STUDENT EXCHANGE
Living in Lima
Overview
The students coming to the program must approximately consider the following budget for their stay in Lima:
Accommodations: Regarding housing, ESAN does not offer housing. However, ESAN will provide exchange students with a list of pre- selected homes nearby. Students should contact the names listed directly.
Living expenses:
Depending on the type of facility chosen, it may vary from:
- US$170 to US$240 per month if living with a local family
- US$270 to US$450 if renting an apartment.
- Meals: Daily costs are approximately as follows
- Breakfast US$4.00
- Lunch US$5.00
- Dinner US$5.00
Other expenses:
Among these, laundry, fares to other parts of the city, newspapers, photocopying and other minor personal expenses should also be considered, amounting to approximately US$150 per month.
Academic expenses
In the case of one term or one semester exchange agreements, academic costs are exchanged by the institutions. Tuition, course materials, books and registration costs are therefore waived. Exchange students are expected to pay for additional photocopies (S/.0.10 each), travel expenses, room and board, health insurance and other personal expenses.
Local Transport
Lima has a wide variety of public transport and its cost is rather inexpensive. Traveling by bus or colectivo may amount to US$30 per month depending on the distances to be traveled.
In addition taxi services are widely offered also at very convenient prices.
Arrival
Incoming students should plan to arrive one week before the beginning of the term. Upon arrival at Lima's international airport ESAN recommends to hire a registered taxi (available within the airport premises). Cost is approximately US$18 to either San Isidro or Miraflores.
Currency and credit cards
The Peruvian currency is the Nuevo Sol. At present (February 2013), the exchange rate may vary from 2.55 to 2.60 soles per 1.00 US dollar. In Peru, US dollars are easiest to exchange although Euros are also accepted in banks, exchange houses and identified street vendors. Any other currency can be difficult to change outside of Lima. Bills in lower denominations are more convenient because retailers may have limited change. The same is true of taxi drivers. Vendors, banks, exchange houses, etc. will not accept dollar bills that are old or have even the slightest tear. The Nuevo Sol (S/.) is divided into 100 cents. The currency includes 10, 20 and 50 cent coins and also 1, 2 and 5 sol coins. There are bills in the denomination of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 soles. The most widely accepted credit card in Peru is Visa. MasterCard and American Express are also accepted but not so openly.
Climate
- Summer December 22nd. to March 21st. - 20 to 29°C
- Autumn March 22nd. to June 21st. - 22 to 17°C
- Winter June 22nd. to September 22nd. - 17 to 13°C
- Spring September 23rd. to December 21st. - 13 to 19°C
Health insurance
We require students to take a comprehensive health insurance. All U.S. health insurance policies are valid in the Peruvian health systems, prior to starting classes must provide proof at the host institution that their insurance will cover the costs of health care during the period of exchange. Students can also take local medical insurance plans. We can provide information on local plans.
Electricity
The electric system of Peru uses 220 volts and 60 cycles. Some four and five star hotels provide 110 volt sockets. It is therefore important to verify the voltage of hair dryer, razors, sound systems, loaders of batteries of lap tops, video camera recording, etc., before plugging them in. Should it be necessary, 110/220 transformers can be easily purchased.
Telephone service
There are several options available in Lima to make either local, national and international phone calls. Also cellular phones are extensively used. Phone cards can be purchased in stands and supermarkets from S/.10 on.
Medication
ESAN's physician is available Monday and Friday afternoons, from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. Exchange students that require medication for extended periods of time may prefer to bring sufficient amounts of it to last for the duration of their stay. ESAN will also provide guidance as to clinics and hospitals, should the student prefer to consult with a private physician.
Eating out
If you enjoy dining out and trying new foods, you are in for a real treat. Peru is known for having some of the best cuisine in South America. Delicious seafood, powerful spices and abundance of fresh produce (including 400 different types of potatoes) make this country a food connoisseur's delight! To search for restaurants in Lima you may want to visit, click here.
Public transportation
Lima has a wide variety of public transport and its cost is rather inexpensive. Traveling by bus or colectivo may amount to US$40 per month depending on the distances to be traveled. In addition taxi services are widely offered at very convenient prices.
Shopping
As a modern city, Lima features shopping centers in almost all its residential areas. They include large department stores like Ripley and Saga Fallabella, and boutiques of many kinds, plus cinemas, food courts, bookstores and drugstores.
Pre departure arrangements
Visa
Exchange students covered by an agreement registered with the Peruvian University Board (Asamblea Nacional de Rectores) may request an official visa, if required. Once the application has been accepted, ESAN will inform students about the documents they need to submit to our International Office. Exchange students not subject to an official visa will also be advised by the International Office about their visa requirements and in time should pick up such visas from the Peruvian consulate in their home countries. In general, visas are only required for visitors remaining more than 90 days in Peru. For more information on visa requirements, please check the Guide for Student Exchanges in our web page: http://en.esan.edu.pe/studentexchange/downloads/
Foreign exchange students can choose between two visa alternatives when required:
- Official visa, free of charge, available for exchanges supported by an academic agreement signed between the home university and Universidad ESAN, duly registered with the Asamblea Nacional de Rectores (the national university governing body). In this case, the visa will be first issued for 90 days and upon arrival it will be extended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the entire duration of the stay in the country.
- Valid passport OR tourist visa, (See Annex II). This alternative may be more convenient for shorter periods of studies (up to 90 days and can be revalidated once). Passport should have a minimum validity of six months.
Official Visas for Exchange Students with Registered Academic Agreements
ASAMBLEA NACIONAL DE RECTORES INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
DIRECTORATE
dcooperatec@anr.edu.pe
PROCEDURAL REGULATIONS FOR OBTAINING OFFICIAL VISAS FOR FOREIGN CITIZENS JOINING PERUVIAN UNIVERSITIES UNDER INTERUNIVERSITY COOPERATION AGREEMENTS OR PROGRAMS, OR CULTURAL AGREEMENTS, 2008
Legal basis
D.S. 060-99-RE from November 12th, 1999 published in Diario Oficial El Peruano on November 14th, 1999 (Art. 6)
Applicable subjects
A. Foreign citizens that come to Peru under the scheme of interuniversity agreements or programs with Peruvian universities, to undertake academic activities such as teaching, research, consultancy, and university studies, among others.
B. Foreign citizens that join Peruvian universities under the framework of cultural agreements and their executive programs, to conduct activities that are previously stated in such cultural agreements.
Procedure for requesting an official visa
Peruvian universities maintaining subscribed interuniversity agreements or programs that wish to obtain an official visa in favor of foreign citizens that will undertake studies or activities of academic interest should comply with the following:
A. Transfer of foreign citizens under interuniversity cooperation agreements or programs subscribed between Peruvian universities and academic institutions from other countries
1. Register the corresponding agreement or program in advance at the international cooperation directorate of the National Assembly of Rectors by submitting a copy of the agreement duly authenticated by the General Secretary of the University, including a simple translation into Spanish in case the subscribed document is written in another language.
2. At least 20 working days before the arrival of the foreign citizen in our country and after officially registering the agreement or program, the Peruvian university should request in writing the issue of the official visa to the International Cooperation Directorate of the National Assembly of Rectors {Fax: (511) 275 4608 Extension 2325}. The request could be made in advance via e-mail to dcooperatec@anr.edu.pe providing the following information:
2.1 Surnames and names.
2.2 Nationality.
2.3 Country and city of embarkation
2.4 Consulate where visa needs to be authorized (see section 5 of this regulation).
2.5 Passport number (a copy of the passport is not required but it should be stressed that the passport should be in force and with a minimum of 6 blank pages).
2.6 Copy of the airline ticket or electronic ticket purchased, including exact dates of arrival and return, which could be sent in PDF format to our e-mail coopera1@anr.edu.pe (the period of stay should be adequately coordinated with students as some of them request to come to Peru up to one month before the beginning of classes, so that they can get adjusted to the country).
2.7 Institution they are coming from.
2.8 The address where visitors will be staying at in our country. If the address changes later, the International Cooperation Directorate should be duly informed.
2.9 A simple résumé including e-mail address (in the case of professors/researchers).
2.10 Activity plan (teaching, research, consultancy, university studies or other), indicating the University's college or research center and whether the program considers activities taking place outside the region. In the case of students, it must state whether the studies are at undergraduate or grade level, indicating the college or school they are registered in and the agreed period of studies. In all cases, the student or faculty member's post-study activities should be considered:
2.11 Copy of the subscribed Interuniversity Cooperation Agreement or Program for registration. It should only be referred to, in case it is already registered in our database.
2.12 Some cultural agreements between Peru and other countries consider mobilization of faculty members/researchers and students, which should be stated in the request.
3 The National Assembly of Rectors will request the corresponding official visa to the foreign office. Once it is authorized, it will be transcribed to the Peruvian Consulate of the country of origin so that the foreign citizen could obtain the official visa in our diplomatic mission abroad, before arriving in Peru, which is free of charge.
4 If the interested person enters our country with a tourist or student visa, under no circumstance a modification of immigration status could be requested. If the person requires the official visa, a second entrance should take place through any of our borders.
5 Only consular sections or the General Consulate could authorize official visas: In all cases, consulates will only authorize a 60- or 90-day visa. HONORARY CONSULATES are not authorized to issue official visas. Access the website www.rree.gob.pe and check the section corresponding to "Peruvian communities and consular services" to find the cities where Peruvian consulates are located.
6 To request a visa extension, the original passport together with the university request needs to be directly presented at the International Cooperation Directorate of the National Assembly of Rectors 15 days before the "initially issued" visa expires (the interested party needs to keep the immigration white form used for entering the country as it will be requested upon departure). The extension time should be in accordance with the period of stay originally stated and confirmed through the return airline ticket. In case, there is a stay extension due to adjustments done to the original program, the reasons for the extended permanence in the country and a copy of the airline ticket with the new departure date should be presented.
7 Exceptionally, in case of any unforeseen problems in the programming of activities, an additional extension could be requested. In the same way, 15 days before the expiry of the visa, the university needs to request the visa extension to the International Cooperation Directorate by presenting a justification of the request, accompanied by the original passport and the new airline ticket.
8 IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that upon arrival of foreign students and faculty members, the university, through the corresponding office in charge of these issues, could foresee the way to file a copy of the passport (first page with personal details and the page where the official visa authorization and the entrance immigration stamp appear). In addition, it must inform the interested parties about the time limits for requesting a visa renewal.
9 In case of losing the passport, the official visa should be renewed on the new passport previously requested by the interested party from the diplomatic mission of his country of origin in Peru. Renewal should be requested to the International Cooperation Directorate, presenting the new passport, legible copies of the police loss report and the pages from the former passport where the number and personal details of the interested party appear, as well as the pages with the previous authorization of the official visa and the entrance immigration stamp.
Transfer of foreign citizens within the framework of cultural agreements and their executive programs subscribed between the Peruvian Government and the governments from other countries.
1. The cultural agreements and the executive programs detail some of the academic exchange and collaboration actions, among others, by identifying the parts that will conduct the activities in each country. In such cases, it is also possible to obtain an official visa. The procedure is the same as in section (a) of the present regulation; though, the registration of the agreement in the National Assembly of Rectors is not necessary.
C. Others
1. Official visas for experts and volunteers joining universities through the scheme of international technical cooperation projects, which are approved and made official by the corresponding national entities and the external cooperation institution, should follow the procedure included in the law of International Technical Cooperation, which represents the legal framework applicable to this cases.
2. Visits of foreign citizens to Peruvian universities that are not part of any scheme described above could be requested through the General Directorate of Immigration.
3. Foreign citizens entering the country under the immigration condition of "tourist" are not allowed to do other activities different from such status.
Other Visa Regulations and Information
http://www.rree.gob.pe/portal/mre.nsf/Interior?OpenAgent&6CC6E835AECBFE8105256BAB00788288|1
http://www.enjoyperu.com/peru_travel_tours_informatio/peru_useful_information/peru_visa_requirements.html
All travelers should contact the nearest Peruvian consulate in order to ascertain what visa rules apply, since these may change without previous notice. Passports should have a validity period of at lease six months.
If a tourist visa is required, ESAN will send the official admission letter as well as one letter addressed to the Consulate for visa processing after the application has been accepted. For residents of countries not subject to visa requirements, a valid passport may be sufficient (please check with the ESAN´s Admission Office).
Customs Regulation
http://www.expatperu.com/cregulations.php