Driving Permit for Peru
Driving in Peru with a foreign licence: IDP rules under the 1968 convention, rental car requirements, right-side driving, police checkpoints, tolls and road-safety tips for tourists.
- Drive on
- Right
- Convention
- 1949 + 1968
- IDP validity
- Up to 6 months (duration of authorized stay)
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Peru?
Peru recognises the International Driving Permit under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which it joined in October 2006. Tourists can drive on a valid home-country licence for the duration of their authorised stay — official UK advice puts this at up to six months on a photocard licence — but an IDP is strongly recommended, and effectively essential if your licence is not in Spanish, has no photo, or is an older paper-style document. The IDP works only as a companion to your original licence, so always carry both, together with your passport.
At the rental desk, the international majors operating at Lima's Jorge Chávez airport and in Cusco and Arequipa will generally accept your home licence, passport and a credit card, though an IDP is often requested and bridges any language gap. The legal driving age is 18, but rental companies usually set their own minimum at around 23–25 and apply young-driver surcharges. On the road, police document checks are routine: hand over your licence and passport, and if you are cited, pay the fine at an authorised bank — never directly to the officer.
Traffic drives on the right. Seatbelts are compulsory for all occupants, and the blood-alcohol limit is a strict 0.05%. The Pan-American Highway is well paved and tolled — carry cash for the booths — but Andean routes are a different story: narrow, winding, often without guardrails, and official travel advisories warn against driving them at night. Driving standards are famously assertive, particularly in Lima, so defensive driving is the rule.
Peru recognises the IDP under both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Conventions.
Peru is a signatory to both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Conventions. In practice, an IDP issued by another signatory country is recognised for your permitted visitor stay — in Peru, plan on up to 6 months (duration of authorized stay).
What you need to drive in Peru
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Valid original home-country driver's licence — carry it at all times together with your passport
IDP recommended, and effectively essential if your licence is not in Spanish, lacks a photo, or is an old paper-style licence
Minimum legal driving age is 18; rental companies typically require drivers to be around 23–25
Seatbelts are mandatory for all vehicle occupants
Peru acceded to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic on 6 October 2006, so 1968-format IDPs are recognised nationwide
The blood-alcohol limit for drivers is 0.05% (50 mg per 100 ml of blood) — lower than the standard US and UK limits
The legal driving age is 18, but rental firms set their own minimums of roughly 23–25 and may add young-driver surcharges
Police document checks are routine; carry your passport (or carné de extranjería if resident) with your licence whenever you drive
UK paper-licence holders specifically need an IDP or a photocard licence, per official UK travel advice
The Pan-American Highway (Panamericana) is Peru's main paved north–south artery and carries regular toll plazas — keep cash handy, as some booths do not accept cards
What to know before you turn the key
Peru drives on the right — the driver sits on the left, and roundabouts flow anti-clockwise.
Carry your IDP and your original license together — rental desks and police checks will ask for both documents.
Major rental desks in Lima, Cusco and Arequipa generally accept a home licence plus passport and credit card, but an IDP smooths frequent police document checks
If cited for a traffic offence, never pay the officer directly — official fines are paid at authorised banks such as Banco de la Nación
Avoid night driving on Andean mountain roads: guardrails, markings and signage are often poor
Traffic fines are issued as written citations and must be paid at authorised banks or tax offices, never in cash to the officer. Driving over the 0.05% alcohol limit or without a valid licence can bring heavy fines, vehicle impoundment and possible criminal charges.
Local rules to watch in Peru
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Lima: dense, assertive traffic where stop signs and lights are widely ignored — many visitors skip city driving and collect rentals at Jorge Chávez airport only for onward road trips
Cusco and the Sacred Valley: a popular self-drive region, but expect winding high-altitude roads with limited guardrails — plan drives for daylight hours
Arequipa: the gateway for Colca Canyon drives; fill the tank before remote highland stretches, where fuel stations are sparse
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Peru keeps.
Common questions about driving in Peru
Drive Peru, confidently.
Apply online in minutes and get instant digital access to your IDP translation — with an IDP PVC card option if you want one in your wallet.