Staying several weeks in Lima

Which neighbourhood for daily life?

Place on the map what you will do every week (work, Spanish lessons, sport, family and friends) and choose the neighbourhood that cuts down those journeys. The details of the districts are in Which neighbourhood to choose?.

The accommodation checklist

For a stay of several weeks, it is the details of daily life that make the difference:

• Humidity: Lima is a very humid coastal desert, especially from June to September; check the walls, the cupboards and the ventilation, and ask whether a dehumidifier is available.
• Noise: the street, building work, a bar, the neighbour’s dog; ask for a room overlooking a courtyard or on an upper floor.
• Hot water: the electric water heater (“terma”) and its capacity; a hot shower for two people one after the other?
• Connection: speed measured recently, fibre or not, a back-up solution.
• Kitchen: a fridge that really keeps things cold, hobs, utensils, water in large containers.
• Upkeep: who does the cleaning, how often, who changes the linen.
• Bills: electricity, water, internet, gas (bottled or mains) included or not.
• Contract: length, deposit and the conditions for its return, notice period, what happens if something breaks.
• Earthquakes: locate the exits, the stairs and the safe zone; for a long stay, also ask a few questions about the building.

Get these points in writing, even if the exchange takes place on WhatsApp: a written confirmation is worth more than a verbal agreement.

Organising everyday life

Shopping. A neighbourhood market for fresh produce, a supermarket for the rest; the page Grocery shopping costs a week for two based on recorded prices.

Laundry. Neighbourhood launderettes often wash by the kilo, with the laundry collected folded the next day; ask for the price per kilo and the turnaround time.

Working. There are many coworking spaces in Miraflores and San Isidro, with day or monthly passes. Keep a back-up connection on your phone.

Getting around. A top-up card for the Metropolitano and the Corredor Azul, a taxi app for the evening; see Getting around Lima.

Phone. A Peruvian SIM card works out cheaper than roaming for a long stay. According to OSIPTEL, nothing to do with a line from a foreign operator used on international roaming; the phone must be registered with the operator if you use a line from a Peruvian operator: plan a visit to the operator’s shop.

Health. Outside life-threatening emergencies, the FDFA points out that hospitals ask for a financial guarantee before treating you (an emergency, on the other hand, must be treated without prior payment, the costs remaining payable afterwards): check that your insurance covers a long stay abroad, and locate a clinic near where you live. See Health.

How long can you stay?

For a Swiss passport: no visa for tourism, up to 90 days; passport valid for at least six months on arrival. For a Spanish passport, the Embassy of Spain states 90 consecutive days at most, 183 days in total over 365 days, with no extension possible. The Migraciones officer sets the number of days on entry: check it as soon as you arrive on the virtual Andean migration card, and plan your departure accordingly. A tourist stay does not allow you to work for a Peruvian employer; to settle or work, another immigration status is needed.

Three scenarios

Two weeks. An apartment rented by the week in Miraflores or Barranco, no contract; shopping at the market and the supermarket, a transport card, a few days of excursions around Lima.

A month. An apartment by the month, often cheaper per night than by the week; a Peruvian SIM; a coworking space or a Spanish course to give structure to the week; a residential neighbourhood (Magdalena, Jesús María, Pueblo Libre) if you are looking for gentler rents.

Three months. At the limit of the length of a tourist stay for Swiss, French and Spanish nationals (90 days): book your return flight before the accommodation. A written contract, a deposit, an inventory of the property’s condition; suitable insurance; planned trips out of the country if your status requires it.

Our related activities, declared

This page does not direct you to any outside provider. To be transparent about our interests: Swiss Lima Property, the property business of the publisher of this guide, can point you towards long-term accommodation in Lima, and also supports people who are considering a purchase. If we direct you to it, it is a relationship of interest, and you remain free to compare. See swisslimaproperty.ch.