Before you start

Carné de extranjería, for a Peruvian licence
Your foreign licence with an official Spanish translation
A medical certificate from a centre authorised by the MTC
SOAT insurance, before driving any vehicle

Step-by-step

1
Decide whether you need a car at all
The historic centre, San Blas, Wanchaq and Magisterio are walkable or a few soles by taxi, and colectivos run constantly to San Sebastián, San Jerónimo and the Sacred Valley. Most foreign residents here never buy a vehicle and do not miss it.
In personWho: You
2
Check reciprocity before assuming an exchange
Peru exchanges licences from some countries and requires the full assessment from others. Confirm the current position with the Ministerio de Transportes rather than with a driving school.
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3
Get the medical certificate from an authorised centre
A certificate from your own doctor is not accepted. The authorised centres are listed by the MTC and the assessment is quick and inexpensive.
In personWho: You
4
Buy SOAT before you drive anything
SOAT is compulsory personal-injury insurance and driving without it is an immediate offence. It covers injuries to people at capped amounts and nothing else — not your vehicle, not theft, not third-party property.
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5
Learn the mountain-road conventions before your first valley drive
Descending traffic yields to ascending on single-lane stretches, horns are used before blind curves rather than in anger, and overtaking on a climb takes far longer than at sea level because the engine has less to give. Do the Sacred Valley road in daylight the first time.
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6
Plan travel around the rains and around paros
Landslides close mountain roads between November and March, and regional strikes periodically block the routes in and out of Cusco and can suspend the Machu Picchu rail service. Neither is rare. Build slack into anything with a flight at the end of it.
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Documents you’ll need

Carné de extranjería
Foreign licence with official translation
Authorised medical certificate
SOAT policy
Vehicle registration and technical inspection, once you own one

Things most newcomers don’t know

Engines lose real power at 3,400 metres, and this changes how you drive.

A naturally aspirated engine can lose roughly a third of its output at Cusco's altitude because there is simply less oxygen to burn. Overtaking on a climb takes far longer than your instincts expect, loaded vehicles struggle badly, and this is why turbocharged and diesel engines dominate the local fleet. Renting a small petrol car for a Sacred Valley trip and driving it as you would at home is a genuine hazard rather than an inconvenience.

Source: community-reported

Paros are a normal part of the Cusco calendar and they close the road to the airport.

Regional strikes over transport, mining or agricultural issues periodically block the routes into Cusco and can suspend the rail line to Machu Picchu. They are usually announced a day or two ahead in local media and usually end within days. Residents treat them as weather and keep food and cash at home; visitors treat them as a crisis and miss flights. Follow local Cusco news sources rather than national ones.

Source: community-reported

SOAT is compulsory and covers almost nothing you would want covered.

It pays capped amounts for personal injury arising from an accident and nothing else — not damage to your vehicle or anyone else's, not theft. On the Sacred Valley roads, where a minor error is expensive, drivers who buy SOAT and stop there are effectively uninsured for the risks that actually cost money.

Source: Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones

The rainy season genuinely changes what is drivable, and it is half the year.

From November to March heavy afternoon rain triggers landslides on the mountain roads, and closures on the routes to the Sacred Valley, to Puno and toward Machu Picchu are routine rather than exceptional. The Inca Trail itself closes for maintenance each February. Anyone planning a life here on the assumption of year-round mobility is planning around half the calendar.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Using a medical certificate from an unauthorised provider.
Driving a small naturally aspirated car on mountain roads at 3,400 metres as you would at sea level.
Treating SOAT as comprehensive insurance.
Planning tight travel connections during the rains or around a announced paro.
Buying a car for a city most residents walk across in twenty minutes.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.