Peru

Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking illegal drugs in Peru are severe, with long pre-trial detention and lengthy prison sentences; airports use strict narcotics screening.

Long pre-trial detention and lengthy prison sentences.

Ayahuasca and kambo are marketed to tourists as spiritual rituals but are unregulated; travelers have suffered illness, death, robbery, and assault, and ayahuasca contains DMT (illegal in the US and many countries).

Unregulated facilities; serious health and crime risks.

Do not leave Peru with coca leaves, coca tea bags, or similar coca products — taking them out of the country is illegal.

Cannabis is illegal in Peru. Peruvian law says possessing up to 8 grams of marijuana is "not punishable" — but only when the drug is destined for your own immediate use, which police and a prosecutor judge after they stop you, and the protection is lost completely if you are carrying two or more different drugs. There is no lawful way for a visitor to buy cannabis, and quantities above the limit carry prison terms starting at 3 years.

Under Penal Code article 299, possession is "not punishable" when destined for one's own and immediate consumption and not exceeding 8 grams of marijuana or 2 grams of its derivatives; the exemption does not apply to possession of two or more types of toxic drugs. Article 298, as amended by Law 32250, sets imprisonment of not less than three nor more than seven years where the quantity possessed for illegal uses does not exceed 100 grams of marijuana or 10 grams of its derivatives. Article 296 sets imprisonment of not less than six nor more than twelve years plus 120 to 180 day-fines for possessing toxic drugs for illegal uses, and eight to fifteen years for promoting or facilitating illegal drug consumption through acts of manufacture or trafficking.

Carry prescription medication in original packaging with a prescription; counterfeit medication is common, so buy only from trusted sources with medical help, and confirm legality before traveling.

Amounts over USD 10,000 must be declared on entry and the source proven; the maximum permitted is USD 30,000 (or equivalent) in cash or instruments on entry or exit.

Peruvian law forbids exporting pre-Columbian objects and protected artifacts; US customs must seize such items, and it is also illegal to remove certain flora/fauna including coca leaves and coca tea.

Seizure by Peruvian and US customs.

Avoid products made of wild plants or animals; Peruvian authorities seize protected species (live or as food, leather, handicrafts, garments), and importing them to the US violates the Lacey Act.

Seizure; potential US federal charges under the Lacey Act.

An international permit is valid up to 1 year (home license ~30 days); night driving outside cities is very hazardous, and after an accident you must not move your vehicle until police arrive.

Moving your vehicle after an accident may be treated as an admission of guilt.

It is illegal to photograph military or police sites and personnel in Peru; indecent behavior at cultural, historical, or sacred sites is also unlawful.

Detention possible.

Same-sex sexual relations are legal in Peru with no restrictions on LGBTQ events, but same-sex marriage is not recognized.