LIVE
ARRIVAL
WHAT DOCUMENTS DO I NEED TO OBTAIN BEFORE MY ARRIVAL?
Before my arrival
To carry out the necessary procedures to reside in Uruguay, and to be able to study, work or start a business, it is advisable to obtain some documents in the country of origin, for example:
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Passport (or valid identity card) with at least 6 months of validity at the time of travel and in good condition.
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Birth, marriage, or death certificates (to be valid they must have less than 30 days of issue).
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Criminal record certificate from the country of origin and the country where you have resided in the last 5 years.
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Certificates of studies.
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Medical examinations: the Basic Occupational Health Card is mandatory and can be processed in Uruguay, but some procedures must also be carried out in the place of origin, such as proof of current tetanus vaccination, laboratory tests stamped and signed with a validity of no more than 90 days and in the case of women over 21 years old, Papanicolaou results with a validity of no more than 24 months, and for women over 40 years old, mammography results with a validity of no more than 18 months.
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Bank references.
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Apply for a visa in case you come from a country that requires it (more information here).
All foreign documents submitted, except for passports and identity cards, must be apostilled or legalized (according to Law No. 15,441) and translated into Spanish by a Uruguayan Certified Translator, except those issued in Brazil
The Apostille is a system of international validity that replaces consular legalization by applying a stamp on the public document of one country, which certifies its authenticity in another. Many procedures are simpler and less expensive since the incorporation of Uruguay to the Hague Apostille Convention.
Where can you find out if your country has an Apostille agreement and who carries it out?
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Website: www.hcch.net
Legalization of any document is required when it is issued abroad by a country that is not a member of the Hague Apostille system.
How should a document be legalized?
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Legalize the document with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country.
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Legalize the document with the Uruguayan Consulate in that place.
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Legalize the document with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay.
What should I do upon arrival?
I. Validate the documents
In those cases in which the civil status documentation has been legalized by a consular agent but has not been apostilled, once in Uruguay, the signature of the Uruguayan agent must be authenticated.
II. Translations
Documents originating abroad issued in another language must be translated into Spanish to be valid in Uruguay (except in the case of Brazilian citizens). The only translations valid for Uruguay are those made by:
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Uruguayan consular agent: legalized, accompanied by the duly legalized original document.
III. Registration in the Foreigners Register
This is the transcription of the foreign civil status certificate, legalized or apostilled and translated (as appropriate). With this, a Uruguayan birth certificate is obtained, which contains the information found in the foreign birth certificate.
Where to apply? At the Ministry of Education and Culture, General Directorate of the Civil Registry, click here.
IV. Start the residence process online, see details here.
V. Apply for the Health Card, see details here.
VI. Apply for the Uruguayan ID Card (after starting the residence process), see details here.
TIP: Access the full “Live in Uruguay - Immigrant Support Guide” here
BANKING SYSTEM AND ACCOUNT OPENING
Banks authorized by the Central Bank of Uruguay (see original source here):
State Banks:
Private Banks:
Can I open an account without being a legal resident?
BROU, BANDES, BBVA, HSBC, Heritage and Santander have account options for non-residents.
As general requirements you must present:
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Identification card
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Certificate of residence
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Income certificate certified by Public Accountant or income receipt
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Bank references
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Bank statement from the bank where you are operating and card account statement
Can I open an account when I am not in the country?
The BROU, Itaú and Santander banks have options for opening bank accounts remotely.
ENTRY OF FURNITURE
Foreigners who want to settle in Uruguay may enter, as unaccompanied baggage, free of charge and in cargo conditions: clothes, used personal effects, books and newspapers, furniture, and other household goods; and tools, machines, apparatus and instruments necessary for the exercise of their profession, art or trade, considered individually. The enjoyment of the benefit is subject to prior verification of the activity carried out by the traveler.
The customs procedure is free of charge and may be done personally or through a representative.
Requirements
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Baggage must arrive in the customs territory within three months prior to or up to six months after the traveler’s arrival.
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It shall only be delivered after arrival.
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Arrive in cargo condition and from the same origin as the traveler.
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Baggage shall remain in storage until clearance.
The procedure may be carried out by the interested person or his/her representative authorized by power of attorney.
The procedure must start by submitting to the Customs Authority an electronic GEX file with the following documentation: application for entry, list of personal effects intervened by the Consulate of the country where he/she resides and proof of entry to the country granted by the Migration Directorate.
In the case of foreigners who do not have permanent residence, their assets may be admitted under the Temporary Admission regime. In this case, a guarantee will be requested according to the corresponding taxes, which will be returned once the final residence in the country has been proven.
How to carry out the procedure?
Before entering the country, a request must be made at the Uruguayan Consulate of the country of origin for the intervention or visa of the list of personal effects to be transferred. In Uruguay, the procedure may be carried out by the interested party or by his/her authorized representative by means of a power of attorney. The documents to be submitted to the Customs Authority are:
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Application form.
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List of personal effects intervened by the Consulate.
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Record of admission to the country issued by the Migration Directorate (Certificate of Arrival).
The luggage will remain in storage until the corresponding authorization.
A foreigner who comes to the country can enter a vehicle only if their situation falls within the provisions of articles 2 and 3 of Law 16.340:
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Being retired
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Receive a minimum of U$S 1,500 (one thousand five hundred dollars of the United States of America) per month for retirement or other foreign-generated income.
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To have acquired a real estate property for home occupation in the Uruguayan territory, which must have a minimum value of U$S 100,000 (one hundred thousand dollars of the United States of America) and may not be sold during a period of ten years. The value of the property referred to shall be accredited by means of reliable evidence.
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Otherwise, having acquired in Uruguay public bonds issued by the Government of Uruguay for a minimum nominal value of U$S 100,000 (one hundred thousand dollars of the United States of America) which will remain in custody at the Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay for a minimum period of ten years. However, at any time the property may be exchanged for public securities and vice versa, as well as any of them for another investment, always in amounts not less than those mentioned above.
(*) If the country of residence is Brazil, the documents must be apostilled.
In the city of Porto Alegre there are three Tabelionatos where you can ask for this procedure:
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First Tabelionato: tel (51) 30795300
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Tercer Tabelionato: tel (51) 321233876
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Noveno Tabelionato: tel (51) 33312535
Where to do it?
Before leaving, in the country of origin:
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Uruguayan Consulate: see map here.
Then, upon arrival in Uruguay:
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Customs in Montevideo: Rambla 25 de agosto de 1825 nº199. Access Yacaré, Ground Floor. Hours: 9 am to 5 pm.
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In the rest of the country: at any Customs Administration located at the point of entry to the country.
More information:
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Phone calls: (00598) 2915 00 07 Ext. 70 or 514.
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E-mail: info@aduanas.gub.uy
International Transport Services
ENTRY OF VEHICLES
At present, used vehicles may not be imported into the country, except for the exceptions detailed in Decree 266/013, which require certain procedures before the competent bodies. However, it is worth noting that a new regulation is expected to be approved shortly to make the entry of used vehicles more flexible.
According to the current regulations, the exceptions include: specialized vehicles that cannot be assembled in the country; donations received from abroad of units with a clearly defined non-profit purpose; cabins for vehicles included in the current items 8704.22, 8704.23 and 8704.32 corresponding to the third amendment of the harmonized system of codification of goods; vehicles considered sport or classic, with more than twenty years of age, whose exclusive purpose is exhibition or participation in competitions and as per the regulations dictated by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining to these effects; special vehicles for the transport of people in sport fields.s.
In the case of Uruguayan citizens returning to the country, the possibility of entering vehicles is contemplated provided that the following requirements are met:
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Uruguayan citizens who have been abroad for at least 2 years.
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Uruguayan citizens who decide to reside definitively in the country may introduce for only one time, free of any exchange procedure and exempt from any kind of customs duties, taxes or related charges: movable goods and effects that furnish their home; tools, machines, apparatus and instruments related to the exercise of their profession, art or trade; a motor vehicle of their property, which may not be transferred until a period of two years after their entry to the country has elapsed.
In the operations contemplated in this article, the intervention of the customs broker shall not be mandatory. The consular legalization of documents related to the definitive residence in the country of the fellow citizens and their family unit shall be free of charge.eir family nucleus.
ENTRY OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS
To enter domestic animals such as dogs or cats into Uruguay, an international veterinary certificate (IVC) signed and sealed by the competent authority of the country of origin is required.
The IVC must prove the following:
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The pet underwent, within 10 days before the date of issuance of the IVC, a clinical examination carried out by a registered veterinary professional in the country of origin, certifying that said animal is clinically healthy, with no evidence of parasitosis and that it is fit for transfer to Uruguay.
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Internal and external deworming carried out within 15 days prior to the issuance of the IVC, stating the date and product applied.
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The rabies vaccination is up to date (date of vaccination, type, series, and brand of vaccine). In the case of animals vaccinated for the first time, the vaccine must have been applied at least 21 days prior to entering Uruguay. If the dog or cat is less than three months old, the Veterinary Authority must certify the age of the animal and that it has not been on any property where a case of urban Rabies has occurred in the last 90 days prior to shipment.
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In the case of dogs, treatment against the tapeworm Echinococcus (hydatid cyst) with an antiparasitic containing praziquantel as active ingredient within a minimum period of 72 hours and a maximum of 30 days prior to entry.
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In the case of dogs, Uruguay will not authorize the entry into its territory of animals previously diagnosed with Leishmaniasis.
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Those canines coming from countries or zones where the disease has never been detected and having this sanitary situation declared before WOAH are exempted from the diagnostic test.
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As of October 1, 2018, non-resident dogs must enter and leave the country identified with a microchip, which will be associated with the IVC issued by the health authority of the country of origin.
IMPORT OF NON-TRADITIONAL PETS (ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, birds, etc.):
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If you enter Uruguay with another NON-TRADITIONAL PET (i.e.: ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, birds, etc., except dogs and cats) either permanently or temporarily, you must previously obtain the import authorization from the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, and also obtain the International Veterinary Certificate (IVC) in the country of origin. More information on this procedure can be requested at dsacomercio@mgap.gub.uy
In addition, you should check with the airline about shipping formalities, which may vary according to the companies and countries involved.
For more information, go to https://www.gub.uy/tramites/solicitud-ingreso-mascotas-uruguay or click here.
Official Agency in Uruguay: Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries
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Animal Health Division of that State Secretary - Department of International Trade Control
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Website: www.mgap.gub.uy
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Dra. Rosario Guerrero rguerrero@mgap.gub.uy
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Phone: (00598) 2412 6338
To enter any other domestic animal
TRANSPORT FROM THE AIRPORT
To get from Carrasco Airport to Montevideo, there are the following options:
1- Public buses to Montevideo, suburban and interdepartmental:
MIGRATION SUPPORT SERVICES
Some of the following websites offer advice services to migrants:
Check the requirements for visas, residences according to stay purposes, and legal citizenship.
