Moving to Uruguay

The Dirección Nacional de Migración's 'Permanente' category is 'Dirigida a toda persona extranjera con ánimo de residir en forma permanente en el país' (for any foreign national intending to reside permanently). The application is started online and completed in person, on the booked day, at a DNM office in Uruguay with original documents. Requirements: a valid identity document (and a valid visa where the nationality needs one to enter); national-level criminal-record certificates from the country of origin and from every country lived in for 6 months or more in the five years before entering Uruguay, legalised or apostilled and translated (Brazilian ones need no translation), for applicants over 18 only; a valid carné de salud and a vaccination certificate from providers authorised by the Ministry of Public Health; a passport photo. Means of living: a nominal monthly income 'suficiente para su manutención' (sufficient for maintenance), proved according to its source - employee of a company or of an individual, self-employed, company owner or shareholder, employee of a foreign company with no Uruguayan branch (by a notarial certificate of the link, the company, the income and how the work is done from Uruguay), rentista, retiree or pensioner abroad, or retiree in Uruguay. The page calls these the most frequent options, not the only ones, and states no minimum amount. Minors apply with a birth certificate, their parents' express authorisation and their representatives' means of living. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card. Brazilian and Paraguayan nationals applying for permanent residence are exempt from the fee. The page cites Ley 18.250 and Decreto 394/2009 and states no processing time. Constitution art. 75 asks for five years of habitual residence for legal citizenship without a family established in Uruguay (three with one), plus good conduct and capital or property in the country or the practice of a science, art or industry; it does not say how time on this permit counts.

The 'Permanente Mercosur' category is for nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname and Guyana. Requirements listed: a passport photo, a valid identity document, a national-level criminal-record certificate from the countries lived in over the last 5 years (for more than 6 months), and a valid vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay. The page lists no means-of-living or income requirement. Minors add a birth certificate and their parents' express authorisation. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card. By reciprocity, permanent residence for Paraguayan and Brazilian nationals is free. A re-entry permit (225.60 UI) is payable for each exit while the application is pending. The page cites Ley 18.250 and Decreto 394/2009 and states no processing time. Constitution art. 75 asks for five years of habitual residence for legal citizenship without a family established in Uruguay (three with one), plus good conduct and capital or property in the country or the practice of a science, art or industry; it does not say how time on this permit counts.

The hoja de identidad provisoria 'Es la autorización expedida a los extranjeros que gestionen la residencia temporaria por un plazo inferior a 180 días' (the authorisation issued to foreigners seeking temporary residence for less than 180 days). The digital-nomad version asks for only two things: a photocopy of the identity document with which the applicant entered or will enter Uruguay, and a sworn declaration on the official template, signed as on that document. The page lists no income requirement. Renewal needs a valid Uruguayan identity document, a new sworn declaration, national-level criminal-record certificates (legalised or apostilled and translated, Brazilian ones need no translation) from the countries lived in for 6 months or more in the last five years, for applicants over 18, and a vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay; the page does not say how many renewals are allowed. Some nationalities need a visa to enter. Fee 55.71 UI, which cannot be paid from abroad. The page cites Decreto 394/009. It does not say whether time on this document counts toward permanent residence or legal citizenship.

Distinct from immigration residence and frequently confused with it: this is tax residence for IRPF, not a residence permit. The law's own tests (Title 7, article 2 of the Texto Ordenado 2023) are more than 183 days in Uruguay in the calendar year, or having the main core or base of your activities or of your economic or vital interests there. The IRPF regulation (Decreto 148/007, article 5-BIS) places the base of your economic interests in Uruguay - unless you prove tax residence in another country - when you hold there an investment of: more than UI 15,000,000 in real estate; more than UI 45,000,000, directly or indirectly, in a company whose activities or projects have been declared of national interest under Ley 16.906; more than UI 3,500,000 in real estate, made from 1 July 2020, as long as you are physically present in Uruguay for at least 60 days in the calendar year; or more than UI 15,000,000, directly or indirectly, in a company, made from 1 July 2020, that generates at least 15 new full-time direct jobs during the calendar year. Amounts are in unidades indexadas (UI), which move with inflation; no conversion is given here. For people who become tax resident from 1 January 2026, Ley 20.446 art. 648 provides an OPTION, not an exemption: pay the non-resident tax (IRNR) instead of IRPF on the capital income covered, for the arrival year and the ten following years, conditioned on a real-estate investment above UI 12,500,000 or fund capitalisation of at least UI 625,000 a year unless the person falls within literal A of article 2 of Title 7 of the Texto Ordenado 2023 each year; then 50% of the IRPF rate for five years or a fixed annual amount. The earlier options of the same regulation (articles 5-QUATER and 5-QUINQUIES) could be taken only once and only until 31 December 2025.

The 'Temporaria' category is for 'toda persona extranjera, sin distinción de nacionalidad' coming to Uruguay for work, study and other reasons set by law, 'por un plazo mínimo de 6 meses y máximo de 2 años prorrogable' (for at least 6 months and at most 2 years, extendable). For workers: a letterheaded letter from the employer stating the activity, the contract period and the monthly pay or means of maintenance, which 'deberá ser igual o superior a un salario mínimo nacional' (must be at least one national minimum wage), with a notarial certificate on the company or a BPS labour history. Also: a passport photo, the original identity document used to enter (and a valid visa where required), criminal-record certificates from the country of birth and from where the applicant lived in the last 5 years (for more than 6 months), a vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay and a valid carné de salud laboral. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card. Extensions are requested within the 90 days before expiry; for activity under 180 days the hoja de identidad provisoria is used instead. The page does not state the minimum-wage amount, a processing time, or whether this residence leads to permanent residence. Constitution art. 75 asks for five years of habitual residence for legal citizenship without a family established in Uruguay (three with one), plus good conduct and capital or property in the country or the practice of a science, art or industry; it does not say how time on this permit counts.

The 'Permanente por vínculo uruguayo' category is for 'toda persona extranjera con vinculo con uruguayo/a (hijo/a, cónyuge, concubino/a o hermano/a)' - the child, spouse, concubino/a (cohabiting partner) or sibling of a Uruguayan; parents are not on the list. Requirements: a passport photo; the applicant's own identity document and the Uruguayan relative's identity document or passport, both valid; a national-level criminal-record certificate from the countries lived in over the last 5 years (for more than 6 months); a certificate (testimonio de partida), Uruguayan or foreign and issued within the last year, or a registered concubinage judgment (Ley 18.246), proving the link to the Uruguayan national; and a vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay. Minors add a birth certificate and their parents' express authorisation. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card. By reciprocity, permanent residence for Paraguayan and Brazilian nationals is free. A child born in Uruguay is Uruguayan under Ley 16.021 art. 1. Constitution art. 75 asks for three years of habitual residence for legal citizenship from a person with a family established in Uruguay ('familia constituida en la República'), plus good conduct and capital or property in the country or the practice of a science, art or industry; it does not define which relatives make up that family, so whether a given family link meets it is not settled by the text.

For students under the 'Temporaria' category: an official certificate from the educational institution (for a private institute, with a notarial certification of its existence), and means of living sufficient for maintenance, with no amount fixed. Without means of one's own, a relative's may be used on proof of the relationship; money from abroad needs a notarial certificate of the amount, where the transfer is collected and the sender's relationship. 'Este tipo de residencia se concede hasta por un año, prorrogable por iguales períodos, no excediendo los dos años del total de la carrera' (granted for up to one year, extendable for equal periods, not exceeding two years of the total course). Also: a passport photo, the original identity document used to enter (and a valid visa where required), criminal-record certificates from the country of birth and from where the applicant lived in the last 5 years (for more than 6 months), a vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay and a valid carné de salud laboral. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card. The page does not state tuition, work rights, a processing time, or whether this time counts toward legal citizenship. Constitution art. 75 asks for five years of habitual residence for legal citizenship without a family established in Uruguay (three with one), plus good conduct and capital or property in the country or the practice of a science, art or industry; it does not say how time on this permit counts.

Constitution art. 75 gives a right to legal citizenship to: (A) foreign men and women of good conduct, with a family established in the Republic ('familia constituida'), who have some capital in circulation or property in the country, or practise a science, art or industry, and have three years of habitual residence in the Republic; (B) those without a family established there who have one of the same qualities and five years of habitual residence; (C) those granted it by special grace of the General Assembly for notable services or outstanding merit. Proof of residence must rest on a public or private document of verified date. People under (A) and (B) cannot exercise the rights of legal citizenship until three years after their letter of citizenship (carta) is granted, and any of the grounds for suspension listed in article 80 bars the grant. The article does not say which relatives make up a 'familia constituida'. Legal citizenship is a different status from nationality: under art. 81 nationality is not lost even by naturalising in another country, while legal citizenship is lost by any later naturalisation. NOT RE-CONFIRMED: the procedure this entry described earlier (granted by the Corte Electoral; absences of more than six consecutive months restart the clock; the means of living shown across the whole period; two witnesses aged 25 or over who are not relatives, employees or employers; no renunciation of the prior nationality required) came from a gub.uy page that now returns HTTP 404 and was never archived. Check each point with the Corte Electoral before relying on it.

The Dirección Nacional de Migración's 'Permanente' category is 'Dirigida a toda persona extranjera con ánimo de residir en forma permanente en el país' (for any foreign national intending to reside permanently). The application is started online and completed in person, on the booked day, at a DNM office in Uruguay with original documents. Requirements: a valid identity document (and a valid visa where the nationality needs one to enter); national-level criminal-record certificates from the country of origin and from every country lived in for 6 months or more in the five years before entering Uruguay, legalised or apostilled and translated (Brazilian ones need no translation), for applicants over 18 only; a valid carné de salud and a vaccination certificate from providers authorised by the Ministry of Public Health; a passport photo. Means of living: a nominal monthly income 'suficiente para su manutención' (sufficient for maintenance), proved according to its source - employee of a company or of an individual, self-employed, company owner or shareholder, employee of a foreign company with no Uruguayan branch (by a notarial certificate of the link, the company, the income and how the work is done from Uruguay), rentista, retiree or pensioner abroad, or retiree in Uruguay. The page calls these the most frequent options, not the only ones, and states no minimum amount. Minors apply with a birth certificate, their parents' express authorisation and their representatives' means of living. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card. Brazilian and Paraguayan nationals applying for permanent residence are exempt from the fee. The page cites Ley 18.250 and Decreto 394/2009 and states no processing time. Constitution art. 75 asks for five years of habitual residence for legal citizenship without a family established in Uruguay (three with one), plus good conduct and capital or property in the country or the practice of a science, art or industry; it does not say how time on this permit counts.

The 'Permanente Mercosur' category is for nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname and Guyana. Requirements listed: a passport photo, a valid identity document, a national-level criminal-record certificate from the countries lived in over the last 5 years (for more than 6 months), and a valid vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay. The page lists no means-of-living or income requirement. Minors add a birth certificate and their parents' express authorisation. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card. By reciprocity, permanent residence for Paraguayan and Brazilian nationals is free. A re-entry permit (225.60 UI) is payable for each exit while the application is pending. The page cites Ley 18.250 and Decreto 394/2009 and states no processing time. Constitution art. 75 asks for five years of habitual residence for legal citizenship without a family established in Uruguay (three with one), plus good conduct and capital or property in the country or the practice of a science, art or industry; it does not say how time on this permit counts.

Same eleven nationalities as the permanent Mercosur route. Requires a passport photo, a valid identity document, a criminal-record certificate from the countries lived in over the last 5 years (for more than 6 months), a birth certificate or a naturalisation certificate at least 5 years old, a vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay, and a valid carné de salud laboral. 'La Residencia temporaria MERCOSUR tendrá una duración de dos años renovables por igual período por única vez' (two years, renewable once for the same period), with renewal requested within the 90 days before expiry. No income requirement is listed. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card.

The hoja de identidad provisoria 'Es la autorización expedida a los extranjeros que gestionen la residencia temporaria por un plazo inferior a 180 días' (the authorisation issued to foreigners seeking temporary residence for less than 180 days). The digital-nomad version asks for only two things: a photocopy of the identity document with which the applicant entered or will enter Uruguay, and a sworn declaration on the official template, signed as on that document. The page lists no income requirement. Renewal needs a valid Uruguayan identity document, a new sworn declaration, national-level criminal-record certificates (legalised or apostilled and translated, Brazilian ones need no translation) from the countries lived in for 6 months or more in the last five years, for applicants over 18, and a vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay; the page does not say how many renewals are allowed. Some nationalities need a visa to enter. Fee 55.71 UI, which cannot be paid from abroad. The page cites Decreto 394/009. It does not say whether time on this document counts toward permanent residence or legal citizenship.

The 'Temporaria' category is for 'toda persona extranjera, sin distinción de nacionalidad' coming to Uruguay for work, study and other reasons set by law, 'por un plazo mínimo de 6 meses y máximo de 2 años prorrogable' (for at least 6 months and at most 2 years, extendable). For workers: a letterheaded letter from the employer stating the activity, the contract period and the monthly pay or means of maintenance, which 'deberá ser igual o superior a un salario mínimo nacional' (must be at least one national minimum wage), with a notarial certificate on the company or a BPS labour history. Also: a passport photo, the original identity document used to enter (and a valid visa where required), criminal-record certificates from the country of birth and from where the applicant lived in the last 5 years (for more than 6 months), a vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay and a valid carné de salud laboral. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card. Extensions are requested within the 90 days before expiry; for activity under 180 days the hoja de identidad provisoria is used instead. The page does not state the minimum-wage amount, a processing time, or whether this residence leads to permanent residence. Constitution art. 75 asks for five years of habitual residence for legal citizenship without a family established in Uruguay (three with one), plus good conduct and capital or property in the country or the practice of a science, art or industry; it does not say how time on this permit counts.

The 'Permanente por vínculo uruguayo' category is for 'toda persona extranjera con vinculo con uruguayo/a (hijo/a, cónyuge, concubino/a o hermano/a)' - the child, spouse, concubino/a (cohabiting partner) or sibling of a Uruguayan; parents are not on the list. Requirements: a passport photo; the applicant's own identity document and the Uruguayan relative's identity document or passport, both valid; a national-level criminal-record certificate from the countries lived in over the last 5 years (for more than 6 months); a certificate (testimonio de partida), Uruguayan or foreign and issued within the last year, or a registered concubinage judgment (Ley 18.246), proving the link to the Uruguayan national; and a vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay. Minors add a birth certificate and their parents' express authorisation. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card. By reciprocity, permanent residence for Paraguayan and Brazilian nationals is free. A child born in Uruguay is Uruguayan under Ley 16.021 art. 1. Constitution art. 75 asks for three years of habitual residence for legal citizenship from a person with a family established in Uruguay ('familia constituida en la República'), plus good conduct and capital or property in the country or the practice of a science, art or industry; it does not define which relatives make up that family, so whether a given family link meets it is not settled by the text.

For students under the 'Temporaria' category: an official certificate from the educational institution (for a private institute, with a notarial certification of its existence), and means of living sufficient for maintenance, with no amount fixed. Without means of one's own, a relative's may be used on proof of the relationship; money from abroad needs a notarial certificate of the amount, where the transfer is collected and the sender's relationship. 'Este tipo de residencia se concede hasta por un año, prorrogable por iguales períodos, no excediendo los dos años del total de la carrera' (granted for up to one year, extendable for equal periods, not exceeding two years of the total course). Also: a passport photo, the original identity document used to enter (and a valid visa where required), criminal-record certificates from the country of birth and from where the applicant lived in the last 5 years (for more than 6 months), a vaccination certificate from a vaccination centre in Uruguay and a valid carné de salud laboral. Fee 557.30 UI (indexed units, readjusted every six months) plus 55.70 UI for the migration certificate needed for the identity card. The page does not state tuition, work rights, a processing time, or whether this time counts toward legal citizenship. Constitution art. 75 asks for five years of habitual residence for legal citizenship without a family established in Uruguay (three with one), plus good conduct and capital or property in the country or the practice of a science, art or industry; it does not say how time on this permit counts.

Age 18-30 at application ('en algunos casos hasta 35 años' - up to 35 in some cases; the page does not say which), and nationality of a partner country. Bilateral agreements are in force with GERMANY, AUSTRALIA, FRANCE, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE NETHERLANDS, PORTUGAL and the UNITED KINGDOM. Requires a valid passport covering the whole stay, comprehensive health insurance, proof of sufficient funds for initial support, a return ticket or proof of ability to buy one, and an apostilled criminal record. The applicant must declare tourism as the main purpose, travel WITHOUT dependants, and generally not have used the programme for that destination before. Applied for at the Uruguayan embassy or consulate BEFORE travelling, with entry to Uruguay required within 180 days of approval. On arrival the holder attends the migration office with passport, photo, the residence and certificate fees and a Uruguayan-homologated vaccination certificate. Under every one of the eight programmes the page lists, the declared stay 'no podrá superar los dos años' (may not exceed two years). On arrival the holder pays 557.30 UI for the residence and 55.70 UI for the migration certificate, then the identity-card fee (UYU 443 as of February 2026).