Without having to live in the country most of the time
At Liberation Travel, we have been offering residency in Uruguay for almost 3 years. However, to get permanent residency, you had to live in the country most of the time within two years.
It is now possible to obtain permanent residency in Uruguay directly without living in the country most often; just 1-2 visits are enough.
The process of obtaining permanent residency in Uruguay is, therefore, more straightforward than in, for example, Paraguay (and thus cheaper).
Why Uruguay?
- The immigration process is more straightforward and cheaper than in Paraguay. You can get permanent residency straight away.
- Uruguay is the most developed and European country in Latin America. If you want the highest European standard of living, this is the perfect country for you. It has a stable currency and economy.
- Uruguay is the most liberal country in the world– LGBT marriages are legalized there (you need a valid cedula), adoption of children by homosexuals, abortion (and soon euthanasia), prostitution, all drugs (for personal use), you can buy marijuana as a resident in any pharmacy.
- Great backup plan – a haven for all who demand high standards.
- You will become a member of our Uruguayan crypto group!
Why Paraguay instead?
- Uruguay distinguishes between permanent and fiscal residency. Obtaining permanent residency in Uruguay does not automatically give you tax residency in Uruguay (for that, you have to live there most of the time, at least 6 months a year, or make a significant investment, approx. 500k USD in real estate or approx. 1.5M USD in a Uruguayan business). In fact, in Paraguay, we will register you with the tax office as soon as you get your Paraguayan national ID (cedula), and you will immediately become a Paraguayan tax resident.
- If you are a digital nomad and don’t plan to live in Uruguay most of the time, then Paraguay is more suitable for permanent and tax residency.
(Which, of course, doesn’t mean you’re not additionally suited for permanent residency in Uruguay if you already have permanent residency in Paraguay as well 🙂 - Uruguay is a great place to live with a family, but your kids realistically have to go to school there or be homeschooled in Uruguay. If you want a backup plan B – a residence for the whole family with the understanding that you don’t want to live in that country yet or have a nomadic family, then a permanent residence for the entire family in Paraguay is better.
Current conditions for permanent residency in Uruguay
- Passport.
- Birth certificate (legalized for use abroad, translated into Spanish by a court translator and apostilled) – we will check all your documents to see if they are correct.
- Criminal record extract (legalized for use abroad, translated into Spanish by a court translator and apostilled) – we will check all your documents to see if they are correct.
- One photo (passport format) for Uruguayan documents
- Tetanus vaccination certificate (no more than 10 years old; you need to translate this document into Spanish)
- Proof of any active or passive income (at least $1,200 per month) – we can help you with this.
- Health check in Uruguay (we’ll arrange this with you in a few minutes; it’s included). There are special conditions for women that they should arrange in their home country before going to Uruguay:
- If they are aged 25-29: HPV test result and HPV vaccine. If the first dose of the vaccine was administered after the age of 15, the result of the PAP test (not older than 3 years) must be presented
- If aged 30-69 years: PAP test result (not older than 3 years) or HPV test result.
- If 50-69 years: mammography (performed not older than 2 years).
The timetable of necessary visits to Uruguay
We need to book an appointment with you at the immigration office in Uruguay approximately three months in advance, either in Montevideo, Punta del Este, or another city. We can do this as soon as you have booked the permanent residency service in Uruguay.
- Visit Uruguay for one working week.
Since in Uruguay, unlike in Paraguay, it is necessary to carry out a health check and wait for the results and the so-called “carnet de salud,” we recommend coming to Uruguay for one working week.
Important information – you need to enter Uruguay, in this case, on your official passport (not on a Paraguayan cedula, which is also legally possible). Similarly, only exit on your official passport (with a “permiso de reingreso”) until you get an official Uruguayan cedula.
For the health check, you need to bring a urine sample and a tetanus vaccination certificate, and women also need to bring the result of an HPV/PAP test or a mammogram (all translated into Spanish). The health check is followed by a visit to the immigration office and an application for permanent residency. On the same day, we will apply at another office for a temporary identity card (“cedula provisoria”) based on the birth certificate apostilled in Uruguay. It will be issued within 7 days, or we will collect it from you with a power of attorney. This document already entitles you to do most things in Uruguay – be employed there, get a driving license, or stay in the country.
To exit and re-enter the country, you use a special re-entry permit, “permiso de reingreso”, which you use until you receive an official cedula along with your passport.
Permanent residence approval within 3 months of your first visit.
It takes approximately another 18 months to register your birth certificate in the civil registry in Uruguay. It is then possible to arrive for a second visit and apply for an official cedula. - Visit Uruguay for 1-2 business days (approximately 18 months after the first visit) and apply for an official cedula, valid for another 18 to 3 years after your residency is approved. Based on a power of attorney, we can collect and deliver the cedula by courier on your behalf.
- Visit Uruguay for 1-2 working days (after 3 years from the approval of your residency). You will apply for a Uruguayan criminal record extract and a new cedula for the next 3 years (a straightforward and quick process). You repeat this point every 3 years to maintain your permanent residency in Uruguay.
On the second and third visits, you usually have 3 hours to do everything, but having a buffer is good.
Bank account in Uruguay
A bank account can be opened with a normal cedula, which confirms your Uruguayan address and Uruguayan income. A Uruguayan accountant must sign and make a unique receipt if you only have income from abroad. If this is a bureaucratic hassle, we recommend the best Georgian SOLO premium account at the Bank of Georgia, whose cards work seamlessly in Uruguay.
Driving license in Uruguay
A driver’s license in Uruguay is possible by homologating with your driver’s license from another country (such as Paraguay). You can find the exact instructions here.
Mobile operator in Uruguay
Uruguay’s Claro has a cheap postpaid plan (60 GB for 580 UYU, about 13 EUR/month), including data roaming in Europe.
Uruguay’s Antel has more coverage in Uruguay but does not have as good data roaming prices as Claro.
Registration to buy marijuana in Uruguayan pharmacies
Paradoxically, state-regulated marijuana in Uruguay is cheaper than marijuana on the black market, yet it is of high quality. To buy it from any dispensary, you must register at a Uruguayan post office branch and bring a valid permanent residence cedula and proof of residence (‘proof of address’). For a detailed description of how to register, please click here.
Life in Uruguay
For nomads and foreigners, probably the most excellent neighborhood in Montevideo to live and stay in during the immigration process is Pocitos or the most admirable city to live in is the resort town of Punta del Este, where there is also an immigration office. It is possible to apply for permanent residency. Other lovely places in Uruguay worth visiting are Colonia del Sacramento, where the fastest boat connections to Buenos Aires are from, or the hippie towns of Cabo Polonio or Punta del Diablo.
Uruguay is a small but pleasant and safe country in which to live.
At Liberation.Travel, we are happy to help you with the complete immigration process.