Moving to Lima With Your Dog: Entry Requirements, First Weeks and Where Your Dog Can Stay

1. Documents to bring your dog into Peru

Dogs travelling with their owner do not need a prior import permit. On arrival, SENASA inspects your dog and its papers at Lima airport (Jorge Chávez) and issues the entry certificate. According to the sources we checked, you should plan for:

• International health certificate issued by a vet in your country and endorsed by the official veterinary authority of that country (for example USDA-APHIS in the US). A private vet’s signature alone is not enough. Many sources state it must be issued within about 10 days before arrival – check the exact window.
• Rabies vaccination for dogs over 3 months, valid (given within the last 12 months). To be safe, vaccinate at least 30 days before travel.
• Other vaccinations: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and parainfluenza.
• Parasite treatment (internal and external) shortly before travel – plan it within 15 days of the flight.
• Microchip: sources differ on whether it is mandatory. We recommend an ISO microchip in any case – it is also required if you later take your dog back to Europe.
• No rabies titer test is required to enter Peru – but you may need one later to return to the EU or UK, so ask your home vet.

There is no routine quarantine in Peru. A dog may be held only if documents are missing or incorrect – which is why careful paperwork matters.

2. The flight

• Each airline has its own rules for dogs in the cabin (usually small dogs up to about 8 kg including carrier) and in the hold.
• Snub-nosed breeds (bulldogs, pugs, boxers and others) are refused in the hold by many airlines.
• Some airlines do not accept pets as checked baggage on certain routes and send them as cargo instead. Book your dog’s place at the same time as your ticket.
• Get your dog used to its travel crate weeks before the flight.

3. The first weeks in Lima

• Climate and routine: give your dog time. A new country, new smells and new noises are a lot. Keep feeding times and walks as regular as possible.
• Fireworks: in Peru they happen several times a year, not only at New Year. Read our guide Dog scared of fireworks?
• Registration: several Lima districts run a municipal pet register (for example Miraflores). Ask your district.
• “Potentially dangerous” breeds: Peruvian law lists certain breeds (such as Pit Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, Dobermann, Dogo Argentino) that must wear a muzzle and be on a leash in public. Check the rules if your dog is one of them.
• Animal welfare: Peru’s animal protection law (Law 30407) punishes cruelty and abandonment.

4. Where can your dog stay while you look for a home?

The first weeks are often spent in a hotel or short-term rental – many of which don’t accept dogs, or not larger dogs. At the same time you have appointments, viewings and paperwork. This is where we can help:

• Your dog stays at our center in Cieneguilla, Lima – no cages, sleeping inside the house, with someone on site 24 hours.
• An English-, German-, Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking team, founded by German dog coach Siegbert Till.
• Photos and videos during the stay, pick-up and drop-off.
• If the move has unsettled your dog, we can combine the stay with training so it arrives calm in its new home.

Tell us your arrival date early – we can plan the stay and, if you like, pick your dog up after you arrive.