Entering Peru by Road with a Dog and a Vehicle: Documents to Prepare

Entering Peru by road with a dog and your own vehicle involves two separate procedures, handled by two different agencies. This article tells you which documents to gather for the animal and for the vehicle, the order to follow at the border post, and the mistakes that cost you dearly. It also points out what the sources we read cannot confirm and what you will need to verify before you leave.

Two Separate Procedures at the Border: The Dog and the Vehicle

The dog and the vehicle do not fall under the same service. SENASA, Peru's national agrarian health service, carries out inspections of companion animals at the land border control posts^[1]. The owner or their representative presents there with the animal's documents^[2].

The vehicle, for its part, goes through temporary admission with Peruvian customs, SUNAT: you present your vehicle to the customs authority with the required documents^[3]. Plan for two distinct checks at the official post, and do not count on one to validate the other.

Dog: Health Certificate and Required Vaccinations

The central document is the original export health certificate, issued by the official authority of the country of origin^[4]. It must list the vaccines currently valid: for a dog, parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis and rabies^[5]. Proof of rabies vaccination must appear on this international health certificate^[6].

Rabies vaccination is mandatory from 3 months of age. The animal must also have been dewormed, internally and externally, within the 30 days before the trip^[2]. The export health certificate must include the information the authority requests^[4].

If you are coming from Brazil, the specific document required and the applicable border post are not established by the sources we read. Check with the Brazilian veterinary authority and with SENASA to find out which exact document and which border post apply to your case.

Arriving at the Border Post: Inspection of the Dog by SENASA

On arrival, go to the SENASA office at the land border control post, with the original export health certificate and proof of vaccination^[2].

SENASA staff then carry out a clinical examination of the animal to detect any sign of infectious or parasitic disease^[4]. So keep your dog within reach, in good shape and clean, rather than leaving it asleep at the back of the van during the formalities.

Vehicle: Temporary Admission and SUNAT Documents

To request temporary admission, SUNAT first asks for the Libreta or Carnet de Pasos, issued by the authorized association of the vehicle's country of origin^[3]. This Libreta (Customs Transit Booklet) is valid for one year at most, extendable by three months if a case of force majeure prevents the vehicle from leaving the country^[7].

Without a Libreta, you present a printed Registro Provisional Anticipado de Datos for a passenger vehicle. If you arrive without this document, the customs officer enters the information^[3]. This registry can also be generated before entering the territory from a phone, using the SUNAT app^[7].

If you do not own the vehicle, you also need the original rental contract or a document proving legal possession^[3]. SUNAT further states that the entry and stay procedures for passenger vehicles are not subject to any tax^[7].

The exact length of stay granted to your vehicle is not established by the extracts we read: confirm it directly with Peruvian customs on the day of entry, and note the expiry date.

Pitfalls, Scams, and Points of Vigilance

• Vehicle not removed by the deadline: the offense is penalized by seizure (comiso) of the vehicle. It may still leave the country if, within 30 working days after the deadline expires, you pay the corresponding fine^[7].
• Advance online registry: it is cancelled if you do not appear before Peruvian customs within 10 calendar days^[3].
• Health certificate: it must be issued by the official authority of the animal's country of origin, not only by a private veterinarian^[4].
• SENASA fees and deadlines: a SENASA page about pets shows a payment of 99 soles^[8], but the excerpt we read does not specify which procedure it applies to (check with SENASA), and deworming within 30 days before travel appears in another publication^[2].
• Only pay what SENASA or SUNAT asks for through their official channels.

Traveling in Peru with your dog

Once inside the country, SENASA does not issue an official certificate for dog and cat movements within Peruvian territory^[9]. We recommend checking with the transport company you plan to use^[10].

A vaccination certificate is listed as required to transport a dog^[11]. For these trips, SENASA also recommends consulting the transport company and having, along with this vaccination certificate, a valid health certificate in the format of the Colegio Médico Veterinario del Perú, issued by a veterinarian registered with the professional association (“colegiado”) working in private practice. This concerns travel within the country, not the entry health certificate^[2].

To check before you leave

• Before you travel, check with Peruvian authorities (SENASA, SUNAT, migration) about the current status of Peru's land border crossings.
• Brazil: veterinary documents and border crossing to be confirmed with the Brazilian authority and SENASA.
• The length of stay granted to the vehicle upon entry, to be requested from customs.
• The current SENASA fee and processing time, to be confirmed on the official website.
• The rules for parks and altitude if you plan to hike with your dog, which are not covered here.