The paperwork for a Peru trip starts with each person. Two travel companions can have different passports, nationalities or onward journeys. Make a separate overview for each traveller before relying on information from a previous trip or someone else’s experience.
Record which document you will use
Note your name, nationality, travel-document type and expiry date. If you have several documents, identify which you want to use for this trip. Add arrival and departure dates, the purpose of travel and countries where you will transit or continue your journey.
Describe your purpose clearly when contacting a consulate: a holiday, family visit, study, work or something else. Include how long you want to stay. The authority then has the same information on which you want to base your bookings.
Put questions to the appropriate authorities
The Peruvian visa information published by the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores is a starting point for checking documents. The linked publication concerns ordinary passports. Ask the consulate separately about another document. Use current official information that applies to your document and purpose. Note any publication or update date shown and keep the reference with your questions.
If you are unsure which application or document applies, send your overview to the competent Peruvian consular post. Ask which process to follow and which supporting documents it needs. Use a consulate’s application list for the application it describes; ask about your own circumstances when in doubt.
Useful questions include: which travel document can I use for this route, what validity is requested for my arrival date, how do I check whether I need a visa, and which documents belong with that application? Keep the answers with their date and the authority that supplied them.
Include the rest of the journey
List every transit and onward country. Look for its official document information through that country’s authority. Discuss with your carrier which documents it wants to see at check-in for the actual booking. Explain both the route and document you will use if anything remains unclear.
If travelling with children, make a separate overview for each child too. Include who is travelling, which documents are being used and any questions about parental responsibility or consent. Ask the competent authorities which documents apply to that family situation and route. Keep documents for different countries separate so that you can find them along the way.
Before an overland journey, establish where to ask about formal border and document checks. Record the border post and official information channel. Ask the carrier how that step fits into the journey and check current circumstances with the competent authority. A route description is not proof of your own registration.
Make one readable document folder
Put the answers beside your bookings: travel document, purpose, dates, first accommodation, onward route and any application documents. Include only documents that apply to you, and distinguish originals from useful copies. Check that names and dates agree across them.
Repeat the check when your route, document or purpose changes, and again before departure. Resolve outstanding questions before making non-refundable bookings. The checklist brings the information together; the competent authority assesses your individual circumstances.
Your own record after arrival
Migraciones publishes information about the Tarjeta Andina de Migración, or TAM, and the official channel for consulting the record. Follow the links from Migraciones. Check your own details and contact the authority if something is missing or unclear.
Keep the record you find and relevant replies with your travel documents. If your onward plans change, ask what that means for your circumstances. Your document folder can then follow the trip you are actually making.
Passport questions and travelling with children
Where do I check my travel document’s validity?
Give the competent Peruvian authority the document type, nationality, expiry date and your arrival date. Include any exceptions for your document as a question; this guide supplies no fixed validity period.
What about children or a land border?
Check each child separately and ask about consent documents for your family situation. At a land border, establish where immigration formalities take place.