. With the proclamation pending and Sánchez refusing to concede, opposition mobilizations are likely around government buildings in central Lima.

Beyond that, the signals to watch are the new cabinet’s interior and migration appointments, and whether the nomad visa finally gets its regulation. None of it requires action today.

More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

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