Who represents and protects a foreign child who is in Peru without their parents?

A foreign child in Peru without their parents

This happens in different ways. A child arrives alone at the border. Parents leave a child with an aunt in Lima and stay in their own country. Or the parents die or disappear and the child stays with relatives. Each case raises three questions: which law protects the child, what Migraciones does, and who can act for the child.

If the child is Peruvian, or the parents still exercise parental authority from Peru, the page you need is caring for a child without being their legal guardian. This page covers what changes when the child is foreign.

Peru’s child-protection laws apply to every child in Peru

The Preliminary Title of the Children and Adolescents Code (article V) is clear:

“El presente Código se aplicará a todos los niños y adolescentes del territorio peruano, sin ninguna distinción por motivo de raza, color, sexo, idioma, religión, opinión política, nacionalidad, origen social, posición económica, etnia, impedimento físico o mental, o cualquier otra condición, sea propia o de sus padres o responsables.”

(The Code applies to every child and adolescent in Peru, with no distinction by nationality or any other condition of the child or their parents.)

Legislative Decree 1297, which governs protection for children without parental care, says the same: “Esta Ley se aplica a todas las niñas, niños y adolescentes privados de cuidados parentales o en riesgo de perderlos y a sus respectivas familias.” (It applies to all children deprived of parental care or at risk of losing it, and to their families.)

The immigration law (Legislative Decree 1350) also makes the child’s best interests a principle:

“En toda medida concerniente al niño y adolescente que adopte el Estado a través de todas sus instituciones, así como en la acción de la sociedad, se considerará el principio del interés superior del niño y adolescente y el respeto a sus derechos.”

(Every state measure concerning a child must consider the child’s best interests and respect their rights.)

Being foreign, or undocumented, does not put a child outside this protection.

Guardianship follows the law of the domicile, not nationality

This is the part most people do not expect. The Civil Code has private international law rules, and guardianship has its own. Article 2071 says:

“La tutela y demás instituciones de protección del incapaz se rigen por la ley de su domicilio. Las medidas urgentes de protección al incapaz que se encuentre en el Perú y, en su caso, las de protección a sus bienes situados en la República, se rigen por la ley peruana.”

(Guardianship and other protective institutions are governed by the law of the minor’s domicile. Urgent protection for a minor who is in Peru, and for their property in Peru, is governed by Peruvian law.)

So there are two layers:

Where is a child domiciled? Article 33 says “el domicilio se constituye por la residencia habitual de la persona en un lugar” (domicile is a person’s habitual residence), and article 37 says “los incapaces tienen por domicilio el de sus representantes legales” (minors are domiciled where their legal representatives are). It follows from these two rules that, if the parents live abroad, the child’s domicile may be abroad even though the child lives in Lima. That is our reading, not a rule written in those words, and in a real case a judge decides it.

What Peruvian judges can do

Article 2063 creates a “forum of necessity”:

“Los tribunales peruanos son competentes para dictar medidas provisionales de protección de las personas naturales que se encuentren en el territorio de la República, aun contra personas domiciliadas en país extranjero, aunque carezcan de jurisdicción para conocer del fondo del asunto.”

(Peruvian courts can order provisional protection for anyone in Peru, even against people domiciled abroad and even if they lack jurisdiction over the merits.)

For the merits, article 2062 gives Peruvian judges jurisdiction over family matters, among other cases, “cuando el derecho peruano es aplicable, de acuerdo con sus normas de Derecho Internacional Privado, para regir el asunto” (when Peruvian law applies under its private international law rules).

In practice: a Peruvian judge can always protect a child who is here on a provisional basis. Whether the judge can appoint a guardian under Peruvian rules depends on Peruvian law being the law that governs the child’s guardianship.

What Migraciones does with an unaccompanied child

The Regulation of Legislative Decree 1350 (D.S. 007-2017-IN) defines an unaccompanied child in article 4:

“b. Niña, niño o adolescente no acompañado: Es la persona que pretende ingresar o salir del territorio nacional solo, sin la compañía de sus padres, o de tutor nombrado, o curador, o personal responsable del medio de transporte internacional. También es niña, niño o adolescente no acompañado quien queda sin compañía de sus padres, o tutor nombrado, a su llegada o permanencia en el territorio nacional.”

(A child who tries to enter or leave Peru alone, without parents, an appointed guardian, a curator or transport staff; and also a child left without parents or an appointed guardian on arrival or while in Peru.)

Note the second sentence: a child who arrived with their parents and was later left without them also counts as unaccompanied. An aunt or grandparent is not an “appointed guardian” just because they look after the child.

At immigration control, article 145 allows secondary inspection of the child and the adult with them when MIGRACIONES sees signs of “una presunta falta, delito o circunstancia que atente contra la integridad” of the child (a possible offence or a threat to the child’s safety). Article 146 sets the protection measures:

“146.1. MIGRACIONES evaluará y dispondrá el otorgamiento de la calidad migratoria especial para permitir el ingreso de la niña, niño o adolescente no acompañado a territorio peruano y pone a la niña, niño o adolescente a disposición del Ministerio de la Mujer y de Poblaciones Vulnerables hasta que concluyan las gestiones que permitan determinar su permanencia o salida del territorio peruano. 146.2. El Ministerio de la Mujer y de Poblaciones Vulnerables, podrá solicitar el cambio de calidad migratoria si fuera necesario, y realizará las gestiones que permitan mantener la regularidad migratoria de la niña, el niño o adolescente.”

(MIGRACIONES assesses granting the special status so the child can enter, and places the child with the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations (MIMP) until it is decided whether the child stays or leaves. MIMP can ask for a change of status and keeps the child’s immigration status regular.)

Humanitarian immigration status

Legislative Decree 1582 rewrote article 29 of Legislative Decree 1350 in 2023. Humanitarian status (calidad migratoria Humanitaria, letter m) expressly covers these children:

“Del mismo modo, es aplicable para los solicitantes de refugio y asilo […]; o para las niñas, niños y adolescentes no acompañados; o para solicitantes de la condición de apatridia. Es otorgada por MIGRACIONES.”

(It also applies to asylum and refugee applicants, unaccompanied children and people applying for statelessness status. MIGRACIONES grants it.)

On duration: “El plazo de permanencia es de trescientos sesenta y cinco (365) días. Pudiendo mantenerse en tanto persistan las condiciones de vulnerabilidad por las cuales se otorgó la calidad migratoria.” (The stay is 365 days and can be kept while the vulnerability lasts.) The Regulation (article 91.1, letter e) also lists “las niñas, niños y adolescentes no acompañados que se encuentren en el país”. One detail: that article of the Regulation still says the Foreign Ministry grants the status; the current statute says MIGRACIONES does for people already in Peru.

More on each status in types of immigration status in Peru.

The consulate: coordination towards return

Legislative Decree 1297 has an article for foreign children (article 16):

“Tratándose de niñas, niños y adolescentes extranjeros en situación de riesgo o desprotección familiar, la autoridad competente debe coordinar en lo que corresponda, con las autoridades competentes que velan por la protección en su país de origen para lograr su retorno. Asimismo, los Consulados de los países de procedencia de las niñas, niños y adolescentes en situación de desprotección familiar, intervienen en el marco de sus funciones establecidas en la Convención de Viena sobre relaciones consulares.”

(For foreign children at risk or without family protection, the Peruvian authority coordinates with the child-protection authorities of the country of origin to achieve the child’s return. Consulates take part within their functions under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.)

Two points follow. The written goal of coordinating with the country of origin is the child’s return. And the consulate does not replace the Peruvian authority: it acts within its consular functions.

How a relative formalises the care

If the parents are alive: a power of attorney for the paperwork

For the child’s immigration procedures, article 56-C of the Regulation (text from D.S. 003-2023-IN) says who can file them:

“En los procedimientos de solicitud, cambio o prórroga de la calidad migratoria residente, permiso temporal de permanencia o procedimiento de regularización migratoria de menores de edad, el padre, madre, tutor o apoderado debe: […]”

(In a minor’s residence, temporary stay permit or regularisation procedures, the filer must be the father, mother, guardian or an attorney-in-fact.)

If you file as attorney-in-fact (apoderado), you present “el poder otorgado por ambos o uno de los padres o tutor” (a power from one or both parents or the guardian). Watch the date: “para los efectos de realizar trámites ante MIGRACIONES, el poder presentado tiene una vigencia máxima de 90 días calendario, computados a partir de la fecha de la respectiva expedición” (for Migraciones, the power is valid for 90 calendar days at most from the date it was issued).

If nobody holds parental authority: guardianship

Peru’s guardianship rules are in the Civil Code. Article 502 says: “Al menor que no esté bajo la patria potestad se le nombrará tutor que cuide de su persona y bienes.” (A minor who is not under parental authority is given a guardian.) If no guardian was named in a will or public deed, article 506 gives the role to “los abuelos y demás ascendientes” (grandparents and other ascendants). Article 512 requires the guardian to “pedir el discernimiento del cargo” (ask the judge to confirm the office), and article 527 says the guardian “representa al menor en todos los actos civiles” (represents the minor in all civil acts).

These rules apply when Peruvian law is the law that governs the guardianship (article 2071). If the child’s domicile is in another country, that country’s law may govern.

Once appointed, the guardian files immigration paperwork with “copia certificada por autoridad jurisdiccional de la sentencia o resolución judicial que le otorga tal condición o instrumento público análogo” (a court-certified copy of the decision appointing them, or an equivalent public instrument; article 56-C, item 4).

The details of guardianship, parents’ powers, school and health care are in caring for a child without being their legal guardian.

What this page does not cover

We do not explain the risk or family-protection procedure, or the regulation of Legislative Decree 1297. We did not read the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations or treaties on child protection or return, and we do not say which foreign law would govern guardianship in a specific case. We do not cover asylum (see refugee and asylum status in Peru), a child wrongfully taken from one country to another (see international child abduction), or the full requirements and fees for each immigration procedure.