Peru
Entry requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Peru’s current rules 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 (in Spanish).
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 can travel to Peru without a visa for tourism or short visits. If you are travelling for any other reason, check requirements with the Peruvian Consulate General in the UK (in Spanish).
When you arrive in Peru, you will normally get permission to stay for up to 90 days in a 180 day period. The 180 day period is calculated from the date of your first entry into Peru. Immigration officials can grant you a maximum of 183 days in a 365 day period as a visitor or tourist.
If you overstay, you will get a fine and you could be detained.
Arriving at an international airport
If you arrive in Peru at an international airport, authorities will register your entry digitally through a Tarjeta Andina de Migración (TAM) - a virtual immigration control document.
You can check how long you are allowed to stay 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 by land from a neighbouring country, get a passport entry stamp at the immigration checkpoint. You cannot leave Peru without one. If you did not get a stamp, apply to get a passport entry stamp online (form in Spanish) and:
- give your passport details
- give 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 an entry stamp. You should start this process as soon as possible.
If you cannot give 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.
Travelling inside Peru without a passport
If your passport is lost or stolen and you plan to travel inside Peru, contact your travel agency, airline or bus company to check their requirements. Some companies will not allow you to travel carrying a police report only. You may need a new passport or an emergency travel document.
Vaccine requirements
For details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see 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
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 and the stay lasts more than 183 days.
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 (in Spanish). 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.
It is illegal to remove any archaeological artefacts from Peru without authorisation.