Peru
Entry requirements
This advice reflects the UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK, for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in Peru set and enforce entry rules. If you are not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Peruvian Consulate General in the UK.
COVID-19 rules
There are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travellers entering Peru.
Passport validity requirements
To enter Peru, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
Visa requirements
You do not need a visa to travel to Peru for tourism or short visits. If you are travelling for any other reason, check requirements with the Peruvian Consulate General in the UK.
You are normally given permission to stay for up to 30 days when you arrive. If you need to stay longer, you must apply for permission on arrival. Immigration officials can grant you up to 180 days a year as a visitor or tourist.
If you overstay, you will need to pay a fine or you could be detained.
Arriving at an international airport
If you arrive in Peru at an international airport your entry will be registered digitally through a Tarjeta Andina de Migración (TAM) - a virtual immigration control document.
You can check the number of days you have been granted to stay legally in Peru on the Superintendencia Nacional de Migraciones website (in Spanish).
Arriving by land
Land entry: make sure you get your passport stamped.
If you enter Peru overland from any neighbouring country, go to the immigration checkpoint and get your passport stamped. If you do not get an entry stamp, you will not be allowed to leave Peru until you get a new entry stamp. If you do not get one, you will need to:
- complete the online application form (form in Spanish)
- provide your passport details
- provide evidence of your entry to Peru, such as a bus ticket in your name
- show an exit stamp from the last country you visited
The British Embassy can help you to apply for a new entry stamp. You should start this process as soon as possible.
If you cannot provide the information needed, you must apply for an exit order or expulsion order to leave Peru in person at the Immigration Office in Lima. These orders may stop you from re-entering Peru for a number of years. The British Embassy cannot intervene in these decisions, but can help you with the exit procedure.
If your passport has been lost or stolen and you plan to travel internally, contact your travel agency, airline or bus company to check their requirements. Some airlines and bus companies will not allow you to travel internally carrying a police report only. You may need a new passport or an emergency travel document.
Processing at the Peru-Chile border
Clashes between the police and migrants on the border between Peru and Chile in April and early May 2023 have led to delays in processing at this border crossing. See regional risks.
Vaccine requirements
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and certificates you need in TravelHealthPro’s Peru guide.
Travelling with children
Children aged 17 and under who are travelling on a British passport and have Peruvian resident status need written permission (‘Autorización de Viaje Notarial’) from the non-accompanying parent or parents to leave Peru.
You must get permission in a letter signed by a public notary in Peru. The letter must include:
- proposed destination
- purpose of the trip
- departure date
- return date
If you’re unable to get notarial permission, you’ll need to get judicial written permission (‘Autorización de Viaje Judicial’) from a judge. If one parent has committed certain crimes, the other can request a judicial written permission. If one parent is deceased, the other will need to submit the death certificate to a notary public, so that an indefinite notarial permit to travel with the child is issued.
These requirements do not normally apply to children with tourist status, but immigration officers may ask for them in circumstances considered suspicious, or if the child has overstayed in Peru.
For further information, contact the Peruvian Consulate General in the UK (in Spanish) or the Peruvian Immigration Department (in Spanish).
Customs rules
There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Peru. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
You can bring one laptop and 2 mobile phones into Peru without paying tax.
When you leave Peru, you may be stopped and prosecuted if you are carrying:
- products made from wild animal skins
- crafts made with preserved butterflies, spiders, starfish, sea horses or other fish or insects
- crafts and jewellery made with condor or other wild bird feathers, turtle shells, teeth, bones and other animal parts
The sale of souvenirs made with wild animal parts, including condor feathers, is illegal in Peru. These products are often sold in tourist markets in Cusco and Iquitos.
You’re not allowed to remove any archaeological artefacts from Peru without authorisation.