Peru introduces biometric foreign resident ID linked to police systems

Foreign residents who hold a Peruvian ID are getting a biometric upgrade. The South American country has begun issuing a new electronic Carné de Extranjería, an ID card for foreign residents.

The new document has a chip that contains the holder’s face and fingerprint biometrics and an electronic signature. Peru’s migration authority launched the new card on July 20 with a pilot limited to foreign minors at two offices in Lima, offering 250,000 cards at the same fees as the current version.

The new biometric card is linked in real time to the national police so officers can authenticate it instantly, which is a capability the existing card lacks. Peru is looking to curb irregular migration. Of roughly 1.8 million foreigners in Peru, only about 542,000 hold a valid carné, which leaves an estimated 1.3 million in irregular status.

Authorities say the biometric, police‑connected card looks to close that gap and tackle the use of forged documents. Adults will continue using their current cards until a later phase, and officials say most foreign residents do not need to take any action yet. The new ID is part of a broader push for migration control under the National Citizen Security Plan 2026–2028.

Migraciones reports conducting 2,541 police‑supported control operations nationwide, with the heaviest activity in border regions such as Tumbes, Puno and Tacna.

The new residence card is one element of a wider rollout of biometric identity technologies across Peru’s migration system.

A separate resolution has established a working group to assess processing capacity at airport counters and planned automated e-gates at Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport, where Integrated Biometrics’ iBeta-compliant fingerprint scanners are deployed in 21 SITA digital kiosks.

The new Carné de Extranjería upgrade was launched by the outgoing administration shortly before President Keiko Fujimori took office, leaving open the question of whether the new interior minister, César Astudillo, will maintain or accelerate the initiative.

Officials advise foreign residents simply to keep their status and documentation current for now as Peru heads toward more automated and stringent identity checks.

In March, Peru secured an $80 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to strengthen the operations of its National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC). This would improve access to civil registration and other legal identity services to drive inclusion and participation in the digital economy.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Carné de Extranjería  |  digital ID  |  e-ID  |  identity document  |  Peru