Moving to Arequipa With Your Pet: A Complete Expat Guide

Every year more foreigners move to Arequipa with a dog or cat they have had for years, not one adopted after arriving. The good news is that Peru does not require quarantine for pets arriving with the right paperwork, which surprises people coming from countries with stricter rules. The bad news is that the paperwork has exact deadlines, and missing them leaves the animal stuck at the airport of origin.

The paperwork before you fly: SENASA

Pet entry into Peru is controlled by SENASA, the national agricultural health service, not by immigration. The process has three parts: the rabies vaccine (it must have been given at least 21 to 30 days before the flight and still be valid, never freshly applied the same month), a veterinary health certificate issued by a licensed vet in your home country only days before travel, and the zoosanitary import permit, requested online at senasa.gob.pe before you buy the ticket. Fees and the exact form change from time to time, so check the current amount on the official site rather than trusting a figure from a year ago.

Arriving at Rodríguez Ballón airport

If you fly direct from abroad, SENASA inspection usually happens at the first Peruvian airport you land at, normally Lima's Jorge Chávez, and your pet continues with you on the connecting flight to Arequipa without extra paperwork. If you land in Lima and then fly on to the White City, keep the printed documents on hand: LATAM or Sky Airline counter staff check the certificate before accepting the animal in the cabin or in climate controlled cargo. Small pets usually travel in the cabin inside a carrier that fits under the seat; medium and large dogs go in cargo, so book that space when you buy the ticket, not afterward.

The first month is harder on the pet than on you: new water, new food, and in Arequipa, 2,335 meters of altitude all at once. Give it those weeks before deciding whether the move went well.

Altitude does matter for some breeds

Arequipa sits at 2,335 meters above sea level, far lower than Cusco or La Paz but still noticeable if your pet is coming from sea level. Brachycephalic dogs (bulldogs, pugs, boxers) and Persian cats work harder to breathe the first few weeks; keep walks short and in the shade rather than long midday outings. For most breeds the adjustment takes one to two weeks, after which there is no noticeable difference in their daily activity.

Vets and pet life around the city

Cayma and Yanahuara have several veterinary clinics with basic English service and in-house equipment for blood work and X-rays, useful in the first weeks if you want to repeat checkups your pet already had back home. A general consultation costs roughly 50 to 90 soles, and it is worth asking for referrals in Arequipa expat Facebook groups before settling on a regular clinic. Selva Alegre park and the Cayma riverside walk both allow leashed pets and are the most used weekend meeting spots for dog owners; several cafes downtown and in Yanahuara also let small dogs onto their terraces.