Uruguay Permanent Residence

Uruguay is a small, prosperous and neutral country, with a great outdoor ranch and beach lifestyle. It’s the preferred playground of South America’s wealthy and people of all nationalities are welcome.

Submitting your application for Permanent Residency is straightforward with our on-the-ground help. You can expect to receive a temporary cedula (ID card) within around 10 days of filing. Permanent Residency and permanent cedula can be expected within two years, and you can apply for a Uruguayan citizenship and passport within as little as 3 years from your arrival date.

Two Important Facts about Uruguay Residence and Citizenship

There are two important facts we should state about the Uruguay Permanent Residence process at the outset:

1. Uruguay Permanent Residence is more of a Plan A residence than Plan B.  

   The program is intended for people who plan to spend a substantial portion of the year on the ground. The Uruguayan government allows tourists to stay up to six months per year without applying for residence, therefore the Permanent Residence program is aimed at people who wish to stay longer and make Uruguay their home. Verification of physical presence will be carried out, and Permanent Residency and citizenship will not be granted if you do not maintain a substantial footprint in the country.

   That said, there is some flexibility on the number of days required, provided Uruguay is genuinely your centre of economic interests. This can be established, for example, by forming a company or building a retirement base.

2. Uruguay’s Permanent Residence Program has become extremely popular in recent years due to the exodus of wealthy families from neighbouring countries Argentina and Brazil. 

   The immigration office works on an appointment system and appointments are currently being booked many months in advance. Therefore if you decide Permanent Residency in Uruguay is for you, the very first thing you should do in the process is have your immigration consultant book an immigration appointment for you. Do not wait until you have the necessary documents to hand, because then their validity will then probably expire while you await your appointment.

   As an added convenience, you have up to one year to hand in your police clearance certificate after your immigration office appointment.

Why Choose Uruguay for Residence and Citizenship?

Uruguay is a stable, successful country, often referred to as “ the Switzerland of South America.”  

Uruguay came in at #13 worldwide in the Democracy Index 2021, published by the Economist Intelligence Unit – making it the highest ranked country in the region, outperforming France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

It also ranked well in the World Bank’s most recent edition of its Political Stability Index, ranking number 20 globally, and once again outperforming all of the aforementioned highly-developed countries.

At the same time, lifestyle is another compelling reason to consider Permanent Residence in Uruguay. It’s a prosperous country with a highly-developed tourist infrastructure - specifically in Punta del Este that is a world class resort for upmarket tourism. The country benefits from an agreeable climate, economic stability, relatively low crime, great cuisine, and of course the famously friendly disposition of its citizens. Uruguay is a place where people of all generations can comfortably enjoy time. Uruguay also boasts high-quality and affordable healthcare, and tax benefits for individuals.

Qualifying for Permanent Residency in Uruguay is easy, with clearly defined rules and reliable government authorities. The citizenship process is also straightforward.

Last but not least, Uruguay has very favourable fiscal benefits for incoming residents and businesses. Retired persons, digital nomads or freelance consultants will generally have to pay little to no personal taxes in Uruguay.

Tax advantages: Its tax system is predominantly territorial, it has a network of free zones for trade in both goods and services, it has good international banking and specific tax incentives for certain types of businesses. 

Documents Needed for Permanent Residence in Uruguay

Here are the documents you need to apply for Permanent Residence in Uruguay:

1. Your current valid passport

2. Police clearance: you must submit a police certificate from your country of birth, and from any country you have lived in during the past five years. This police record cannot be more than six months old, unless a shorter period of validity is shown on the certificate, in which case the shorter period applies.

3. Proof of Income: Income may be demonstrated in a number of ways: for example a pension, dividends, foreign rental income, a work contract with a Uruguayan company, or future business income. As a rule of thumb, a married couple should demonstrate at least US$2,500 monthly guaranteed income. Our Uruguay immigration consultants will review the documents with you in order to make sure they are acceptable for immigration purposes.

4. Medical checkup: A brief medical check-up and doctor’s certificate is required. This can be done in Uruguay. Traditional vaccinations are required, but vaccination against Covid-19 is not obligatory.

5. Six passport sized photos of each applicant. These can be taken on the ground in Uruguay.

6. Birth certificate your original birth certificate

7. Marriage certificate if applicable.

All foreign documents such as birth certificate, marriage and police certificates should be recently certified with an apostille or at the Uruguayan consulate in the country of issue, and must be translated into Spanish. Our Uruguay office can assist with these procedures.

Timeline and Process for Uruguay Permanent Residency

The timeline is as follows:

1. Contact NTL Trust, sign professional services agreement, make immigration appointment.

2. Work on documents remotely.

3. Fly into Uruguay for in-person interview at the Immigration Dept in Montevideo. Our consultants will accompany you and assist with translations etc as necessary.

4. Temporary cedula (temporary residence permit ID card) issued within 10 days, with validity period of 24 months (may vary)

5. You are now free to establish your life and business in Uruguay. The government will process your Permanent Residency application within the 24 months.

6. Upon final approval you receive your Permanent Residency card and cedula.

To get started we simply need scans of your passports and payment of initial fees. We will then liaise with you to book your immigration office appointment at the earliest possible date (be aware that there are currently long waiting times). If you wish to enter Uruguay before that as a tourist, of course you are free to do so.

Tourist visas to Uruguay

Uruguay welcomes citizens of many countries without any visa requirement. Full list of Uruguay visa requirements (in Spanish)

If visitors from your country require a visa to enter Uruguay, we will assist you with the process. We do not offer this as a stand-alone service, but only for clients who contract and pay for NTL Trust services for Permanent Residence in Uruguay in advance.

Naturalization, Citizenship and Passport of Uruguay

Uruguay offers a clear path to citizenship, but it’s a different kind of citizenship than what you might expect. 

Priority is given to married couples. The couple may be of any nationality, there is no requirement for marriage to a Uruguayan citizen. Married persons may apply for citizenship after three years of residence in Uruguay, starting from when the first temporary cedula is issued.

Individuals who are not married can apply for citizenship after five years.

Citizenship applications are generally processed within six months. If successful, the new Uruguayan citizen is entitled to a Uruguayan passport.

Applicants should maintain Uruguay as their main home during their residence period, in order for their citizenship request to be considered favourably.

The caveat is that Uruguayan law on citizenship does not follow general international practice. It distinguishes between citizenship and nationality and there is some legal confusion over the terms used even within Uruguay. (see Wikipedia article for further information). Citizenship is granted by naturalisation, but the nationality of origin will be retained. The nationality of origin (that of the place of birth, even if it is not an accurate reflection of another citizenship) is shown in Uruguayan passports. This can cause confusion and problems travelling for Uruguayan passport holders.

Uruguay permits dual and multiple citizenship, but Uruguayan citizenship would subsequently be lost by the act of acquiring citizenship in another country.