Operating in Peru? Speak with a security consultant.
Peru is South America’s sixth-largest economy and an important market for extractive industries, financial services, and international NGO operations. Lima concentrates most of the commercial activity and most of the corporate travel. The security environment is serious but manageable with professional support.
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of Peru, particularly the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM), which has residual Sendero Luminoso activity and coca cultivation-related crime. FCDO rates Lima as requiring heightened caution. US State Department maintains Peru at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution).
Armed robbery in affluent districts
One of the consistent patterns in Lima’s crime data is that armed robbery does not restrict itself to poorer areas. Miraflores and Barranco, which host most international hotels and business venues, have documented armed robbery incidents including attacks at gunpoint on pedestrians and vehicles. The perpetrators assess perceived wealth rather than geographic boundaries.
Ground transport management, hotel and restaurant selection based on current security assessments, and varying movement patterns are the primary countermeasures. Personal security awareness appropriate for a high-threat city is required even in Lima’s premium districts.
The airport express kidnapping risk
Jorge Chavez International Airport is explicitly identified by FCDO as a location where fake taxi express kidnapping operates. This is not a speculative risk: it is a documented, recurring criminal methodology at the arrivals hall. Pre-arranged airport transfers with a verified, identified driver are the only operationally sound approach.
Civil unrest
Peru’s political instability since 2022 has produced repeated protest cycles, road blockades, and infrastructure shutdowns. These have affected Lima’s road network and national highway routes. For itineraries involving overland travel or time-critical airport movements, contingency planning for civil disruption is standard.
SUCAMEC-regulated market
Peru’s SUCAMEC framework provides a regulatory baseline that is more structured than many comparable markets. Licensed operators are identifiable. Armed close protection teams from military and national police backgrounds are available and practised. The quality gradient between licensed SUCAMEC operators and informal providers is significant.
Source: FCDO Travel Advice: Peru (2025). SUCAMEC, Legislative Decree 1213 and Supreme Decree 005-2023-IN. OSAC Peru Country Security Report 2024. US State Department Peru Travel Advisory (2025).
Our vetted operators provide close protection and executive protection and security driver services across Peru. For a detailed local assessment, see our Lima city briefing.
Cities We Cover
Lima
High riskPeru's capital and commercial centre. Armed robbery at gunpoint is documented in Miraflores and Barranco, districts typically considered higher quality residential and business areas. Express kidnapping operates at Jorge Chavez International Airport using fake taxis. Civil unrest periodically blocks infrastructure. Methanol deaths in counterfeit spirits are a documented risk for visiting travellers.
View city guide →Security Regulations
Firearms
Each civilian firearm needs a SUCAMEC use licence and a property card under Law 30299, the Law on firearms, ammunition, explosives, pyrotechnics and related materials for civilian use, and its regulation. The private security regulation applies Law 30299 to armed services.
Licensing
Private security services are authorised and supervised by SUCAMEC (Superintendencia Nacional de Control de Servicios de Seguridad, Armas, Municiones y Explosivos de Uso Civil), a specialised technical body attached to the Ministry of the Interior, under Legislative Decree 1213, which regulates private security services, and its regulation, Supreme Decree 005-2023-IN. Personal protection is an authorised service for companies, and individuals can apply for an individual personal security authorisation (SISPE).
Foreign Operators
The regulation lets shareholders, directors and legal representatives identify with a foreign identity document or a carné de extranjería, so foreign ownership is not ruled out. A provider still needs SUCAMEC authorisation in Peru. Take local legal advice before a foreign team carries out protective duties.
Sources, checked : SUCAMEC, Resolución Directoral 00014-2026-SUCAMEC-DSSP (cites Legislative Decree 1213 and Supreme Decree 005-2023-IN); Supreme Decree 005-2023-IN, regulation of Legislative Decree 1213, text (LP Derecho); El Peruano, Resolución de Superintendencia 1707-2023-SUCAMEC on firearms under Law 30299.