Who owns what in a marriage in Peru?
Peru's default is a community of acquisitions, and spouses can choose separation of property by public deed.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
What applies by default
Property acquired during the marriage is joint, and property from before and gifts and inheritances stay personal.
When the marriage ends in divorce
The community is liquidated and divided equally between the spouses.
A marriage contract
Spouses can choose separation of property by a public deed before the marriage or later, registered in the public registry.
What stays your own, and gifts
Property from before the marriage, gifts and inheritances stay personal.
If one spouse is a foreigner
Peru has its own rules on which law applies, so foreigners should get local advice.
Understand the legal system first
Peru belongs to the Civil law family. Family law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.
Read the Peru legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Official sources
Take it further
The family and property rules of a European country in one PDF, with questions for a local lawyer.
Set the property rules before the marriage, in your own terms.
For couples who live together without marrying.
Marriage, divorce, custody and support, step by step.
Divide property and settle the terms in writing.
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s marital property guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.
