Peru is consistently one of our busiest destinations for IP document work, and fortunately it's an apostille country: the Hague Apostille Convention entered into force for Peru on September 30, 2010. U.S. documents headed to Peru need an apostille, not consular legalization — there's no Peruvian-consulate step.
What This Means for IP Filings
For the documents practitioners send most often — powers of attorney, assignments, priority documents, and corporate resolutions destined for INDECOPI (Peru's National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property) — a single apostille from the competent U.S. authority is what Peru recognizes.
What an Apostille Covers — and What It Doesn't
- Private documents are notarized first. A power of attorney or assignment generally has to be notarized before it can be apostilled.
- Spanish translation requirements still apply. INDECOPI operates in Spanish; most associates require a certified translation, which the apostille doesn't satisfy.
- The apostille authenticates origin, not content. It confirms the notary's signature is genuine; it doesn't verify the document was drafted to your associate's specifications.
The Process
- Notarize the document (for private documents such as POAs and assignments). Use the correct notary statement for the state where the document is signed and executed — you can view and download the right one here.
- Obtain the apostille — from the Secretary of State for state-level documents, or the U.S. Department of State for federal documents such as USPTO certified copies.
- Arrange the Spanish translation per your associate's instructions.
Preparing Your Peru Documents
The apostille route keeps Peruvian filings fast, but the preparation still has to be exact — a wrong notary statement or a stale document version means starting over. To see the cost and processing time for your specific request, enter your details in our free estimate tool. If you have IP documents headed to Peru and want them prepared correctly the first time, reach out to our team.
Filing in a different country? Check our full list of apostille vs. consular legalization countries to see what your destination requires.
The Patent Place specializes in obtaining certified documents from the USPTO and legalizing intellectual property documents for use in countries around the world.