Visa Requirements & Regulations for Peru
Overview of content "Visa Requirements & Regulations - Peru"
General Information for Peruvian Visa
- The maximum stay in Peru on a tourist visa is 183 days (per year)!
- You can't extent your tourist visa once you entered Peru!
- Like in most countries around the world you are not allowed to work on a tourist visa!
- In case you need to sign any important contracts (work contract, apartment purchase, sometimes even a marriage certificate...) you need a permission to sign contracts otherwise the papers aren't legal! You can get this permit quite easily at the Immigration Office "Dirección General de Migraciones y Naturalizacion", Av. España 734 in Breña. Their office hours are from 08.00 am to 01.00 pm. Just bring your passport and your Tarjeta Andina de Migración including a copy of each, fill out form F004, pay S/. 27.- plus US$ 50.- at the Banco de la Nacion and you will get it. To avoid long queues and waiting be early at the Immigration Office.
- If you need a bank account in Peru, Interbank allows tourists to open an account just with your passport and a valid tourist visa!
Tourist Visa for Peru
Citizens of the countries in the listing below do NOT need to get a visa at an embassy or consulate before entering Peru. A passport valid at least six months longer than you intent to stay in Peru is enough to get a Tourist Visa directly at the border or the airport. Children should travel on their own passport with photo.
Below listed countries can get a tourist visa at the airport immigrations or any other Peruvian border without applying for it at an embassy or consulate:
- North America: Citizens of the United States and Canada
- Central America: Citizens of most Central American countries (exception Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama)
- South America: Citizens of all South American countries
- Europe: Citizens of all countries within the European Union and Switzerland
- Africa: Only citizens of South Africa
- Asia: Citizens of Brunei, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan
- Oceania: Citizens of Australia and New Zealand
As Visa and Entry Requirements can change without prior notice, we recommend to check the current regulations before your trip to Peru with the nearest Peruvian Consulate or Embassies
Entering Peru
Entering Peru is quite easy. On the plane you will get a white card (Tarjeta Andina de Migración, Tarjeta Internacional de Embarque/Desembarque). Just fill it out completely and present it at the airport together with your passport. If you enter on road you will get the card at the border.
Take care of your “tarjeta” as you will need it again when leaving the country!
When arriving in Peru you will receive a 30, 60, 90 or 183 days visa depending on the mood of the immigration official at the desk. If you only get for example 30 days, but you plan to stay 6 weeks, just ask friendly for a 60 or 90 days visa and explain the reasons. This isn't a big deal and the visa will normally be granted without any problem. You might be asked for a return / onward ticket or a proof of sufficient funds. Don't panic; just show your ticket stating any destination outside Peru or your credit card. Never ever show too much cash!
Expired Peruvian Tourist Visa
If your tourist visa is for whatever (intentional or unintentional) reasons expired, you don't have to fear extreme consequences. When leaving the country you will be asked to pay a "fine" of US$ 1. - per day since the expiration of your visa. Depending on where you leave the country, you can pay this fee at a branch of the "Banco de la Nación" (i.e. within the vicinity of the airport). After that you get your exit stamp and can leave Peru.
If you can't pay this fee you will be held in custody until someone pays it for you. Better be prepared and have the cash in US Dollar on hand.
Of course we would like to advise you, to have your visa up-to-date at all times! Even if you usually don't get any trouble, there is always a slight possibility someone will check your passport. In the worst case scenario this might lead to your arrest and deportation to your home country.
Extension for Peruvian Tourist Visa (!)
Since July 2008 it is NOT possible to extend your tourist visa once you have entered Peru!!! When arriving at the airport or border make sure you get a visa for the time you intent to stay. After Peruvian law the maximum time for a tourist to stay in the country is 183 days per year.
Important Info
Above mentioned information should only give you general guidelines for your visit. Due to constantly changing regulations, we cannot guarantee that everything will be exactly as described. We will keep this section updated to the best of our knowledge. So if you had other experiences, please contact us...
What Items can a Tourist bring to Peru Duty-Free?
- Clothes for your trip
- Toiletry for your trip
- Personal items and jewelry for personal use
- One electric hair dryer
- One electric shaver
- One film or video camera with 5 films or 5 video tapes
- A maximum of 10 magnetic tapes, CDs or cassettes
- 5 video tapes
- One pocket calculator
- Drugs (medication) for personal use
- Books, magazines, newspapers and documents
- 20 boxes of cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams tobacco
- 3l of alcoholic beverages
- Travel articles or presents which don't exceed a total value of $300 and whose single value is less than $100
- One typewriter
- One music instrument
- One portable radio, one portable radio cassette recorder, one portable cassette player or one portable CD/DVD player with its own electricity supply
- One domestic animal (check the veterinary regulations!)
- One laptop
