Peru criminal record certificate from the US: US$25 at a consulate

According to Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), the criminal record certificate (certificado de antecedentes penales) is an “official document authorized by Peru’s National Registry of Convictions (Registro Nacional de Condenas) that shows whether or not you have been convicted by a final judgment.” From the United States it is requested in person at a Peruvian consulate. The consulates in New York and Washington, D.C. publish a fee of US$25.00 (checked October 3, 2026), and New York delivers it in 24 to 72 hours because it checks with the Judiciary in Peru. Police and court records are not issued at the consulate: the Washington, D.C. consulate says they require a power of attorney so someone can obtain them in Peru.

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Key facts

ItemDetail (checked October 3, 2026)
What it showsWhether the person has convictions by final judgment (MRE)
Where to request itIn person at a Peruvian consulate; the MRE gob.pe page includes, in the US, the consulates in New York and Washington DC
FeeUS$25.00 (New York and Washington, D.C. consulates)
Delivery time24 to 72 hours, 1 to 3 business days (New York consulate)
ValidityUp to three months from issue (MRE)
RequirementsPhysical, valid DNI; one 2 x 2 color photo, white background; form provided at the consulate (New York)
Can it be delegated?No (Washington, D.C. consulate)
Police and court recordsNot at the consulate: through a poder fuera de registro to a third party in Peru (Washington, D.C. consulate)

How to request it at the New York consulate

The New York Consulate General’s page on gob.pe (last changed March 18, 2026) describes four steps:

  1. Request the appointment by email. Write to Notariales@ConsuladoPeruNY.org asking for an appointment to have your criminal record issued, with your full name and DNI number, and wait for the confirmation with date and time.
  2. Go to the consulate (241 East 49th Street, New York, NY 10017) with your original DNI and the printed photo.
  3. Fill in the form and pay. At the window you receive the official application form. The fee is US$25.00; the page recommends asking beforehand whether payment must be in cash or whether card or money order is accepted.
  4. Collect the certificate. According to the consulate, “because the Consulate must process the request with the Judiciary in Peru, the document is not issued on the spot.” The officer gives you the date to pick it up, printed and signed.

Requirements in New York:

  • DNI: physical and valid.
  • One recent photo: US passport size (2" x 2"), in color, white background, facing forward, without glasses.
  • Application form: handed to you at the consulate on the day of your appointment.

How to request it at the Washington, D.C. consulate

The Consulate General in Washington, D.C. states it can only obtain the criminal record directly. Its requirements:

  1. The applicant’s presence at the consulate.
  2. Presenting your DNI.
  3. A recent photo.
  4. Paying US$25.00.

The consulate recommends booking an appointment, says the procedure is personal and cannot be delegated, and accepts cash or VISA or MASTERCARD, except on the last business day of the month, when it accepts cash only. To find another consulate and its booking channel, see Peruvian consulates in the US and the consulate appointment tracker.

Police and court records: by power of attorney, in Peru

The Washington, D.C. consulate is explicit: “Court and police records CANNOT be obtained at the Consulate, so the applicant must grant a poder fuera de registro so that a third party can obtain them in Peru.”

At the consulate (poder fuera de registro):

  • The applicant’s presence and DNI.
  • The full name and DNI number of the representative (apoderado) who will handle the procedure in Peru.
  • Payment of US$25.00.
  • For police records, in addition, completing and fingerprinting a special form provided by the Peruvian National Police, at an extra cost of US$25.00.

More on this type of power in Peru power of attorney from the US.

In Peru (what the representative does):

  • Police record certificate for use abroad (Peruvian National Police): the gob.pe page (last changed June 19, 2026) sets a fee of S/ 8.50 at Banco de la Nación; the request is made at police stations that issue the certificate or at the Criminalistics Directorate, and it is collected 24 hours later. The same page says that if a spouse, cohabiting partner or first-degree blood relative requests it, they present a simple authorization letter from the record holder. Confirm with the National Police which document it accepts when the record holder is abroad.
  • Judiciary criminal record certificate: the Judiciary’s gob.pe page (last changed September 9, 2025) sets S/ 40.40 and says that if a representative does the procedure, they must also present the documents that prove their authority.

What about the Judiciary’s online certificate?

The Judiciary’s page describes an electronic criminal record certificate for S/ 40.40, valid for 90 calendar days, requested only from a computer or laptop. That page does not say the online procedure works from outside Peru. An undated Judiciary press note said it was evaluating “extending the operation of the Electronic Criminal Record Certificate (CAPe) so this document can also be obtained online from abroad.” None of the official pages we read confirms that the extension is in place.

Using the certificate

  • Validity: the MRE gives a maximum of three months from issue. Request the certificate close to the date you will submit it.
  • Apostille: the MRE FAQ lists criminal record certificates among documents that can be apostilled digitally. The Washington, D.C. consulate’s apostille page says the apostille “NO se aplicará: A los documentos extendidos por funcionarios diplomáticos o consulares” (does not apply to documents issued by diplomatic or consular officials). The open question is who issues the certificate you receive at the consulate: the New York consulate processes the request with the Judiciary in Peru and hands over a printed, signed certificate, but none of the pages we read says whether it counts as a Judiciary document or one issued by a consular official. See apostilling and legalizing Peruvian documents.
  • US records: if what you are asked for is your record in the United States, that is a separate procedure: see FBI background check.

Your US immigration status

The requirements published by the New York and Washington, D.C. consulates ask for the Peruvian DNI and a photo. They do not ask for US immigration documents. If the certificate is for a US immigration filing and you have questions about your case, see free and low-cost legal help.

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Fees, time frames and booking channels differ from one consulate to another. Verify directly with your Peruvian consulate and with the body asking for the certificate. Not legal advice.