Peru proof-of-life certificate in the US: US$1 and the DL 1246 rule
The consular proof-of-life certificate (certificado de supervivencia) is the document a Peruvian abroad uses to show they are alive. It is requested in person and with the DNI at the Peruvian consulate for your area; the Washington DC and Miami consulates also require an appointment. The Consulate General in Washington DC charges US$1; the Miami consulate’s page lists 1 sol consular (fees published by each consulate, checked October 3, 2026). One thing to know before booking: according to Peru’s Foreign Ministry, since 2017 Peruvian public entities may not require this certificate to pay state pensions; a private entity still can.
Source dates: the national gob.pe procedure page (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Último cambio 10 julio 2026”), the Miami consulate’s gob.pe page (“Último cambio 06 marzo 2026”), the Washington DC Consulate General page on consulado.pe (undated) and the Tarifa Consular PDF (undated). All checked October 3, 2026.
First: what changed with Legislative Decree 1246
The national gob.pe procedure page says, in Spanish, that Peruvian public entities “no pueden exigir la presentación de certificados o constancias de supervivencia” for procedures such as collecting pensions or benefits granted by the State, and that “Desde el 2017, estas entidades deben verificar esta información directamente mediante consultas al Registro Nacional de Identificación y Estado Civil (Reniec) o a sus propias bases de datos, sin generar costos para el ciudadano.”
The same page adds that the prohibition applies only to public entities demanding the document, which is why consulates can still issue it when a citizen requests it for other procedures.
The Washington DC Consulate General cites the rule: Article 9 of Legislative Decree 1246, published in the official gazette El Peruano on November 10, 2016. Per that page, the certificate is no longer required to collect state pensions, and if the procedure is before a private entity, the certificate is still required.
What the Miami consulate offers. The Miami consulate’s page (March 6, 2026) offers the certificate and sets its fee “para los pensionistas de la ONP y de las Cajas de Pensiones Militar y Policial” (for pensioners of the ONP and of the Military and Police Pension Funds), with instructions to send it afterward to the paying entity in Peru. That same Miami page carries the explanation quoted above: “Esta prohibición se aplica únicamente a la exigencia del documento por parte de las entidades públicas. Por ello, las oficinas consulares pueden expedir este documento cuando el ciudadano lo solicite para otros trámites o procedimientos en los que necesite acreditar que se encuentra con vida” (the prohibition applies only to public entities demanding the document; consular offices can therefore issue it when a citizen requests it for other procedures in which they need to prove they are alive). The pages we read do not say whether a given paying entity still asks for one: ask yours before booking.
Published fees and timing
| Item | Published figure | Who publishes it |
|---|---|---|
| Proof-of-life certificate at the consulate | US$1 | Consulate General in Washington DC (checked October 3, 2026) |
| Certificate for ONP and Military/Police Pension Fund pensioners | 1 sol consular | Miami consulate, gob.pe (March 6, 2026) |
| Official tariff | “Por un certificado de supervivencia. Derecho fijo 1.00” | Tarifa Consular, item 28 a); the same table states “1 Sol Consular (S/C) = US$ 1.00” |
| Mail route (Washington DC only) | US$30 for legalizing the County Clerk’s signature | Consulate General in Washington DC |
| Delivery | Immediate | Miami consulate |
In Washington DC payment is by cash or VISA/MASTERCARD, but on the last business day of the month only cash is accepted, according to the consulate’s page.
Requirements by consulate
| Requirement | Washington DC | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment | “Es obligatorio solicitar cita” (mandatory) | Book in the appointment system under ‘Certificado de Supervivencia’; show the confirmation, digital or printed |
| Presence | The applicant in person; cannot be delegated | Mandatory, except illness documented with a medical certificate |
| ID (Peruvians) | DNI | Valid physical DNI |
| ID (foreigners receiving a Peruvian state pension) | Not stated | Valid passport or Florida driver license (ID) |
| Bedridden pensioner | Mail route (see below) | Original medical certificate signed by a local physician and notarized |
The national gob.pe page lists, among the offices that issue the certificate, the Peruvian consulates in Seattle, Phoenix, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Paterson, Washington DC, Hartford, Boston and Denver. We reviewed only the Washington DC and Miami pages in detail; another consulate’s requirements may differ. To find yours, see Peruvian consulates in the US or consulates by state.
Step by step
- Confirm with your paying entity, or the private entity asking for it, that you actually need the certificate (see the DL 1246 section above).
- Book the appointment in your consulate’s system. To check availability, you can use the consulate appointment tracker.
- Check your DNI. Miami advises renewing it if expired; see how Peruvian consulates handle the DNI.
- Appear in person on the appointment day. Miami describes the pensioner identifying themselves and signing and fingerprinting the certificate in front of the consular officer; Miami gives older adults priority for this procedure.
- Pay (US$1 in Washington DC; 1 sol consular in Miami) and receive the certificate.
- Send it to whoever requested it. Miami says to send it to the paying entity in Peru “según los canales que ellos tengan habilitados (físico o digital)” (through the physical or digital channels it offers).
By mail (Washington DC consulate only)
The Washington DC Consulate General publishes a mail route only for people who cannot travel and live in its jurisdiction: Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Delaware and the District of Columbia. The steps it publishes:
- Download the Certificado de Supervivencia form from the consulate’s page, fill it in, sign it exactly as on the DNI and place the right index fingerprint.
- Have the signature legalized by a notary public located in the consulate’s jurisdiction.
- Have the notary’s signature legalized by the County Clerk.
- Mail the document to the consulate with a money order payable to the Consulado General del Perú for US$30 and a certified-mail envelope, prepaid and with the return address. The consulate says it will not return the document by any other kind of mail.
The page warns the procedure will not be done if any requirement is missing. None of the other consulate pages we reviewed publishes a mail route.
If a representative collects your pension in Peru
The proof-of-life certificate and a power of attorney to collect the pension are separate procedures. The Washington DC Consulate General publishes that a poder fuera de registro (simple power of attorney) costs US$25, but US$10 when it is granted only to collect the grantor’s retirement pension, and that it is valid for 1 year. See Peru power of attorney at a US consulate.
Your US immigration status
The requirements published by Washington DC and Miami ask for the Peruvian DNI (or, for foreigners collecting a Peruvian pension, a passport or Florida ID); they do not ask for US immigration documents. Consulates operate under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963). RENIEC, in the FAQ on its consular-services page, answers the question of whether a consular procedure can affect one’s migratory status: “No. Al hacer un trámite en el Consulado, el ciudadano solo establece un vínculo con el Estado Peruano, no con el Gobierno del País donde se encuentra.” (the citizen only establishes a link with the Peruvian State, not with the government of the country where they are). That is RENIEC’s position; we found no official source on whether a consulate shares data with US agencies, so we make no claim either way. For questions about your own situation, see find pro bono immigration help.
Related information
- Peru consular procedures from the US
- Peruvian consulates in the US
- Peru DNI at consulates (there is no consular ID card)
- Peru power of attorney at a US consulate
- Consulate appointment tracker
- Find pro bono immigration help
Official sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (gob.pe) — Solicitar certificado consular de supervivencia en el extranjero: https://www.gob.pe/82737-solicitar-certificado-consular-de-supervivencia-en-el-extranjero
- Consulate General of Peru in Miami (gob.pe): https://www.gob.pe/82737-solicitar-certificado-consular-de-supervivencia-en-el-extranjero?child=112950
- Consulate General of Peru in Washington DC — Certificado de supervivencia: https://www.consulado.pe/es/Washington/tramite/paginas/Certificado-de-supervivencia.aspx
- Tarifa Consular (PDF): https://www.consulado.pe/Documents/Tarifa_Consular.pdf
Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Peruvian public entities may not require this certificate, but consulates still issue it when a citizen needs it for other procedures; requirements can change. Verify directly with the Peruvian consulate for your area and with your paying entity. Not legal advice.