How to Transfer Property After Death in Peru (SUNARP Process)

Inheriting property in Peru is a two-step registration process at SUNARP (National Superintendency of Public Registries) — and the gap between those two steps is where foreign heirs lose properties to squatters, unauthorized sales, or the 10-year prescription clock.

Step 1: Register the Succession Declaration

After completing the sucesión intestada (either notarial or judicial), the declaration of heirs must be registered in SUNARP's Personal Registry (Registro de Personas).

Cost: S/ 20 (flat fee, regardless of estate size)

This establishes who the legal heirs are. It does not transfer any specific property yet.

Step 2: Transfer Succession to Each Property Title

For each property the deceased owned, heirs must file a separate "transfer of succession" (traslado de sucesión) in SUNARP's Real Estate Registry (Registro de Propiedad Inmueble).

Cost: S/ 46 per property title

Required documents per property:

• SUNARP succession declaration registration certificate
• Property title search (certificado literal) showing current ownership
• Certified Death Act
• Identification of all declared heirs

Until this second step is completed, the property technically remains in the deceased's name — which creates serious vulnerability.

The 10-Year Squatter Risk (Prescripción Adquisitiva)

Here's what makes delays dangerous: Peru's Civil Code allows anyone who occupies a property openly, peacefully, and continuously for 10 years to claim full legal ownership through acquisitive prescription (prescripción adquisitiva de dominio).

If heirs inherit property but don't register the transfer or maintain active oversight, unauthorized occupants can eventually claim it legally. Approximately 53.7% of property owners in Peru lack clean, legally registered titles — meaning the system is already riddled with informal claims.

For foreign heirs managing property remotely, this means:

• Register the succession transfer at SUNARP as soon as possible
• Designate a local property manager or attorney to monitor the property
• Pay municipal property taxes on time (demonstrates ongoing ownership)
• Document any tenants or occupancy arrangements formally

The SUNARP Online Verification Portal

SUNARP's "Conoce Aquí" portal allows anyone to verify property ownership status. Foreign heirs should:

1. Search the property by partida registral (registry entry number)
2. Verify current registered ownership matches the deceased
3. Check for any annotations, liens, or third-party claims
4. Order a certificado literal (complete title history) for S/ 13.20

This verification should happen immediately after death — before initiating the succession — to ensure no unauthorized transfers have already occurred.

Alcabala Tax Exemption

Normal real estate transfers in Peru trigger a 3% alcabala (transfer tax). However, property transfers resulting from death (causa de muerte) are 100% exempt. You pay S/ 0 in transfer tax when registering inherited property at SUNARP.

This exemption also applies to the subsequent division of estate property among heirs (partición de la masa hereditaria).

Common Mistakes Foreign Heirs Make

Filing in the wrong SUNARP office: The succession must be registered in the SUNARP office corresponding to the deceased's last legal domicile, not where the property sits. Wrong office = rejection.

Delaying the property transfer: Completing the succession declaration but not the per-property transfer leaves the title in the deceased's name. Squatters, informal tenants, or even corrupt notaries can create problems with unregistered properties.

Ignoring municipal tax obligations: Unpaid impuesto predial accumulates with penalties. The municipality can eventually move against the property for tax debt.

Not checking for encumbrances: Inherited properties may have undisclosed mortgages, legal disputes, or judicial annotations. Always order the complete title history from SUNARP before accepting the inheritance.

Cost Summary

The Peru Expat Death Guide includes a property transfer checklist, SUNARP portal walkthrough, and a risk assessment framework for managing inherited Peruvian property from abroad.

Someone Died in Peru: English Speaker's Emergency Guide →