Below you can find information for using documents in Peru and abroad. Here are some issues you need to think about to make sure you find a good lawyer.
Using Peruvian Documents Abroad
You can find steps at Using Peruvian Documents Abroad. Apostillisations are for Peruvian documents that are going to be used abroad in countries that are part of the Hague Agreement, like the US and the UK. You can read more about apostillisations in Peru and the Hague Agreement. Legalisations are for foreign documents from non Hague Agreement countries that are going to be used in Peru or Peruvian documents that are going to be used in non Hague Agreement countries, like Canada.
Validating Degrees
Validation is different that legalisation and apostillisation. Here's some info about the validation process.
Recommended Translators
- Jose Antonio Nino de Guzman, C.Jan Traducciones SAC. Ocharan 444. He is in Miraflores off of Larco. Dpt 103 B. tel: 243-0053. cel: 97215022 jantraducciones@gmail.com Someone commented that he charges 150 soles for a birth certificate and divorce certificate to be officially translated. This did NOT include the RREE stamps. He suggests you avoid this translator because his service is VERY expensive compared to the other translators on this page.
- Liliana Ibanez is an official translator in San Isidro. She's off Camino Real just a few blocks from Ovalo Gutierrez. Miguel Dasso 126 Office 301. 441-2122, 998379514. Fax 441-4122, ibaneztraducciones@gmail.com
- Luis Legua. He was recommended because he is fast and does impeccable work plus his rates are very reasonable. His email is english-spanish@hotmail.com
- SEPROADSAC Translators. They actually do business as LexiTrans. Las Begonias 552, Of. 16, San Isidro. Fax: 442-7429. Their phone numbers are 222-0019 and 441-2913. They do the translation, plus the trips to the notary, Colegio de Notarios and RREE. A birth cert cost me 100 soles.
- Shannon Abad does English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German. Although she's not an official translator, she has a business, ConsultUSPeru and helps expats here in Peru. shannonabad1111@msn.com . They also have a Facebook group.
- Only official translations are accepted by the Peruvian government and they have to be done in Lima. A list of official translators can be found at RREE (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) or you can go directly to the PDF version.
- Living in Peru has a list of Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, and Russian translators. For times, directions, and more information, see Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (RREE).
If you need a document that's not in Spanish translated in order to get married or for visa reasons, you will have to have it apostillised and officially translated. See Peru and the Hague Agreement for more info. If it's not in Spanish, you have to get it translated by an official translator and get the translation legalised. (I know this sounds complicated, but you can pay translators to do this and it's worth it).
Your best bet is going to an official translator and paying them to do everything for you, there are some recommended ones above. It saves a lot of time and frustration, also they know the steps, so you won’t be running around needlessly. They don’t charge too much and it’s well worth it. For example, I needed my degree to be legalised at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE). The translator charged me 200 soles and this was for all the stamps and translation. I dropped my degree off on Friday at the translator’s office and they delivered it to my house on Thursday with everything ready to go. Shorter documents cost less, the same translator charged me 100 soles for my birth cert, and took it around to get stamped and signed, just like my degree.
Foreign Documents in Spanish
If you need to get documents legalised that are in SPANISH, then just get it apostillised. See Peru and the Hague Agreement for more info. If the document is from Peru, it will have to be legalised from the place where you got it. For example, my marriage cert is from RENIEC, I have to pay about 17 soles at RENIEC to have it legalised, after that I can take it to RREE.
Apostillisations and Legalisations at the MFA (RREE)
Peru joined the Hague Agreement in September 2010. If you want to use your foreign documents in Peru you will have to do one of two things.
- If your documents are from countries that are part of the Hague Agreement, such as the US and the US, then they the documents need to be apostillised in your home country and not at the Peruvian embassies and consulates abroad.
- If, however, your documents are from a non Hague Agreement country, such as Canada, then you have to get the legalised in the Peruvian embassy.
Anyone can bring the documents to be legalised, it does not have to be the applicant. It takes 1 day to process your request for a legalisation and about two weeks for an apostillisation. (There are exceptions to the 1 day rule. If you show that you have a bus or plane ticket leaving Lima or Peru the SAME day, then you can pick up your legalisation in the afternoon. You MUST show the original ticket and a copy.)
- Hours are now 8:15 to 2:30pm to drop off documents. To pick up it's 8:15 to 4pm
- Address: Avenida Lampa 545 in Centro de Lima. It's near Abancay, if you get off at Hiraoka, then you have to walk about four blocks.
- Bring: the orginal, a copy of the orginal, your ID (CE, DNI, or passport) and a copy of your ID. Lines are long, expect it to take 30 minutes to an hour.
- You'll have to pay a fee around $10.
- If you have a foreign document and you got it legalised in your embassy here in Peru, instead of the Peruvian embassy / consulate in your country, you also have to pay $37.50 in addition to the regular fee. However, if your embassy in Peru gave you the orginal document, then you just have to pay the regular fee.
- Show your documents at Line 1 or 2. They'll give you a ticket and slip of paper. Fill out the little paper with your personal details and the number of the ticket they gave you. They'll also take your originals. If they are Peruvian documents, first they have to be legalised by the authorising center. For example, birth, marriage, and death certificates would have to be legalised at RENIEC. So before you go to RREE, you will have to get the documents legalised first.
- Then you go in another line to pay at Interbank. Give them the ticket and the slip of paper. They'll give you back both of them, plus a receipt.
- Then go back to the orginal line you were in, either line 1 or 3 and give them everything. They will take the ticket they gave you and the receipt from Interbank. You keep the ticket.
- You will need the ticket and your ID to pick up the documents. Pick the documents when they tell you to. You must pick up your document within 30 days of dropping it off.
Recommended Notaries
Some notaries that have been recommended are in San Isidro near MAC, and in Miraflores, 5th and 6th blocks of Jorge Basadre near Vivanda. Also see this post on lawyers as many of the lawyers are also notaries.
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Hello,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to put all of this together. One part about getting our marriage certificate translated confuses me. We were married in the United States and registered our marriage with the Consulate in our jurisdiction. They issued us a Peruvian marriage certificate. This is in Spanish. Why would we need to get this translated?
Thanks for any clarification you may be able to provide.
You don't. You only have to get marriage certs translated that are in other languages besides Spanish.
ReplyDeleteI'd just like to point out that getting a degree legalized now involves more steps. Degrees and transcripts are useful for work visas & applying to professional societies in Peru.
ReplyDeleteThe part about validating a degree explains it, but basically one must:
1. order an original diploma or transcript or whatever document you will need and have the University sign each page and notarize it saying that it is authentic. This was free.
2. take those documents to your county clerk and have them certify the notary's signature. In Michigan, this cost 10$ per page (!).
3. take those documents to the secretary of state and have them issue a certificate of authority, (again, certifying the notary's signature). In Michigan, 1$/document.
4. mail them to the Peruvian consulate in your jurisdiction and pay approximately 30$ per document.
then, take the document and treat it like any other document legalized by a Peruvian consulate.
-translation
-legalization by RREE
This has been ridiculously expensive!
Hi everyone, I learnt about this place from one of my clients who needed some official translations for her marriage to a Peruvian guy. Just to add some helpful information, if you didn't get the legalization by the Peruvian consulate in your country and flied to Peru, you may go to your embassy in Lima (mainly, US and Canada) and ask them for a certification of your original document. They will do a photocopy and stamp a seal on it just as if it were a new original, which you can take it to the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores for proper legalization. But this won't prevent you from paying $37.50 for the missing legalization of the consulate plus 23.40 soles for final legalization of the Ministerio. However, I'd recommend that you take the time and effort to get the legalization of the Peruvian consulate in your country, just to avoid any problems and/or delays when in Lima. I've been told this procedure takes considerable time, especially if you are located far from one consulate, so you'd better allow for this in advance.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Yep, agreed. YOu have to plan things in advance.
ReplyDeleteDear Sharon,
ReplyDeleteTo clarify, according to your advice via information I found linked to transitionsabroad, you recommend having documents legalized / authorized / certified by the Peruvian consulate in the U.S. before attempting to find a TEFL job in Peru? Can you elaborate on this subject a little?
Thanks,
Tommy
HI Tommy,
ReplyDeleteActually, no. This is more for those getting married. If you're just going to get a TEFL position, then you really don't need stuff legalised at all. For an international school position, you might, but you would get hired from abroad and they would tell you what you need.
Sharon
Hi, I just legalized a few documents with the ministry of foreign affairs (RREE) to get married. The cost nowadays is S/.25,22 per document.
ReplyDeleteI live in Cusco and I was happy to find out that there is also a RREE in Cusco. You don't have to go to Lima for your paperwork.
I would like to look for notary public to sign Sales and Purchase agreement, I'm from Malaysia. Where can I sign it? Do you have the address and number Please? Thank you
DeleteGreat. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI'm a Peruvian living in the US for the last 16 years. In that time I legally changed my name (first name - last names are the same). After the proceedure was complete with the US courts I went to the Peruvian Consulate in my US city to update my info with them but they said no can't do. "We don't change our names in Peru. If you really want to change it you'll have to go to a Peruvian court - in Peru". They explained to me that the US document proofing my name change means nothing to them. Needless to say this consulate office is very unfriendly and unhelpful. :! This was in 2009.
Do you know if this new apostillisation could somehow help me change my Peruvian documents with my new name now? (Crossing my fingers).
Thanks for much for such a great resource!!
It might, though it depends on the officer you get. Do you really need to change it though? My American name isn't the same as my US name. Though I suppose if you have kids and want to give them citizenship, it might cause issues.
ReplyDeleteI'd try the apostillisation, especially since it's just your first names. Take your US naturalisation cert and the court name change. Get those apostillisated and next time you're in Peru, go to the courts and RENEIC and see what they say.
Best of luck!
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI've been living in Peru for 18 months off of tourist visas. This week I finally got a work contract. I want to get my carnet ASAP because I'm tired of not having a Peruvian bank account, insurance, etc. As of now I've obtained permission to sign contracts. But, before my contract will pass the Ministerio del Trabajo, I need to get my law degree translated and legalized.
If I understand your post correctly, the best thing to do is simply pay a translator roughly 200 soles to take care of it. They will deliver it to me in roughly a week in a form ready to submit to the Ministerio del Trabajo?
Would you mind passing me the information of the translator you used? marmad02@yahoo.com
Thank you!
Joseph
Congrats on your work contract! What will you be doing?
ReplyDeleteFYI: on a tourist visa, you CAN open a bank account. Many people actually have. BCP and Interbank are good ones to try, see here, http://theultimateperulist.blogspot.com/2008/09/4c-money-matters.html
Here's the place I used. Best of luck! Yes, it should take a week, hopefully less! Keep the receipts as some employers will reimburse you.
● SEPROADSAC Translators. They actually do business as LexiTrans. Las Begonias 552, Of. 16, San Isidro. Fax: 442-7429. Their phone numbers are 222-0019 and 441-2913. They do the translation, plus the trips to the notary, Colegio de Notarios and RREE. A birth cert cost me 100 soles.
Thanks Sharon!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to take care of legal affairs/strategy along with some market analysis/strategy for The Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (http://www.efinlab.com/).
Thank you for the information!
One part I do not quite understand is whether or not the apsotillisation step applies to my situation? If that is something that applies, is that something that the translator takes care of as well? All I have with me in Lima is my original law diploma.
Or, if apostillisation applies, is it something that is strictly necessary, or can my work contract still gain approval from the Ministirio del Trabajo if I have a legalized translation? Apostillisation sounds like a real headache ...
Joseph
Hey Joseph,
ReplyDeleteIf you have to use a foreign doc in Peru then it must be apostillised. Often, in the case of degrees and other original documents that are hard to get copies of, people first make a photocopy and get that notarised and then apostillised.
In easy to get documents, like US birth certs or FBI checks, people get the original apostillised.
So . . if you need to use a foreign doc in Peru, YOU have to get it apostillised in the country of origin. BUT, if you want to use a Peruvian doc abroad, the translator will take care of the apostillisation.
The translator will translate it AND take it to the college of translators (which is a necessary step for all docs. It basically says that the translator is a certified official translator.)
Since you have the original with you (have you asked the firm if they NEED an apostillised copy?), you will have to check with the embassy. If the firm DOES need an aposillised copy (often companies will just be happy to see the original, so ask first :)! ) then the embassy has something called a "diplomatic pouch" you can pay the embassy for them to send it all over for the apostillisation.
OR
an alternative would be to send it to someone in the US (or wherever your law degree is from) and have them do it.
Apostillisation REALLY isn't that bad once you get the hang of it. I went and got 10 photocopies of my degree notarised and apostillised. They're good for life! Hopefully I'll never have to do it again.
Bottom line: Ask your company what they need. They may not need an apostillised copy.
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteAh, ok. Now I understand. I thought apostillisation was a requirement from the Ministerio del Trabajo. If not government ministry requires it in the process of getting a carnet, I´m set. Thank you for the information!
Joseph
Good luck! Let me know how things turn out!
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI had another question about the process of getting my diploma legalized such that my work contract can pass the Ministerio de Trabajo. I've called several places trying to find someone who will do the entire process for me (LexiTrans wanted 350 soles) and have received conflicting information on what is required. What I have here is my original diploma (still in its original packaging!). As I understand the process, all I need to complete are the following four steps:
(1) Have the diploma translated by a certified translator.
(2) Have the translation legalized at the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.
(3) Have a photocopy of the legalized translation notarized.
(4) Include the notarized copy of the legalized translation of my diploma with my work contract at the Ministerio de Trabajo.
So the apostillisation process only is necessary if my employer requires it? I'm confused because some people I have called have told me I need to first have it legalized at the Embassy, then apostillised at the Ministerio de Trabajo, then translated, then legalized and submitted to the Ministerio de Trabajo. I'm beginning to think that the people I'm calling don't know how the process works themselves.
Mostly (because I'm already working), I just want to pay someone to do the whole process so that I don't have to deal with it.
Thanks again for the information!
Joseph
Hi Joseph,
ReplyDeleteI never had to do step 3 or 4. But then again, I just needed to legalise my degree to satisfy my employer's reqs since I already had a legal visa (spousal). So I did the first two steps and it only cost about 100 soles, but that was over 2 years ago.
You, however, need it for a work visa.
They are right about one thing: You need to have it apostillised in the US. Before you had to get it legalised at the Peruvian consulate or embassy in the US, but with the Hague agreement, you'll have to get it apostillised. Which is actually easier! Look here, http://theultimateperulist.blogspot.com/2010/11/peru-and-hague-agreement.html
What I would do is get it apostillised in the US and then take it to a translator. Explain why you need it and just trust them that they'll do the correct thing. They deal with this more than you or I do and should be the most up-to-date on what you need.
Another thing, your employer REALLY should be helping you with the process.
And you're right. The people you're talkign to have no idea about the process. LIke I said, get it apostillised. Take it to the translator and they'll take care of it. I was told conflicting info EVERY TIME I needed my birth cert or degree done. I just paid the translator, handed over what the translator gave me to the authorities (employer, govt, etc) and everything was ok.
Jose Antonio Nino de Guzman Cahua charged 150 soles for a birth certificate and divorce certificate to be officially translated. This did NOT include the RREE stamps, although I had told him I NEEDED them. I suggest you shop around and avoid this translator. His service is VERY expensive compared to the other translators on this page. Don't make the same expensive mistake.
ReplyDeleteok. Will update my info.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to get the death certificate from my wife who died in PERU, does anyone have any idelas
ReplyDeleteI'm terribly sorry to hear that. If she was a foreigner, contact her embassy. If she was Peruvian, contact RENIEC.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI am from Poland and I am going to get married in Peru. I am little confused with apositlle. I have done apostillised of my documents in my country and so far what I understand i need make translation in Peru but shell I need again apostillised of my documents in Peru? I want to arrange all before and have all ready when I will come because I will not be able to stay long time in Peru that's why I need help with good advice to don't make any mistake as this trip is from far from Peru.
My other question is how long I need wait for translation and finish and what I need to have more if Birth or certificate , certificate of single and copy of passport i have apostillised in my country ready with me. I will be great full if I can get any contact to official translator for polish language
Hi Tara,
ReplyDeleteCongrats! You will need to get the documents apostillised in Poland (not in Peru) before you come to Peru. However, the TRANSLATIONS will have to be done in Peru. The translation will take care of the translation and get it certified as well. This should take less than a week.
If you have everything apostillised (birth cert, divorce cert / single cert) then all you need to do is get these things officially translated. Here are two official translators for Polish, http://archive.peruthisweek.com/dir/official-translators/polish You might also want to contact the Polish embassy in Lima as they could refer you to official translators too.
Thank you so much Sharon,
Deletethis is really helpful and now i understand and know what to do.
Again thanks a lot for information
Tara
Glad to help!
DeleteMy name is Bill, I am from England I had all of my documents translated by this translator in Lima, I think he was fast and his work was impeccable Plus,his rates are very reasonable, His name is Luis Legua his email: english-spanish@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks. Just updated
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI'm sarah from Malaysia come to Peru for travel and do some volunteer job. I want to sell my house in Malaysia and the document (Sales and purchase agreement) will send to Peru for me to sing. I need to sign before notary public in cusco. Is anyone can advise me where can I get it done in Cusco? Address and the phone number. I'm new to Peru. Thank you very muchy
I don't know. Check for "notarios" They are usually all over the place.
DeleteHi Thang Sook Tse,
DeleteI was wondering if you were able to get your documents signed before a notary public in Cusco and where? How did you get it translated and was it very expensive? I also need to sign some legal documents from Australia to send back. Thank you
I'm not sure if they'll reply since it's from November 2013. Public notaries are very cheap in Peru but they may not sign foreign docs. Expatriates in Peru could tell you more about notaries there. https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=128685107970
DeleteTranslations depends on Australia. I know for the US, I was able to translate them myself. Again, the FB group would have recommendations for local translators. You might have to get the docs apostillised if you're going to use them overseas.
The Australian embassy also might be able to notarise them for you. And that might be cheaper than notarising, then translating, then apostillising.
Good luck!
I accidentally deleted this question.
ReplyDelete"I know you´ve answered this question, but wanted to double check...in order to get married in Peru what documents do I need apostillated?
I´m from the US and the apostillation needs to be done there too correct?"
ANSWER
DeleteYou'll need your birth certificate and either a certificate proving that you've never been married (go to the county clerk and ask for your marriage cert. they'll give you a "record not found" paper) or your divorce cert.
And yes, you need to get it done in the USA if your docs are from there.