Banking and payments in Peru: opening an account, the ITF and the S/ 2,000 limit
Since June 2025 you may also open a simple Peruvian bank account, the cuenta básica, with your passport. Every deposit or withdrawal costs a 0.005% transaction tax, and amounts from S/ 2,000 or US$ 500 must go through the bank. Your AOW arrives in euros; keep your Dutch account as well.
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The easiest way to open a Peruvian bank account is a cuenta básica, a simple savings account with a maximum on deposits and withdrawals per day and per month. The SBS, the banking supervisor, decided in resolution 00908-2025 that since 16 June 2025 a foreigner can open one not only with a carné de extranjería, but also with a passport, an identity card or another recognised document. Two further rules to know: on deposits and withdrawals the bank charges 0.005% tax, and payments from S/ 2,000 or US$ 500 must go through the bank.
| What | The rule | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cuenta básica | can be opened with a carné de extranjería, passport, identity card or other recognised document | with daily and monthly limits |
| ITF | tax on deposits, withdrawals, payments to banks and money transfers | 0.005%; on S/ 2,000 that is S/ 0.10 |
| Exempt from ITF | transfers between your own accounts; deposit of wages or pension by an employer | |
| Mandatory through the bank | payments above the limit, such as rent, a car or a house | from S/ 2,000 or US$ 500 |
| AOW to Peru | in euros, via Citibank to your own bank | up to € 0.48 per payment at the SVB |
Which document do you open an account with?
For the cuenta básica the SBS sets the rules. Until June 2025 a foreigner could only open one with a carné de extranjería; since 16 June 2025 a passport is also accepted. The bank checks your details with RENIEC, Migraciones or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You open a cuenta básica at an office, at a bank agent in a shop or pharmacy, or through the app or website.
For an ordinary current or savings account, without limits, the requirements are not in these rules. Ask the bank what it wants to see, and bring your carné de extranjería once you have it.
What does paying in Peru cost?
On most transactions the bank charges the ITF, the Impuesto a las Transacciones Financieras: 0.005% of the amount. SUNAT gives the example of a deposit of S/ 2,000, on which S/ 0.10 is withheld. The tax applies to deposits, withdrawals, payments to banks, banker's cheques and money transfers. Exempt are, among others, transfers between accounts of the same person, and deposits into an account the employer uses for wages or pensions.
According to SUNAT payments from S/ 2,000 or US$ 500 must go through a means of payment of the financial system: a deposit, transfer, debit card, credit card or cheque. That also applies to a car, the purchase price of a house or a few months of rent in advance. So do not bring such amounts in cash to an appointment.
For rent there is a second side. Under a Ley 30933 contract, the contract states the account into which you pay the rent, and in a dispute the notary only looks at payments into that account; see renting in Peru.
How does your income from the Netherlands come in?
The SVB transfers the AOW to Peru in euros, via Citibank, to your own bank. The SVB charges at most € 0.48 per payment for this; your own bank may charge extra. Outside the SEPA countries the payment arrives at the beginning or the middle of the month. Changing into soles therefore happens at your bank.
If you have the rentista visa, you have declared that your income enters Peru through a bank or financial institution supervised by the SBS; see the residence routes. So have your pension paid into such an account, or transfer it there monthly.
How do you pay fees and taxes?
Fees of Migraciones, the Ministry of Transport and other services are paid at the Banco de la Nación, the state bank, or on Págalo.pe, with a code per service. You do not need an account for this; for some payments you use your passport number. Keep the receipt, because you need it for the application.
Keep your Dutch account and your DigiD; see keeping your bank account and DigiD. What to arrange in which order in your first weeks is in the first weeks and in the route to Peru.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.3: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Peru or go straight to step 5.3 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- El Peruano: SBS resolution 00908-2025, foreigners can also open a cuenta básica with a passport (from 16 June 2025) — elperuano.pe
- SUNAT — the ITF transaction tax of 0.005% — gob.pe
- SUNAT — which transactions fall under the ITF and which are exempt — gob.pe
- SUNAT — payments from S/ 2,000 or US$ 500 through a means of payment of the financial system — gob.pe
- Migraciones — the rentista declares that his income comes in through a bank supervised by the SBS — gob.pe
- SVB — the AOW outside the Netherlands, in euros via Citibank, costs up to € 0.48 per payment — svb.nl
- Ley 30933: in eviction through the notary only rent paid into the account in the contract counts — busquedas.elperuano.pe
- Migraciones — fees are paid at the Banco de la Nación or on Págalo.pe (the carné de extranjería as an example) — gob.pe
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