Practical travel information on Visas in Peru - Lonely Planet Travel Information

Visas

With a few exceptions (notably some Asian, African and communist countries), visas are not required for travelers entering Peru. Tourists are permitted a 30- to 90-day stay, which is stamped into their passports and onto a tourist card, called a Tarjeta Andina de Migración (Andean Immigration Card), that you must return upon leaving the country. The actual length of stay is determined by the immigration officer at the point of entry. Be careful not to lose your tourist card, or you will have to queue up an oficina de migraciónes (immigration office), also simply known as migraciónes, for a replacement card. It’s a good idea to carry your passport and tourist card on your person at all times, especially when traveling in remote areas (it’s required by law on the Inca Trail). For security, make a photocopy of both documents and keep them in a separate place from the originals.

Thirty-day extensions cost about US$50 and can be obtained at immigration offices in major cities, with Lima being the most painless place to do this. There are also immigration offices in Arequipa, Cuzco, Iquitos Puerto Maldonado, Puno and Trujillo, as well as near the Chilean and Ecuadorian borders. Although extensions are a bureaucratic hassle, you can keep extending your stay up to 180 days total. When your time is up, you can leave the country overland and return a day later to begin the process again.

Anyone who plans to work, attend school or reside in Peru for any length of time must obtain a visa in advance. Do this through the Peruvian embassy or consulate in your home country.