Countries › Peru › Guide › 5. FX and capital controls › Carrying cash into or out of Peru: the US$10,000 declaration, the US$30,000 ceiling, retention and the 30 percent sanction

Carrying cash into or out of Peru: the US$10,000 declaration, the US$30,000 ceiling, retention and the 30 percent sanction

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Last verified: 2026-10-28 · Status: Stable

Anyone entering or leaving Peru through an international airport, port or SUNAT border post with cash or bearer instruments above US$10,000 (or the equivalent in any currency) must file a sworn declaration with SUNAT, and nobody may carry more than US$30,000: larger sums must move through firms authorized by the SBS. Undeclared or falsely declared money is retained in full and draws a sanction of 30 percent of the undeclared value even if the funds are lawful, and the traveler then has 72 hours to prove their origin to the financial intelligence unit. Inside Peru the rules that matter for businesses are the bank payment rules, covered on their own page.

USD figures use S/ 3.446 per US dollar, the banking system selling rate published by the Superintendencia de Banca, Seguros y AFP for 26 October 2026 as shown in the Banco Central de Reserva del Perú statistics series PD04640PD. Amounts that the law sets in US dollars or soles are quoted as written. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Cash or bearer instruments above which travelers must declare	10000 USDLey 28306 sixth DCTF; DS 195-2013-EF art. 2, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Maximum cash or bearer instruments a traveler may carry	30000 USDLey 28306 sixth DCTF; DS 195-2013-EF art. 2, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Sanction for undeclared or falsely declared cash, as a share of the undeclared value	30 %DS 195-2013-EF art. 7, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Time to prove lawful origin of retained cash to UIF Perú (extendable by up to 30 calendar days)	72 hoursDS 195-2013-EF art. 8, as of 2026-10-28 · in force
Non sanctionable conversion difference	1 %DS 195-2013-EF art. 6, as of 2026-10-28 · in force

The rule

1. Every person, Peruvian or foreign, entering or leaving the country through an international airport, port or SUNAT border control post must file a sworn declaration if carrying cash or bearer negotiable instruments above US$10,000 or its equivalent in soles or another currency. Carrying cash or bearer instruments above US$30,000 or its equivalent is prohibited; such amounts must enter or leave Peru through firms legally authorized by the SBS for that purpose. Conversions use the factors approved by SUNAT.
Cost to do it: Declaring is free.
Example: A traveler arriving with S/ 41,352 in cash (about US$12,000) must declare it; one carrying S/ 120,610 (about US$35,000) is over the limit. / US$12,000 must be declared; US$35,000 may not be carried at all and should be moved by an SBS authorized firm or a bank transfer.Ley Nº 28306 (published 29 July 2004), sixth complementary, transitory and final provision, as amended by Decreto Legislativo Nº 1106 and Decreto Legislativo Nº 1249 (published 26 November 2016); regulation approved by Decreto Supremo Nº 195-2013-EF, Ley 28306 sixth DCTF; DS 195-2013-EF art. 2, 2016-11-26 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. Bearer negotiable instruments include, among others, travelers' cheques, bearer cheques, bearer promissory notes transferable by delivery, bonds, foreign currency bank certificates, and incomplete instruments, signed or not, that state an amount but omit the beneficiary. The declaration is made on SUNAT formats with sworn statement value, stating at least the declarant's identity and document, nationality, address abroad and in Peru, amount, currency, owner, origin and destination of the money or type of instrument. SUNAT's electronic formats were approved by Resolución de Superintendencia Nº 000064-2022/SUNAT and are offered to passengers before the customs check through a web link or QR code, or on paper on request.
Cost to do it: No fee.
Example: A traveler holding S/ 20,000 in soles and US$5,000 in bearer travelers' cheques adds both: about US$10,804, so the declaration is required. / Cash and bearer instruments count together toward the US$10,000 threshold.Decreto Supremo Nº 195-2013-EF; SUNAT Informe Nº 000132-2025-SUNAT/340000 (dated 28 October 2025), DS 195-2013-EF art. 1 b) and art. 3; Informe 132-2025, 2025-10-28 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. Declaring falsely or failing to declare the amount carried triggers a SUNAT sanction equal to 30 percent of the undeclared value, payable even if the money is shown to be lawful; return of lawful money is conditional on paying the sanction. SUNAT retains the whole amount of cash or instruments when there was no declaration or a false one; when everything was declared but exceeds US$30,000, it retains the excess (and bearer instruments that cannot be divided are retained in full). A difference of up to 1 percent after applying SUNAT's conversion factor is a non sanctionable error.
Cost to do it: 30 percent of the undeclared value, plus temporary loss of the whole amount and Banco de la Nación financial costs on return.
Example: Undeclared S/ 68,920 (US$20,000): all retained and a S/ 20,676 sanction; declared S/ 137,840 (US$40,000): S/ 34,460 (US$10,000) retained as the excess. / US$20,000 undeclared: US$6,000 sanction; US$40,000 declared: US$10,000 retained.Ley Nº 28306 (published 29 July 2004), sixth complementary, transitory and final provision, as amended by Decreto Legislativo Nº 1106 and Decreto Legislativo Nº 1249 (published 26 November 2016); regulation approved by Decreto Supremo Nº 195-2013-EF, DS 195-2013-EF art. 6, art. 7 and art. 8, 2016-11-26 official text · verified 2026-10-28

4. After retention, SUNAT issues a retention record signed by its staff, the traveler and the public prosecutor, notifying the traveler that they have 72 hours from the retention to prove the lawful origin of the money to UIF Perú. Within that period the traveler may ask UIF Perú in writing, exceptionally and with justification, for extra time of up to 30 calendar days, which UIF Perú decides within five business days. The money is held at Banco de la Nación on behalf of the SBS. If the case is closed or a court so orders, the SBS returns it: to a foreign bank account in the traveler's name for retentions on entry, or to a local account for retentions on exit, with Banco de la Nación charging its financial costs; if criminal action starts, the money passes to the national seized assets commission (CONABI).
Cost to do it: Financial costs charged by Banco de la Nación on return, plus the 30 percent sanction where applicable and legal fees.
Example: A traveler whose S/ 68,920 is retained on arrival files bank statements and the sale contract that generated the money with UIF Perú within 72 hours, or asks for up to 30 extra days. / US$20,000 retained on entry is returned, if cleared, to a foreign account in the traveler's name.Decreto Supremo Nº 195-2013-EF, Art. 8 to art. 12, 2016-11-26 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. SUNAT sends UIF Perú the records of people who declared carrying more than US$10,000 in a calendar month, electronically within the first five calendar days of the following month and physically within 15 calendar days. Transport companies must inform their customers of the declaration duty and the US$30,000 prohibition.
Cost to do it: No cost to the traveler.
Example: A business traveler who declares S/ 41,352 in March will appear in the register SUNAT sends to UIF Perú in early April. / Every declaration above US$10,000 reaches the financial intelligence unit within about a month.Decreto Supremo Nº 195-2013-EF, Art. 4 and art. 5, 2016-11-26 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Amount carried	Declared	Outcome	Source
Up to US$10,000 (S/ 34,460)	Not required	No action	DS 195-2013-EF art. 2
US$10,001 to US$30,000	Yes	Allowed; record sent to UIF Perú	DS 195-2013-EF art. 2 and 5
US$10,001 to US$30,000	No or false	All retained; 30% sanction on undeclared value; 72 hours to prove origin	DS 195-2013-EF art. 7 and 8
Above US$30,000 (S/ 103,380)	Yes	Excess over US$30,000 retained	DS 195-2013-EF art. 8
Above US$30,000	No or false	All retained; 30% sanction on undeclared value	DS 195-2013-EF art. 7 and 8

What happens at the Peruvian border by amount carried (cash plus bearer instruments). Soles at S/ 3.446 per US dollar (26 October 2026).

Worked example

An investor flies into Lima with US$25,000 in cash for set up expenses and fills in SUNAT's electronic declaration before customs: no problem, and the record goes to UIF Perú. Had they not declared, SUNAT would retain all US$25,000 and charge US$7,500 (S/ 25,845), even after proving the money was lawful. Bringing the money by bank transfer avoids all of this and is required anyway for loans and capital contributions.
Argentina and Peru: travelers between Buenos Aires and Lima face Peru's US$10,000 declaration on the Peruvian side and Argentina's own border cash rules on the other, covered in The Argentine Thread guide.

Step by step

Add up all cash in every currency plus bearer instruments, converting at SUNAT's factors.
Above US$10,000, complete SUNAT's electronic declaration (web link or QR code) before the customs check, or ask for the paper format; travelers not using a transport company get the form at the SUNAT border post.
Never carry more than US$30,000; use a bank transfer or an SBS authorized firm for larger sums.
Carry documents showing the origin of the money (bank withdrawals, sale contracts) in case of retention.
If money is retained, file proof of lawful origin with UIF Perú within 72 hours or ask for an extension of up to 30 calendar days within that period.

Common traps

The 30 percent sanction is due even if the money turns out to be lawful, and the money is only returned after it is paid.
Bearer instruments count: travelers' cheques, bearer cheques and incomplete signed instruments are added to cash.
Declaring more than US$30,000 does not legalize it: the excess is retained.
Cash brought in this way cannot be used to fund a loan or a capital contribution of 1 UIT or more in cash; those must go through a bank.

Sources

Related: Peru country profile · live dashboard · central bank and release calendar · our posts on X · where Argentina is involved, see The Argentine Thread guide

← Bank payment rules and the financial transactions tax in Peru: when cash is not allowed and what the 0.005 percent ITF costsTaxes in Peru: the core system for foreign investors, from the 29.5 percent corporate tax and 5 percent dividend withholding to IGV, interest limits, losses and SUNAT's review periods →

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