International Driving Permit Peru

Most car rental companies in Peru ask for an International Driving Permit at the counter regardless of licence language, so carrying one helps you avoid delays even where the underlying legal requirement depends on your licence's script.

• A valid foreign licence is usable in Peru for the first six months of your stay under Peru's 2006 accession to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.Commonly reported
• If your licence isn't in English or Latin script, an IDP or a notarized translation is what provides the translation local authorities and rental staff need.Commonly reported
• At least one major rental company applies its own shorter 60-day window before requiring an IDP regardless of script — a rental counter's own policy, distinct from Peru's six-month legal allowance.Commonly reported
• You should carry your original licence, your passport, and your IDP if applicable together at all times while driving.Commonly reported
• Peru drives on the right, with the driver's seat on the left side of the vehicle.Commonly reported

Cusco and the Sacred Valley sit at genuinely high altitude, mountain roads to sites like Rainbow Mountain are narrow and unpaved, and the Panamericana's tolls are almost always cash-only.

• Cusco sits at roughly 3,400m and Sacred Valley towns like Pisac and Urubamba sit lower, around 2,800-3,000m — altitude sickness (soroche) can affect a driver's own judgment and reaction time, not just cause discomfort.Commonly reported
• Acclimatizing before driving mountain routes matters — some travelers descend from Cusco to the lower Sacred Valley first rather than driving straight out at altitude.Commonly reported
• Roads to high-altitude sites such as Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake are often narrow, unpaved, and without guardrails — an SUV or 4x4 is commonly recommended for these routes.Commonly reported
• Landslides and road closures are more common in the Cusco highlands during the rainy season, roughly December through March.Commonly reported
• Toll points (peaje) are common on the Panamericana coastal highway and are typically cash-only in Peruvian soles.Commonly reported
• Police checkpoints are frequent on major highways — slow down, stay calm, and have your documents ready to show.Commonly reported
• Driving the Panamericana or mountain roads after dark is widely discouraged due to limited lighting and landslide risk.Commonly reported

Self-drive car rental is available at Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport and Cusco's Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport, with insurance coverage for unpaved mountain roads worth confirming before any Sacred Valley or Colca Canyon route.

• Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima and Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco both have self-drive rental counters from major providers.Commonly reported
• Standard rental insurance commonly excludes damage on unpaved roads unless you've specifically arranged off-road or 4x4 coverage — this varies by provider, so confirm it directly rather than assuming either way.Commonly reported
• Third-party liability insurance is mandatory in Peru and is typically bundled into the rental agreement.Commonly reported
• Most rental companies set their own minimum age around 23 with at least a year of driving experience — separate from Peru's general legal driving age of 18.Commonly reported
• Typical documents requested at pickup are your original licence, your IDP if applicable, your passport, and a credit card in the main driver's name for the deposit.Commonly reported

Keep your original driving licence, your passport, and your International Driving Permit if you're carrying one, together as your standard document set any time you're driving in Peru.

• Your original licence, passport, and IDP if you're carrying one, should be kept together and accessible at all times while driving.Commonly reported
• 105 reaches police nationwide, 106 reaches SAMU ambulance services, and 116 reaches fire — the Tourist Police in Lima can also be reached directly for travel-specific help.Commonly reported