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Sunflower Updated Planning a trip to Peru is exciting, at least until visa questions start popping up. Do I need a visa? How long can I stay? What am I actually allowed to do as a tourist? Unfortunately, clear and up-to-date information isn’t always easy to find. That’s why we put together this comprehensive guide covering everything you need to know about the Peruvian tourist visa from entry requirements and length of stay to common pitfalls and practical tips.
Peru is a very welcoming country and has agreements with many nations allowing their citizens to travel visa-free for tourism.
Strictly speaking, most travelers don’t actually need a tourist visa to enter Peru. Instead, they are granted permission to enter and stay as tourists upon arrival. However, the term “tourist visa” is commonly used for both visa-free entry and visas issued by a Peruvian consulate, which can be confusing.
Citizens of below-isted countries do not need to apply for a tourist visa at a Peruvian embassy or consulate before traveling. Instead, they only need a passport valid for at least six months with at least two blank visa pages. Upon arrival, they receive a temporary authorization to enter and stay as a tourist for a certain time directly at immigration control at the airport or border.
While the term sounds official, since the end of May 2023 it is essentially just a digital entry in the Migraciones system rather than a physical document or stamp in your passport.
For a detailed and country-specific overview, please refer to our PDF “Visas for Peru by country and allowed length of stay” at the end of this very long article. It is an English translation of the official document issued by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which can be found here.
As mentioned above, citizens of some countries require a visa even for tourism or recreational travel (please refer to our PDF “Visas for Peru by country and allowed length of stay” at the end of this very long article for clarification).
Since Peru does not offer an online visa application system, applicants must apply for a tourist visa in person at a Peruvian embassy or consulate that has jurisdiction over their place of residence.
The required documents may vary depending on the consulate and individual case, but generally include:
Please note that the consulate where you apply, will usually invite you to a personal interview.
On the website of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE) you find a world map showing all Peruvian consulates abroad. By clicking on a location marker, you can access the address, phone number, email, and - if available - the website of the respective consulate.
Especially in parts of Africa and Asia - where nationals of many countries are still required to apply for a tourist visa - Peruvian consulates are relatively scarce. In addition, websites are not always up to date and emails sometimes go unanswered.
As a result, finding the correct consulate, obtaining reliable information, and completing the application process can be challenging.
Unfortunately, the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not consistently publish which consulates are responsible for specific regions or countries. So, if there is no Peruvian consulate in your country of residence, your best (and often only) option is to contact the nearest Peruvian diplomatic mission - which might not be particularly close - and ask whether they are responsible for your case or can direct you to the correct office.
Peru’s rules on how long tourists can stay have changed several times over the years, which has led to quite a bit of confusion.
In March 2017, a new Peruvian Foreigner Law (Decreto Legislativo 1350) came into force, allowing tourists to stay for a maximum of 183 days within a 365-day period. Shortly afterward, however, the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE) introduced different rules for certain nationalities, including those from Schengen countries, limiting their stay to 90 days within a 180-day period.
Then, in June 2019, the RREE publication was modified again. For most visa-exempt nationalities, the stay was effectively divided into two periods of up to 90 days within consecutive 180-day periods.
Even though the updated Foreigner Law (Decreto Legislativo 1582), published in November 2023, again confirms a maximum stay of 183 days within a 365-day period for tourists, the RREE’s earlier regulation is still applied in practice.
So what does this mean today?
Most travelers who can enter Peru visa-free are usually granted up to 90 days within a 180-day period upon entry. This 180-day period is not tied to calendar halves (January-June or July-December), but is calculated individually from your first entry into the country.
Brazilian, Chilean, and Mexican nationals, as well as Chinese and Indian passport holders who qualify for visa-free entry under the special conditions mentioned above, may still be eligible for up to 180 days. However, in practice, Peruvian immigration often grants only 90 days upon arrival.
If you applied for a tourist visa at a consulate, the number of days granted is determined by that consulate. However, even if your visa states 180 days, immigration officers at the border most probably will still limit your stay to 90 days when entering Peru. As your tourist visa issued at a Peruvian consulate is a multile entry visa, you could leave Peru for a few days and return on the same visa.
While most travelers receive the maximum number of days allowed - if they haven’t overstayed their welcome before excessively or if they haven’t been in Peru before and now try to re-enter the country before their 180-day period is over) - it is important to understand that you are not legally entitled to a specific length of stay. As in most countries, the final decision always lies with the immigration officer, who can decide whether to grant entry at all and how many days you are permitted to stay.
For detailed, country-specific information, please refer to our PDF “Visas for Peru by country and allowed length of stay” at the end of this article. It is an English translation of the official document issued by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which can be found here.
With the introduction of the new Immigration Law in 2017 and ongoing digitalization entering Peru today is generally a straightforward, organized, and usually fairly quick process.
To enter Peru as a tourist, your passport must meet certain requirements regarding validity and available pages. You will need:
Note:
While Peru doesn’t officially require proof of sufficient funds for visa-free tourist entry, immigration officers have the authority to ask questions about your travel plans and how you intend to support yourself during your stay. In practice, this rarely happens, but it’s always a good idea to be able to demonstrate that you can cover your expenses if asked.
After leaving the plane (or crossing a land border), simply follow the signs to immigration control.
At the beginning of 2023, automated passport control machines were introduced. However, when entering Peru, these are currently reserved for Peruvian nationals and foreign residents.
At immigration, present your passport. Make sure it meets the requirements mentioned above.
Since May 2023, Peru no longer stamps passports for travelers entering on international flights and at some land borders. Instead, your entry and the number of days granted are digitally registered in the Migraciones system.
This means you won’t receive any written confirmation in your passport indicating how long you are allowed to stay.
So, to find out how many days you’ve been granted, you should:
Our article “How many days did I get when entering Peru?” explains in detail how to do this and how to obtain proof of your entry if needed.
Once you have passed immigration, proceed to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage.
Since June 2022, the traditional customs declaration form has been replaced by the app “Bienvenido al Perú”, available for iOS and Android. The app guides you through what you need to declare and what you don’t.
Peruvian customs expects travelers to be familiar with and comply with current regulations. So, it’s your responsibility to inform yourself in advance. Our article “What you can & can’t bring into Peru” is a helpful starting point.
In practice:
Failing to declare taxable or restricted items can result in fines of up to 50% of the item’s value. Not declaring amounts exceeding US$ 10,000 can lead to a 30% penalty on the undeclared amount; amounts exceeding US$ 30,000 may be confiscated, with an additional fine applied..
Before exiting the airport, you and your luggage will pass through a scanner, and you may be selected for an additional inspection.
And that's it - you made it! Welcome to Peru!
After passport stamping was temporarily suspended during the pandemic and briefly reintroduced, Peru has now fully transitioned to a digital system.
Today, the only way to confirm how long you are allowed to stay as a tourist is to:
Our article “How many days did I get when entering Peru?” explains the legal background and shows you step by step how to check your allowed stay.
Over the past two decades, Peru’s rules on extending tourist stays have changed repeatedly—sometimes allowing extensions, sometimes not.
Since August 2021, extensions have generally not been possible.
This strict rule was slightly relaxed in October 2023 with new Migraciones administrative regulations (TUPA), which reopened the possibility of extending a tourist stay but only for nationals of Andean Community member states, and exclusively for them.
Shortly afterward, a modification of the Foreigner Law (Decreto Legislativo 1582), published on November 14, 2023, confirmed the general legal framework. While it states that tourists can stay up to 183 days within a 365-day period, it also makes clear that, in practice, extensions remain highly restricted.
According to the law, an extension could theoretically be granted if a traveler did not receive the full 183 days upon entry. However, this is only applicable where no international agreements prohibit extensions.
In reality today:
Only citizens of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia can currently extend their tourist stay in Peru under the existing Migraciones regulations (TUPA).
All other foreign nationals cannot extend their stay as tourists.
For more detailed background and practical guidance, please refer to our comprehensive article on tourist visa extensions in Peru.
Like in any other country, it’s strongly recommended to respect the rules and regulations in Peru, including the number of days you are allowed to stay as a tourist.
However, if you overstay your permitted stay by a few days or even weeks - at least for now - you usually don’t have to fear serious consequences.
When leaving Peru, you simply have to pay a fine of 0.1% of a UIT per day overstayed (S/ 5.50 per day in 2026). The fine must be paid before leaving the country.
Once the fine is paid, you can normally leave Peru without further issues.
Those who have significantly overstayed (we are talking about many months or even years), however, may face additional sanctions, such as an obligatory departure (salida obligatoria) notice and a temporary re-entry ban.
That said, in recent months Migraciones has occasionally carried out street checks, particularly in Lima, Callao, Cusco, and border regions, targeting foreigners who may have overstayed or entered the country irregularly. Be aware that in some cases overstayers caught during these checks received an obligatory departure (salida obligatoria) notice and had to leave the country immediately or within a few days.
Our article "Peruvian Overstay Fine for Tourists” explains the details, including possible consequences, affects on future entry and payment options.
Between 2008 and 2017, so-called border hopping was a common and widely used way to “renew” a tourist stay in Peru.
Back then, the law allowed visitors to stay for 183 days, but it didn’t clearly define whether this period applied per year or per visit. This loophole made it possible for many foreigners to live in Peru on a tourist status: when their stay was about to expire, they simply crossed the border, stayed a few minutes, a day, or week in a neighboring country, and returned - often receiving a fresh 183 days.
For years, this worked without problems.
This changed in 2017 with the introduction of a new Immigration Law (Decreto Legislativo 1350), which closed the loophole, and a publication by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RREE), which reduced the allowed stay for most nationalities. A couple of years later, immigration officials began applying the new rules more strictly.
Travelers attempting to re-enter after already using up their allowed time were often:
Then, in March 2020, Covid hit. Borders closed, and Migraciones accelerated the digitalization of immigration processes. Today, all entries and exits are stored in a central database and can be accessed at all control points.
Since August 2021, travelers report conflicting experiences when trying to re-enter Peru early after already having stayed their allowed 90 days within this 180-day period:
So, as always, it is at the discretion of the immigration officer (and his/her evaluation of your situation) how many days you are granted - or whether you are allowed to enter at all.
One way or another, the days of easy border runs seem to be over.
Foreigners planning to stay longer in Peru should consider applying for a proper visa, such as a temporary work visa, student visa, or a residence visa. Our Visa Guide explains the most common options, including legal background, requirements, preparation, and step-by-step application processes.
Peruvian law requires foreign visitors to have proof of onward or return travel, showing that they will leave the country before their authorized stay expires. However, the law does not specify that this must be a plane ticket; it can be any proof of departure.
In practice, immigration officers in Peru rarely ask for it.
The ones who usually enforce this rule are the airlines. Since they may be responsible for flying you back if you are denied entry, many airlines require proof of onward travel before allowing you to check in and board your flight to Peru.
If you are planning to travel on a one-way ticket, check your airline’s policy carefully:
If your airline requests a return or onward ticket, you have a few options:
No!
A tourist visa temporary authorization as a tourist allows entry for touristic, recreational, or health purposes only.
Even though some foreigners do work in Peru on a tourist status, the law clearly states that you are not allowed to work for a Peruvian company or receive any form of remuneration for any kind of professional activity in Peru while in the country as a tourist.
Generally no, but there are exceptions depending on the specific situation.
For more detailed information, please see our article “Peruvian Student Visa”.
No!
Before signing any legally binding document (such as a work contract, sworn statement, property purchase, or marriage paperwork), tourists must obtain a “Permiso para firmar contratos.”
Our article “Permit to sign contracts” explains the process step by step.
Officially, no! In practice, however, it happens quite frequently.
For more information, see our article “Peruvian Volunteer Visa.”
Peru doesn’t generally require vaccinations for tourist entry. However, depending on where you travel within the country, certain vaccinations and basic health precautions are highly recommended. It’s always a good idea to inform yourself in advance about potential health risks such as altitude sickness, tropical diseases, and food- and water-related issues.
Our article “Health and Medical Care in Peru” gives you a detailed overview of recommended vaccinations, medical services, and common health concerns to help you prepare for a safe and enjoyable trip.
If your passport gets lost or stolen while traveling in Peru, it’s extremely helpful if you have a copy of it - either a printed version or a digital copy stored securely in the cloud that you can access anytime. The same applies to other important documents such as your driver’s licence, birth certificate, or similar.
You should immediately report the loss to the nearest tourist police or "normal" police station. You’ll receive a police report, a so-called denuncia, which is usually required for further steps.
Then contact your embassy or consulate in Peru to apply for a replacement passport or an emergency travel document. Most consulates are located in Lima, but some countries also have representation in larger cities in Peru.
Be aware that this process can take anything between a few hours to many days. If your country has no diplomatic representation in Peru you may have to get in touch with the nearest consulate in another country and hope for the best.
Please note: LimaEasy is not a Peruvian government agency, public authority, or law firm. The information provided is based on our best knowledge and is intended as general guidance to help you understand Peruvian regulations and procedures. Regulations, requirements, and administrative practices may change at any time and without prior notice, so we recommend verifying current details with the relevant authorities before acting on this information.
And last but not least: If you notice any inaccuracies or outdated information on this page, please help us keep this guide up to date by leaving a comment below or contacting us via our contact form. Thank you for your support!
In loving memory of "Jack" & "Lola"
