Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Peru: 8 legal requirements + 7 other things worth knowing.
Required
Recommended
Good to know
Tick before you go
8 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
1949 IDP required alongside national licence
Peru recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP: UK and EU drivers must carry both their national licence and a 1949 IDP for stays beyond short tourist periods. Hire firms may accept a national licence for under 30 days but police checkpoints expect the IDP.
Passport and tourist entry stamp (TAM/Andean Migration Card)
Carry your passport at all times when driving: the digital TAM record from entry must match your stay, and police can request it at provincial checkpoints.
SOAT mandatory accident insurance
Every vehicle on Peruvian roads must carry SOAT (Seguro Obligatorio de Accidentes de Tránsito): rental cars include it, but private vehicles entering overland must purchase it at the border, around PEN 150-400 (EUR 35-95) per year.
Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (TIP) for own car
Drivers crossing overland with their own vehicle must obtain a SUNAT TIP (Permiso de Internación Temporal) at the border, valid up to 90 days: bring V5C/title, passport and licence.
Drive on the right
Peru drives on the right and overtakes on the left: UK and Irish drivers should allow extra adjustment time, particularly on narrow Andean roads.
Speed limits 100 / 80 / 30-60 km/h
Motorway and main highway limit 100 km/h, rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 30-60 km/h (residential 30, main streets 60). Limits drop sharply on mountain stretches and are camera-enforced near Lima.
BAC limit 0.5 g/L (0.25 g/L for professional drivers)
Blood alcohol limit is 0.5 g/L for private drivers and 0.25 g/L for commercial/taxi drivers: penalties include heavy fines, licence suspension and possible imprisonment above 0.5.
Warning triangles, fire extinguisher and first-aid kit
Vehicles must carry two reflective warning triangles, a working fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, a reflective hi-vis vest and a basic tool kit: police spot-checks on the Panamericana routinely verify this.
Peru recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP: UK and EU drivers must carry both their national licence and a 1949 IDP for stays beyond short tourist periods. Hire firms may accept a national licence for under 30 days but police checkpoints expect the IDP.
Carry your passport at all times when driving: the digital TAM record from entry must match your stay, and police can request it at provincial checkpoints.
Every vehicle on Peruvian roads must carry SOAT (Seguro Obligatorio de Accidentes de Tránsito): rental cars include it, but private vehicles entering overland must purchase it at the border, around PEN 150-400 (EUR 35-95) per year.
Drivers crossing overland with their own vehicle must obtain a SUNAT TIP (Permiso de Internación Temporal) at the border, valid up to 90 days: bring V5C/title, passport and licence.
Peru drives on the right and overtakes on the left: UK and Irish drivers should allow extra adjustment time, particularly on narrow Andean roads.
Motorway and main highway limit 100 km/h, rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 30-60 km/h (residential 30, main streets 60). Limits drop sharply on mountain stretches and are camera-enforced near Lima.
Blood alcohol limit is 0.5 g/L for private drivers and 0.25 g/L for commercial/taxi drivers: penalties include heavy fines, licence suspension and possible imprisonment above 0.5.
Lima and Arequipa traffic ignores lane markings, horn use is constant, and right-of-way is taken not given: defensive driving and avoiding night-time intercity travel are strongly advised by the FCDO.
Dial 105 for police, 106 for medical emergencies and 116 for fire: touring assistance via Touring y Automóvil Club del Perú on (01) 611-9999.
Vehicles must carry two reflective warning triangles, a working fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, a reflective hi-vis vest and a basic tool kit: police spot-checks on the Panamericana routinely verify this.
Peru uses manned toll booths, not a vignette: typical cost PEN 8-16 (EUR 2-4) per booth, roughly EUR 3-5 per 100 km on the Panamericana Norte/Sur. Electronic TAG transponders exist but are optional for tourists.
Routes over 4,000 m (Ticlio, Abra La Raya, Anticona) suffer landslides, fog and snow Dec-Mar. Check MTC road status, carry water, and allow for altitude sickness affecting concentration.
Highland and jungle roads (especially Cusco-Puno, Manu, Carretera Central) frequently close due to landslides (huaicos) Dec-Apr: never drive Andean roads at night during this period.
Currency is the Peruvian Sol (PEN). Petrol (84/90/95/97 octane) runs around PEN 15-17 per gallon (EUR 1.10-1.30 per litre). Fuel stations are attended: tipping PEN 1-2 is customary; cash is king outside major cities.
Amounts over USD 30,000 (or equivalent) in cash or negotiable instruments must be declared to SUNAT customs on entry or exit: undeclared sums can be seized.
We'll build the itinerary, estimate fuel + tolls, and show EV chargers along the route, and this checklist appears automatically on every trip that crosses into Peru.
Start planning →Places to add to your Peru road trip.
Don't get caught out
Peru drives on the right and overtakes on the left: UK and Irish drivers should allow extra adjustment time, particularly on narrow Andean roads.
Motorway and main highway limit 100 km/h, rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 30-60 km/h (residential 30, main streets 60). Limits drop sharply on mountain stretches and are camera-enforced near Lima.
Blood alcohol limit is 0.5 g/L for private drivers and 0.25 g/L for commercial/taxi drivers: penalties include heavy fines, licence suspension and possible imprisonment above 0.5.