Your Lima (Miraflores) move checklist

Peru's Rentista visa requires proof of permanent monthly income of at least US$1,000, plus US$500 per dependent (~$1,500 for a couple). Crucially it must be 'permanent' income — a state/private pension, Social Security, or lifetime annuity/royalty/dividend stream qualifies; rental income, freelance/remote earnings, capital gains, and interest generally do NOT count. Big advantage: once granted, resident status has indefinite validity and never needs renewing. You generally can't work for pay in Peru. Pitfall: you cannot be outside Peru more than 183 days within any 365-day period (counted from departure) or the status is cancelled. Processing via Migraciones runs ~1-3 months. Foreign pension payments are explicitly exempt from Peruvian tax for Rentista holders.

Among the best in the Andean region, concentrated in Lima's private clinics. Clínica Anglo Americana (San Isidro) is the long-standing expat favorite — ISO-certified, English-speaking staff, a foreign-patient service, and experience billing US insurers (Cigna, Aetna, BlueCross). Clínica Delgado (Miraflores) is JCI-accredited and one of Latin America's most advanced; Clínica Ricardo Palma and San Felipe are other strong options. Care runs 50-70% below US prices; most expats self-pay or use private insurance. English is common privately (less so in public EsSalud/MINSA facilities). For the rare ultra-complex case Lima is itself the regional referral hub; otherwise Miami is ~5.5h.

Peru taxes residents (183+ days in a 12-month period; effective the following Jan 1) on worldwide income, but Rentista holders' foreign pension income is specifically exempt — a meaningful advantage for retirees living on a pension/Social Security. Other foreign income (e.g. investments) could be exposed once domiciled, so structure matters. There is NO US-Peru tax treaty and no totalization agreement; US citizens file US returns and use the Foreign Tax Credit to avoid double taxation (FEIE doesn't help pension/investment income). Confirm specifics with a cross-border tax advisor — we are not tax advisors.

Jorge Chávez International (LIM) is a major hub with strong US links: nonstop to Miami (~5.5-6h; American, LATAM, Sky), nonstop to New York/JFK (LATAM), and seasonal nonstop to Houston (United, ~May-Nov). Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale also see service. East Coast and Texas are very doable nonstop or one-stop; the West Coast usually connects. Among the better-connected South American capitals to the US.

Miraflores itself is a safe enclave — dense 24/7 CCTV around Larcomar, the Malecón, and Kennedy Park; San Isidro's 'secure quadrants' patrols leave ~92% of residents feeling safe. Violent assaults here are rare though not nonexistent after dark. Realistic risks: phone-snatching at cafés along Av. Larco, pickpocketing, fake-police 'currency check' scams, and — the serious one — 'express kidnapping' via unmarked street taxis forcing repeated ATM withdrawals. Always use app or hotel taxis, never street hails. Numbeo rates Lima city-wide high-crime (~70), reflecting outer districts far more than Miraflores/San Isidro. Women alone report Miraflores comfortable; the taxi rule is non-negotiable.

Coastal desert: almost no rain (often <20mm/yr), mild temps ~60-66°F in winter and ~77-86°F at the height of summer. The defining downside is the garúa — a thick gray marine fog/drizzle that can blanket the sky for weeks from roughly June to November, keeping it damp and sunless and making mild temps feel colder. Summer (Dec-Apr) is sunny, warm, and the payoff. Humidity is high (~80%+) much of the year.

Miraflores is the undisputed expat hub of Lima — the highest concentration of English speakers, international restaurants, and expat services in the country, with San Isidro and bohemian Barranco close behind. Clifftop parks, the Malecón, and a celebrated food scene give it a Mediterranean-seaside feel. Landing socially in English is easy here, though step outside these districts and Spanish becomes necessary fast. The community skews international: retirees, professionals, and digital nomads.