- Peru launched e-SAMI online on August 24, 2026, adding electronic visa and emergency passport services.
- The emergency passport costs USD 20, is non-extendable, and remains valid for seven months.
- Officials said consulates abroad will begin offering the service from next week after training.
Peru's foreign ministry launched its electronic visa and emergency passport service on August 24, 2026, bringing the new Sistema de Administración Migratoria Integral (e-SAMI) online for Peruvians abroad. The ceremony took place in Lima.
Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Espá led the launch. He spoke first about the people the system is meant to serve.
Free toolDS-160 Form Filling Online Helper Tool
“Tenemos el gusto de poder poner al servicio de los peruanos que se fueron del Perú un servicio electrónico para poder obtener la visa digital y pasaporte de emergencia, que reemplaza al salvoconducto.”
Matilde Bordón attended as the IDB representative. The launch took place at Palacio Torre Tagle in Lima. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the platform was developed with support from the Inter-American Development Bank through its Migration Unit. It described the system as a technological platform meant to modernize and speed consular and migration services.
| India | China | ROW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Oct 15, 2022 | Jul 01, 2023 | Current |
| EB-2 | Unavailable | Sep 01, 2021 | Current |
| EB-3 | Jan 01, 2014 | Jan 01, 2022 | Sep 01, 2024 |
| F-1 | Jan 22, 2020 ▲403d | Jan 22, 2020 ▲403d | Jan 22, 2020 ▲403d |
| F-2A | Aug 22, 2026 ▲31d | Aug 22, 2026 ▲31d | Aug 22, 2026 ▲31d |
Two services went live under the system. The first is the electronic visa. The second is the emergency passport, offered in physical and virtual forms. Espá said it replaces the salvoconducto for Peruvians abroad who need emergency travel documentation. Shorter paperwork.
Officials put a price and a time limit on the passport. It costs USD 20. Its validity is non-extendable and lasts 7 months. The ministry set both figures at launch.
The service is moving through the consular system, not just one office. Consulates abroad are still in training. Espá said availability should begin “from next week” in overseas posts. The rollout is already in motion.
| Piece of the launch | Details announced |
|---|---|
| Electronic visa | Opened under the new system |
| Emergency passport | Physical and virtual formats, 7 months, USD 20 |
| Overseas rollout | Consulates abroad are still in training; availability expected from next week |
The emergency passport gives more than the old salvoconducto
Espá drew the sharpest line between the old paper and the new document.
“El salvoconducto sería para ir de un punto A al B, pero no a un C. Con el pasaporte de emergencia se darán los derechos que un pasaporte da”
The comparison set the new passport apart from the salvoconducto. The old document moved a traveler from one point to another. The emergency passport is meant to carry the rights tied to a passport. That is the operational change.
The platform is meant to trim delays and intermediaries
Espá also linked the launch to how consular work is handled.
“Será un servicio más transparente para evitar demoras y falta de transparencia.”
The ministry and the launch coverage framed the platform as a way to reduce processing times and limit intermediaries, including tramitadores. Both services now sit inside one system. That structure matters for the overseas network, where consulates are still being trained and the first posts are set to turn on the service next week.
The launch on August 24, 2026 also marked a formal handoff to Peru’s consular system. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the platform was built with IDB support through its Migration Unit, and the new service now moves from the ceremony at Palacio Torre Tagle into the country’s overseas posts.
