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Entering Peru with a Car or Motorbike

Correct as of: January 2012

Required Paperwork

Passport of registered owner (original and 1 copy).
Drivers license of registered owner (original and 1 copy).
Vehicle registration (original and 1 copy).

Process at border

(To check if you need a travel Visa for Peru, application instructions and fees see: Peru Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)

The owner of the vehicle gains entry at immigration (migración), by getting a tourist card, getting it stamped by the police and finally a stamp in their Passport.
The owner must show the new passport stamp, drivers license and the original vehicle registration to customs (aduana).
The owner is issued a temporary import permit for the vehicle.
If you cross at Tumbes, the kiosk to return your vehicle permit is on the NORTHBOUND side of the highway as you approach the border. It is in a run down, blue and white building in a gravel parking lot about 5kms from the actual border. It looks more like a police check point than an Aduana. If you miss it, Peruvian police will kindly send you back. The Tumbes border was slow, but safe and we saw no corruption.

Cost of entry

Free.

Permitted length of stay

90 days.

Extension of stay

Unknown.
Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country

(unknown)
Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long.
Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.

Exiting with a vehicle

The registered owner must get the Police at the border to stamp their tourist card, clearing them to leave Peru.
The registered owner can then be stamped out of Peru at immigration.
The registered owner presents the temporary import paper to customs.

Driving in Peru

Insurance requirements

Insurance is mandatory in Peru, however it's difficult to purchase because the vehicle will not be in the Peruvian computer system. Many people simply show the police SOAT insurance (Seguro Obligatorio Automóviles Transito) from another country (i.e. Ecuador or Colombia)

Cost of insurance

$18.00 USD for 3 months for a 4x4.

Where to purchase insurance

If you cross the border from Ecuador at Tumbes, insurance can be purchased in the parking lot of the migracion / aduana.

Driving license

Technically an International Driving Permit is required.
In reality, showing a license from anywhere in the world seems to be good enough.

Driving side of road

Right.
Right hand drive vehicles are permitted without problem.

Mandatory items in vehicle

None.

Roads

General Road quality

Roads in Peru vary greatly. Major highways are often paved and very good quality. Lesser roads are gravel and vary from good to horrendous. If you choose a back-road through the mountains, be prepared for extremely narrow, windy, bumpy, dusty gravel tracks.

Road signs

Road signs do exist, but are far from common. Most towns have at least one sign stating the name of the town and distances to the next towns. Road hazards are often un-signed.

Toll roads

Tolls are very uncommon, and are infrequent when found on some highways. Sometimes only Northbound traffic must pay a toll. When they are uncounted, expect to pay something like USD $2 for at least 100km.

No tolls are required for motorcycles. For bigger toll stations, keep far right (right of the lorry line-ups) and there will be a small lane to pass.

Bribery in Peru

Police bribery is common in Peru. The Police will try many different tactics to get money from you, including your lack of insurance (they know it's near impossible to buy).
See the bribery tips page for advice.

Checkpoints

Police checkpoints are common in Peru. You will be asked to present your Passport, Vehicle registration, drivers license and the temporary import permit you were issued at the border.

Traveling with pets

Unknown.
List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.

Gas and Diesel price in Peru

Last updated: January 2012

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade	Price
Regular (84)	$4.96 USD per Gallon (US)
Super (90)	$5.57 USD per Gallon (US)
Premium (95) (rare)	??
Ultra (97) (rare)	??
Normal Diesel	$4.50 USD per Gallon (US)
Diesel (low sulfur)	??

Price Information: gasoline-germany.com - International Gas / Petrol / Diesel prices - Peru

Gas and Diesel / Frequency

Purchasing gas in Peru is not commonly a problem.
Typically gas stations are not more than 200 - 300km apart.

Gas and Diesel Quality

Gasoline purchaed from name-brand outlets (ie. PetroPeru, Repsol) is regarded as better quality than a "no name" mechanic (grifo).

Safety and Security Considerations

Driving at night

Driving at night is generally not recommended, though might be OK on the larger highways.

Poor road quality means potholes and obstacles are common.
Dangerous driving such as tailgating, overtaking around blind corners and excessive speeding are very, very common.
There can be many objects on and around the road that are nearly impossible to see at night, such as livestock, people, slow moving carts, cars with no lights, etc.

Vehicle parking

Parking vehicles on the street in smaller towns during the day is typically OK. Find a secure parking lot in big cities and at night.

Special driving considerations

Drivers in Peru are particularly crazy, which leads to some very dangerous driving conditions. There have been many horrific accidents in recent years (some involving Overlanders) due to large trucks and buses taking hairpin corners in the wrong lane. Sound your horn loudly when approaching any sharp corners on mountainous roads.
Don't be afraid to give a couple of short taps on your horn in heavy traffic, it's not impolite, and lets other drivers know where you are.

Security advisories and information

Camping in Peru

Camping is not common or popular with local Peruvians, though many hostels in touristy areas have camping to cater for backpackers.
Prices for camping at hostels fluctuates with the tourist seasons - check a backpacker guide book.
There are many excellent sites for roadside camping around the Cordillera Blanca in central Peru.

Camping guide books

No specific book exists, though the usual backpacker guide books mention when a hostel or park has camping facilities.

Drinking water

Tap water in Peru is not safe to drink. Every corner store sells 1 and 2 liter bottles, and 20 liter bottles can be bought at most large grocery stores.

Navigation

Paper maps

Maps of Peru are difficult to find, and road conditions change daily. Purchase maps before arriving in Peru.

GPS Maps of Peru

Perut (Peru Routeable): A community map project like OSM with excellent coverage for Garmin^[1]
Open Street Map: Appears to have good coverage.^[2]
Garmin: No map of Peru.^[3]
TomTom: No map of Peru. ^[4]

GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Peru

Camping Sites: Peru - Detailed list of campsites and propane filling with description, directions and GPS co-ordinates. Some at hotels (lists facilities and price), some roadside and free.
Campsite Listing - South America | PanAm Notes - List of campsites, with directions and GPS co-ordinates. Some at hotels (lists facilities and price), some roadside and free.
Andes Expedition camping Locations - List of campsites, with basic directions and GPS co-ordinates. Mostly free sites.
Camping Log 2: South America - List of campsites, shopping, fuel, propane and border crossings with excellent descriptions and GPS co-ordinates.
Hackney Travel SA Waypoints - Raw GPS data (in gdb or gpx format) for waypoints (including campsites, fuel, repairs, propane and more)
The Silk Road Motocaravan Network - Raw GPS data for waypoints (camping, gas, propane, points of interest and more)

Special Overland Travel interests

Machu Picchu - It's not possible to drive all the way to Machu Picchu, but you can get pretty close and save yourself a lot of money by not catching the train. From the Cuzco area, drive through The Sacred Valley, passing Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Santa Maria and finally along a very narrow little track to the village of Santa Teresa. The last section of road is very narrow and windy, and requires a high-clearance vehicle. In Santa Teresa you can camp and safely leave your vehicle at the Inka Tour Hospedaje - the only campground in town. From Santa Teresa you can hike four hours, or catch a taxi to Hydroelectrica, where you can hike along the tracks or catch the train to Aguas Calientes which is the town at the base of Matchu Pitchu. Don't drive to Hydroelectrica - it's only a construction site and there is absolutely nowhere to park (even for motorbikes)^[5].