Primary and Secondary Schools in Peru

Primary and secondary schools in Peru are part of basic education (educación básica), which the Ministry of Education (MINEDU) organises in three levels: initial education (inicial) for young children, primary (primaria) and secondary (secundaria). For international families the choice is usually between a free public school and a private school, and in both cases the teaching follows the national curriculum in Spanish.

This page is for families moving to Peru with children, and for older students who want to finish school there. Our directory lists one school in this category, the CEP San Columbano in Lima.

How it works

All schools follow the Currículo Nacional de la Educación Básica (CNEB), approved in June 2016 by Ministerial Resolution 281-2016, with separate curricular programmes for initial, primary and secondary education. The school year runs on the southern-hemisphere calendar: it starts in March, and schools in Lima held their start-of-year events for 2026 in mid-March. Children enter or re-enter the system according to their age on 31 March.

Public schools are run by the state through regional education offices. Private schools need an operating authorisation from the education authorities and set their own internal rules (reglamento interno) and teaching approach within the national curriculum. The CEP San Columbano, for example, is a private school at Av. Pacasmayo 3630 in Lima that takes children from initial education through primary and secondary; its own pages show 2027 admissions and science fairs for both primary and secondary pupils.

Admission

Enrolment (matrícula) is open to all children in any district of the country. In public schools it is free and cannot be made conditional on an entrance exam, on buying materials or on payments to the parents' association. Foreign children can enrol with a carnet de extranjería, a temporary residence permit card, a passport, an identity card or a birth certificate. Private schools can ask for additional documents if they have told families in advance. The ministry's Identicole portal lets you search schools by level, district and shift.

Children who already went to school abroad need their studies recognised grade by grade. With countries that have an agreement with Peru the procedure is a convalidación: the Andrés Bello Agreement (Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela), an agreement with Argentina and the Mercosur agreement (Brazil and Uruguay). For other countries it is a revalidación, and students may have to make up courses that differ from the national curriculum. Grades are not converted. The procedure is done in person at MINEDU in Lima, costs S/ 66.50 and takes up to 30 working days; school certificates must be legalised or carry a Hague apostille (checked October 2026). Families without school records can ask a public school for a placement test.

Foreign students need a residence status that allows study. Migraciones' resident status for study (formación residente) covers regular studies in basic education at institutions recognised by the Peruvian state, and is requested from inside Peru.

Costs

Public education is free, and MINEDU has confirmed that this also applies to foreign students. Private schools charge fees, and Peru's consumer authority Indecopi lists only three permitted charges: a one-off entry fee (cuota de ingreso), an annual enrolment fee that may not exceed one monthly fee, and the monthly tuition fee (pensión). Charging fees in advance is prohibited, and schools must tell families the amounts and any increase 30 days before the end of the school year and 30 days before enrolment opens.

How to choose

• Authorisation: check a private school's operating authorisation on Identicole
• Recognition of earlier studies: start the convalidación or revalidación early, as it is done only in Lima
• Language: teaching follows the national curriculum in Spanish, so plan support for children who are still learning it
• Fees: ask a private school for its internal rules, the monthly fee, payment dates and possible increases in writing
• Location and shift: compare schools near home by level and morning or afternoon shift

Frequently asked questions

Can foreign children attend public schools in Peru for free?

Yes. Enrolment in public schools is free, and MINEDU states that public education is also free for foreign students. A passport or carnet de extranjería is accepted as identity document.

When does the school year start in Peru?

The school year starts in March. Age for entering a grade is counted on 31 March.

How are school studies from abroad recognised in Peru?

MINEDU convalidates studies from countries with an agreement, such as the Andrés Bello countries, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, and revalidates studies from other countries. The procedure costs S/ 66.50 and takes up to 30 working days.

What can a private school in Peru charge?

According to Indecopi, only an entry fee, an enrolment fee of at most one monthly fee, and the monthly tuition fee. Advance payment of monthly fees is prohibited.