Quick Answer: Shipping documents or a courier box from the USA to Peru with AB Group Shipping costs from $235 (October 2026 quote) for 10 kg (22 lb), door to door, from Miami, Houston, New Jersey or Los Angeles, with about 1 day in transit. True documents carry no duty or IGV in Peru.
- A 0.5 kg document envelope from Miami to Lima costs $38-$95 express (2-4 days) or $22-$40 via EMS/Serpost (8-15 days).
- Documents with no commercial value pay no duty and no IGV in Peru: under SUNAT's express courier regime (Envíos de Entrega Rápida), a shipment worth up to US$200 is not subject to any tax.
- As of October 2026, goods worth more than US$200 and up to US$2,000 pay 4% ad valorem plus 18% IGV. Whether passports, ID cards, checks, apostilled certificates or stamped contracts can travel in a document envelope depends on each carrier's rules: confirm before you ship.
- Carriers bill a 0.5 kg minimum on envelopes and apply volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 139 in inches) on thick document pouches.
The price gap between a correctly declared document envelope and a mis-declared one is not small. A held envelope at Jorge Chávez (LIM) can cost more in storage and broker fees than the shipping itself.
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Go to the calculator →Reference prices: shipping a box from the USA to Peru
| Departure port | 10 kg | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| Miami | $234 | 1 day |
| Houston | $234 | 1 day |
| New Jersey | $234 | 1 day |
| Los Angeles | $234 | 1 day |
One 10 kg (40 × 30 × 30 cm) box, door to door, to Peru, in USD, quoted with our system on October 26, 2026; excludes import taxes. The calculator on this page prices your box. The calculator on this page gives your exact price, with pickup and delivery.
Shipping from another state? Which port to read
Each port in the table is the one that cargo from these states usually leaves through. Miami: Florida. Houston: Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. New Jersey: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia and West Virginia. Los Angeles: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Hawaii. Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama ship through Savannah; Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota ship through Chicago (rail); Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Alaska ship through Seattle / Tacoma: those ports are not in the table yet. We pick up in every state, and the calculator finds the best port from your city.
How much does it cost to send documents to Peru by courier?
Quick Answer: A standard 0.5 kg document envelope from the USA to Lima costs $38-$95 with DHL, FedEx, or UPS in 2-4 business days. Serpost/EMS costs $22-$40 but takes 8-15 days. Fuel surcharges add 14-19%, and remote Peruvian cities add $20-$35.
Pricing on the Miami→Lima courier lane is tight and predictable. As of 2026, a 0.5 kg envelope from Miami runs $38-$58 on economy express and $65-$95 on next-flight priority. Origin ZIP code matters less than you think — the carriers run a national rate card.
What does courier cost USA to Peru per pound look like?
Courier rate cards do not work like freight per-kilo pricing. The first 0.5 kg is a flat minimum charge. Each additional 0.5 kg adds roughly $6-$14 depending on service level and carrier.
That means a 2 kg document pouch does not cost four times a 0.5 kg envelope. It usually costs about double. The first half kilo carries most of the handling cost.
MiamiMIA
LimaLIM
New YorkJFK
ArequipaAQP
What sits inside the quoted price?
A courier quote is never one number. Four components build the final invoice.
- Base rate — driven by billable weight and service level
- Fuel surcharge — 14-19% of the base rate, reset monthly by each carrier
- Remote-area surcharge — $20-$35 for Iquitos, Puno, Tarapoto, Pucallpa
- Optional extras — signature on delivery ($4-$7), declared value insurance (1-2% of value)
AB Group house courier rates on the Miami corridor beat walk-in retail counter pricing by 25-45%. Consolidated IAC volume earns published contract discounts that individual shippers cannot access at a storefront.
The courier documents calculator peru tool embedded on this page returns live 2026 pricing by weight and destination city. It includes the fuel surcharge inside the displayed rate.
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Go to the calculator →What is a document shipment in courier terms?
Quick Answer: A document shipment is a courier envelope holding printed paper with no commercial value — letters, contracts, reports, transcripts. Carriers cap it at 0.5-2 kg. Anything with intrinsic value, security features, or resale potential becomes a parcel and enters the dutiable stream.
The definition is narrow on purpose. A document shipment contains printed paper with no commercial value, and is declared that way on the air waybill. Carriers describe it as "documentos sin valor comercial" on the Spanish-language customs line.
How do documents differ from parcels?
Parcels need a commercial invoice or proforma invoice. They need an HS code and a declared value that SUNAT can assess. Documents skip all of that.
The split matters financially. Under Categoría 1 of the express courier regime, documents bypass duty and IGV assessment entirely. A parcel enters the valuation stream and may face inspection.
What always qualifies as a document?
- Signed contracts without wet seals or notarial stamps
- Manuscripts, drafts, and printed reports
- Bank statements and account correspondence
- Medical records and lab results
- University transcripts issued unsealed
- Photocopies of certificates (not the sealed originals)
Pro Tip
Write the contents line in both languages: "Documents with no commercial value / Documentos sin valor comercial". The SUNAT inspector at the Lima gateway reads Spanish first. A bilingual description cuts inspection risk noticeably on the Miami→Lima lane.
How is volumetric weight calculated for a document envelope?
Quick Answer: Volumetric weight equals length × width × height in inches divided by 139, or in centimeters divided by 5000. Carriers bill whichever is higher — actual or volumetric. Flat envelopes under 1.5 inches thick almost always bill at the 0.5 kg minimum, so thin packing keeps your rate low.
Both formulas describe the same rule. US carriers publish cubic inches ÷ 139 for pounds. Metric rate cards use cubic centimeters ÷ 5000 for kilos.
Worked example: a thick document pouch
Take a 12.5 × 9.5 × 1.5 inch pouch holding a stack of contracts. Multiply: 12.5 × 9.5 × 1.5 = 178 cubic inches. Divide by 139 and you get 1.28 lb billable weight.
The scale showed 0.6 lb. You pay for 1.28 lb. That single inch of extra thickness moved you up a rate tier.
Why the 0.5 kg minimum exists
Every express carrier sets a 0.5 kg (1 lb) minimum billable weight on envelopes. Three sheets of paper cost the same as 400 sheets. The handling, scanning, manifest filing, and last-mile delivery do not get cheaper.
Pro Tip
Rigid cardboard mailers push thickness past the flat-rate envelope threshold. That reclassification can double your rate on a shipment that weighs almost nothing. Strip out binders, plastic sleeves, and folders before you seal the envelope — they add volume, not value.
Which carrier is cheapest and fastest for documents to Lima?
Quick Answer: DHL Express is fastest to Lima at 2-3 business days for $45-$85. FedEx International Priority matches at 2-4 days. UPS Worldwide Expedited runs 3-5 days for slightly less. Serpost/EMS is cheapest at $22-$40 but takes 8-15 days with limited tracking.
| Carrier | 0.5 kg to Lima | Transit days | Tracking | Insurance cap | Miami pickup cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHL Express Worldwide | $45–$85 | 2–3 | Full scan-level | US$500 standard | 5:00 PM |
| FedEx Intl Priority | $48–$90 | 2–4 | Full scan-level | US$100 standard | 4:30 PM |
| UPS Worldwide Expedited | $42–$78 | 3–5 | Full scan-level | US$100 standard | 4:00 PM |
| Serpost / EMS (USPS) | $22–$40 | 8–15 | Basic, stalls after Lima | US$100 max | Post office hours |
| Aramex | $35–$65 | 4–7 | Partial | US$100 | 3:00 PM |
| AB Group house courier | $235 (10 kg box, October 2026 rates) | 1 | Full scan-level | US$500 on request | 4:00 PM |
Express carriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS)
DHL clears through its own Lima gateway at Jorge Chávez International (LIM). That in-house facility usually produces the fastest Categoría 1 release. FedEx and UPS hand off to third-party ground agents outside Lima, which adds 1-2 days to Arequipa and Trujillo deliveries.
Serpost / EMS postal service
Serpost delivers to home addresses in small towns where express carriers only offer hold-at-facility pickup. That coverage advantage is real in the sierra and selva regions. The trade-off is transit variability and tracking that goes quiet after the Lima exchange office.
For anything heavier than paperwork, the economics flip toward consolidated ocean freight. Our breakdown of LCL Shipping Miami to Panama 2026: Small Business Cost Calculator and Transit Times shows how the same Miami corridor prices out once volume enters the picture.
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Go to the calculator →Do I have to pay customs duty on documents sent to Peru?
Quick Answer: No. Documents with no commercial value pay no duty and no IGV: SUNAT does not tax a courier shipment worth up to US$200. Goods change the math: as of October 2026, a shipment worth more than US$200 and up to US$2,000 pays 4% ad valorem plus 18% IGV under a single tariff heading. The 18% already includes the IPM.
Peru administers courier imports through the Régimen de Envíos de Entrega Rápida — the express courier regime supervised by SUNAT. Every inbound courier shipment lands in one of four categories.
The four SUNAT categories explained
| Category | Contents | Value limit | Duty / IGV | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categoría 1 | Correspondence and documents | No commercial value | None | The courier |
| Categoría 2 | Low-value goods | Up to US$200 | None | The courier |
| Categoría 3 | Goods above the threshold | More than US$200 and up to US$2,000 | 4% ad valorem + 18% IGV (IPM included) | The courier, or the buyer through the Despacho Simplificado de Importación |
| Categoría 4 | Higher-value goods | Above US$2,000 FOB | Ordinary import: ad valorem by tariff line, IGV and percepción | Outside the courier regime; ask a licensed customs agent |
The US$200 threshold is the line that matters for goods. Cross it and, up to US$2,000, you owe 4% ad valorem plus 18% IGV under a single tariff heading. The 18% is the combined rate: in 2026 it is 15.5% IGV plus 2.5% IPM, so no separate IPM is added on top. Goods subject to the Impuesto Selectivo al Consumo, restricted goods and donations are the exception: they are taxed under their own tariff heading.
Declared value errors trigger holds
A wrong declared value on the air waybill can get the shipment held for review at the Lima gateway, and storage can accrue while it waits. How long a review takes is not fixed, so do not plan around a number of days. Never under-declare to dodge the US$200 threshold: declare the real value of the contents.
AB Group Shipping is a freight forwarder and IAC, not legal counsel. For any shipment above US$2,000 declared value, engage a licensed Peruvian customs broker (agente de aduana) before booking.
Which documents cannot ship as documents to Peru?
Quick Answer: That depends on each carrier's rules for its document service, so confirm before you send passports, national ID cards, bank cards, checks, apostilled certificates or stamped contracts. Peruvian customs goes by value and by type of goods: a courier shipment worth up to US$200 pays no duty and no IGV, and restricted goods need a control document from the competent entity.
Items to confirm with the carrier first
- Passports and national ID cards (DNI, cédula)
- Credit cards, debit cards, and blank card stock
- Checks, money orders, and negotiable instruments
- Apostilled and consularized certificates bearing official seals
- Notarized deeds with wet seals or embossed stamps
- Blank company letterhead carrying pre-printed seals
- Bound books and printed matter intended for resale
What prohibited items Peru shipping rules block entirely
Some contents never move on a courier network, regardless of declaration.
- Cash, currency, and bearer bonds
- Precious metals, loose gemstones, and bullion
- Lottery tickets and gambling instruments
- Controlled substances
Restricted goods are a separate case. Peru admits them by courier only with a control document (documento de control) from the competent entity, presented with the air waybill and the invoice. For medicines, supplements, food, seeds or plant material, confirm with us or with a licensed Peruvian customs agent which entity authorises your product before you ship.
X-ray screening at the Miami gateway
DHL and FedEx run automated X-ray screening on every document pouch leaving Miami. Card-shaped objects, magnetic strips, and embossed seals get flagged. The pouch can be opened and held until the carrier has the paperwork it asks for, and storage charges can follow.
For certified copies you can replace, describe the contents honestly and declare their real value. A shipment worth up to US$200 pays no duty and no IGV in Peru, so there is nothing to gain from calling the contents something else.
How do I complete the air waybill and customs declaration?
Quick Answer: Write "Documents with no commercial value" in the contents field and check the document box on the air waybill. Give the recipient's full name, identity document number (DNI, PTP, carné de extranjería or salvoconducto for a person; RUC for a company) and complete address with district. A mobile phone number helps the courier schedule delivery.
Documents needed to ship package to Peru
- Air waybill — completed with the document box checked
- Contents description — in English and Spanish
- Recipient DNI — 8 digits, for individual consignees
- Recipient RUC — 11 digits, for company consignees
- Mobile phone number — so the courier can schedule last-mile delivery
- Invoice or equivalent document — when the shipment carries goods; SUNAT's list also has proof of payment, the insurance document if the shipment is insured, and the control document for restricted goods
How the peru parcel customs declaration usa workflow runs
The courier company does the customs clearance with SUNAT; the recipient may also do it personally through the Despacho Simplificado de Importación. A natural person without a RUC, identified with DNI, PTP, carné de extranjería or salvoconducto, may make up to 3 imports per calendar year of up to FOB US$1,000 each, or 1 import per calendar year above US$1,000 and up to US$2,000; beyond those limits, or when the goods are for commercial purposes, the buyer needs an active RUC. Send complete recipient data with the booking so the clearance is not held up.
Address format is not cosmetic. Lima addresses must include the distrito — San Isidro, Miraflores, Surco, San Borja. An address without a district gets misrouted between Lima's 43 districts.
DDP or DAP for courier shipments?
DAP is the default in Peru. The recipient pays any duty and IGV on delivery. DDP means the US sender pre-pays through a third-party billing account with the carrier.
DDP looks clean for the recipient. It also exposes the US sender to Peruvian import-side liability and any post-clearance assessment SUNAT issues later. For true documents, the distinction is academic — there is nothing to pay.
Pro Tip
For goods shipments, describe the contents precisely on the invoice. A generic "paperwork" description invites questions from customs, and how long a review takes is not fixed.
How long does DHL take to deliver documents to Lima and other cities?
Quick Answer: DHL delivers documents from Miami to Lima in 2-3 business days door to door. Arequipa and Trujillo add one day. Cusco, Iquitos, Puno, Tarapoto, and Pucallpa add 2-4 days plus a $20-$35 remote-area surcharge because they depend on domestic connecting flights.
| Destination city | Transit days from Miami | Remote surcharge | Delivery attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lima | 2–3 | None | 3 |
| Callao | 2–3 | None | 3 |
| Arequipa | 3–4 | None | 2 |
| Trujillo | 3–4 | None | 2 |
| Chiclayo | 3–5 | $20 | 2 |
| Cusco | 4–5 | $25 | 2 |
| Puno | 5–6 | $30 | 1–2 |
| Iquitos | 5–7 | $35 | 1–2 |
Why Iquitos is the hardest delivery in Peru
Iquitos has no road connection to the rest of Peru. Cargo arrives only by air or river barge down the Amazon. Express carriers move it on domestic passenger flights with limited belly capacity, so a single weather delay costs two days.
Miami pickups after 4:00-5:00 PM miss same-day uplift. A Friday afternoon drop sits in the gateway until Monday's outbound. Booking Monday through Wednesday gives you the cleanest transit on the Miami→Lima lane.
Peruvian holidays that stretch transit
Peru observes Fiestas Patrias on July 28-29 and a full Holy Week shutdown. Customs staffing drops and domestic flights fill with passengers. Add 2-3 days to any estimate that crosses those dates. The Peru Travel Advisory from Travel.State.gov also flags regional conditions worth checking before you ship to areas outside the main corridor.
Readers comparing Andean corridors should also review our Moving to Ecuador from USA: 2026 Complete Cost Guide & Required Documents for a side-by-side view of documentation requirements.
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Go to the calculator →How do I use the courier documents calculator for Peru?
Quick Answer: Enter weight in pounds or kilos, envelope dimensions, your US ZIP code, and the Peruvian destination city. The calculator returns express and economy rates with fuel surcharge included, plus transit days. No email, no signup, and no follow-up calls — pricing appears on screen.
The four inputs
- Enter the weight — pounds or kilos, the tool converts automatically
- Add the envelope dimensions so the calculator can run the volumetric check
- Type your US origin ZIP code
- Select the Peruvian destination city and district
What the output shows
The courier documents calculator peru returns four data points per service level. Base rate, fuel surcharge already included, remote-area surcharge where it applies, and estimated business-day transit.
What the calculator cannot auto-price
- Dangerous goods and lithium battery shipments
- Temperature-controlled biological or pharmaceutical samples
- Shipments above US$2,000 declared value requiring a Peruvian agente de aduana
Those route to a custom quote form instead. An operations specialist prices them manually within one business day.
Booking in four steps
- Confirm the displayed rate and service level
- Schedule pickup before the 4:00 PM Miami cut-off
- Print the air waybill and attach it in a clear pouch
- Hand over the sealed envelope with recipient DNI or RUC confirmed
Shipping paperwork alongside a larger relocation? Price both together using our International Car Shipping Calculator: 2026 Rates guide, or the combined breakdown in Ship Car With Household Goods Calculator: 2026 Rates.
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Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →Ready to price your Peru document shipment?
Quick Answer: Use the embedded courier documents calculator on this page. Enter weight, dimensions, origin ZIP, and Peruvian destination city for live 2026 rates with fuel surcharge included. Results show express and economy options side by side with transit days — no email and no sales calls required.
With thousands of shipments processed annually across the Miami-LatAm corridor, AB Group Shipping prices the Peru document lane daily. Our consolidated IAC volume produces rates that sit 25-45% below retail counter pricing.
Use the courier documents calculator above to compare express and economy rates for your exact envelope and destination city. Pricing appears on screen in seconds — get your instant quote.
See the price table at the top of this page for current courier rates from the USA to Peru. Express envelopes with DHL, FedEx, or UPS are delivered to Lima in 2-4 business days. Serpost/EMS takes 8-15 days with basic tracking only. Fuel surcharges of 14-19% and remote-city surcharges apply on top of the base rate.
No. Documents with no commercial value pay no duty and no IGV: SUNAT does not tax a courier shipment worth up to US$200. If the envelope carries goods worth more than US$200 and up to US$2,000, as of October 2026 they pay 4% ad valorem plus 18% IGV under a single tariff heading; the 18% already includes the IPM.
Yes, give the courier the recipient's identity document number. For SUNAT, a natural person imports by courier identified with DNI, PTP, carné de extranjería or salvoconducto, or with a RUC, which is what a company uses; the courier does the customs clearance with that data. Send it with the booking so the shipment is not held up.
Serpost/EMS through USPS Priority Mail International is the cheapest option, but transit runs 8-15 days and tracking stops updating after Lima. For time-sensitive originals, a consolidated house courier service through a Miami-based forwarder gives full express tracking. See the price table at the top of this page for current rates.
It depends on the carrier. Each courier sets its own rules for originals that carry official seals, such as apostilled and consularized certificates, so confirm with us or with the carrier before you seal the envelope. On the tax side, a shipment worth up to US$200 pays no duty and no IGV in Peru. Add signature-on-delivery for originals you cannot replace.
Guides for shipping to Peru
- Car Shipping USA to Peru 2026: Instant Quotes · Car shipping calculator
- FCL Calculator USA to Peru: Instant Quotes (2026) · Container (FCL) calculator