Travel Permission for Minors in Peru: When It's Required and How to Get It

When is a travel permit required?

The regulation to Peru’s Migration Law (D.S. 007-2017-IN) requires a travel authorization for Peruvian minors who live in Peru, and for foreign minors with resident immigration status, to leave the country (art. 139). The practical rule, according to the Foreign Ministry and the regulation itself:

Without the right authorization, according to Migraciones, the child cannot leave Peru.

The regulation also exempts, among others, foreign minors with temporary immigration status and Peruvian minors who live abroad, who must show a document proving that residence (art. 143.1). But if a Peruvian minor who lives abroad stays in Peru for more than 183 days, the Foreign Ministry says they must present the authorization to leave.

Who grants it: three routes

The regulation says the authorization is granted «only before a Peruvian notary or Peruvian consular officer» (art. 140.1). Separately, a family judge can authorize the trip.

1. Notarial. The most common. You get it at a notary’s office with the birth certificate, the child’s and parents’ documents, and the trip details. The cost depends on the notary. It lasts 90 days and covers one trip.
2. Consular. When one or both parents are abroad. It is signed at a Peruvian consulate and then legalized at Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also lasts 90 days and covers one trip. The gob.pe page (last changed 16 February 2020) shows a consular fee equivalent to US$ 20.00.
3. Judicial. When the parents disagree, one is absent or missing, or the case does not fit the notarial route. You apply at the Family Court (Juzgado de Familia). The gob.pe page (last changed 16 February 2020) shows a fee of S/ 70.00 per child and an interview with the child on the day you file. If the other parent’s whereabouts are unknown, the court notifies them by public edict, and that parent has 15 days to respond if they are in Peru and 30 if they are abroad. No official source we read says how long the judge takes to decide.

What Ley 32191 added: health, study and travel within Peru

The Children and Adolescents Code also regulates the permit. Its article 111, amended by Ley 32191 in December 2024, repeats the general rule:

“Para el viaje de niños, niñas o adolescentes fuera del país solos o acompañados por uno de sus padres, es obligatoria la autorización de ambos padres con certificación notarial.”

It then adds two cases where one parent’s authorisation is enough:

• Health. When the child needs medical care abroad for a complex or rare illness “sin tratamiento o con tratamiento insuficiente en el Perú”.
• Study. When the child travels for a student exchange programme or on a full scholarship (“la obtención de una beca completa de estudios”).

If one parent disagrees, the same article sends the case to article 112 of the Code, that is, to a judge.

If a parent has died or only one parent acknowledged the child

• A parent has died: according to Migraciones, if the child travels with the surviving parent, the death certificate and the child’s birth certificate are shown at the checkpoint.
• Only one parent acknowledged the child: that parent’s consent is enough. According to Migraciones, the authorization that parent grants has no expiry unless they revoke it.

If one parent is a foreigner

A foreign father or mother can sign the notarial authorization: the Foreign Ministry’s page says they identify themselves with their identity document or passport. They can also travel with the child if the other parent signs. What changes for the child’s passport and DNI is covered in foreign parent of a Peruvian child.

Travel within Peru

The Foreign Ministry’s page on the notarial authorization says that, within the country, a child travelling with one parent needs no permit, and that if the child travels alone, one parent’s signature is enough. The page does not cover other domestic cases, such as travel with a third party; if that is your case, check with a notary or the transport company before travelling. Article 111 of the Children and Adolescents Code, as amended by Ley 32191, says: “En caso de que el viaje se realice dentro del Perú, bastará la autorización de uno de los padres”.

What happens without the permit

Migraciones checks at the border that the child has the authorization and that it is genuine. Without it, the child cannot leave the country. If your situation is that the other parent took the child without your consent, see the information on international child abduction.

Practical recommendation

The judicial route can take time, especially if the other parent has to be notified by edict. If the parents disagree about custody or visitation, start the process several weeks ahead.