Information on Visas and Residency in Uruguay
Visa for Visitors
A valid passport is required for entry into Uruguay with the exception of citizens from the boundary countries. U.S. citizens do not need a visa to stay in Uruguay for less than 90 days. Business-oriented visas are available; please contact the embassy for details.
Residency Visa
Any foreign visitor can apply for a residency visa and should apply to the immigration office in his or her country of residence. In general terms, the requirements are: owning a property in the country and/or a bank account with adequate funds, having a clean police record in the country of residency, and having proof of income in Uruguay or a work permit. All documents will have to be authenticated by a public notary. Any person visiting Uruguay for business purposes can go to the consulate or embassy of the country.
Requirements to Apply for Legal Residence in Uruguay
Any foreigner with temporary immigration status in the country (i.e., tourist) may request permission to change his or her status to legal resident provided the maximum period of 180 days since arrival to the country has not been exceeded. The immigration authority, Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), will resolve on a case-by-case basis. The change in status will be requested in written form. The letter will be presented at the main office (Montevideo) or at any of the equivalent inspection offices around the country. The DNM will proceed with the request within the established legal period.
The letter requesting the change of status should contain the following information:
• First and last name of the requestor
• Place and date of birth
• Address and phone number in Uruguay
• Entry/departure card (issued by immigration when entering the national territory) or photocopy of the passport showing the country entry stamp. If previous documentation is not available, requestor must state exact date and point of entry to the country
• Statement of reason for application for Uruguayan permanent residence.
For those nationalities that require a consular visa to enter the national territory, the letter must include photocopies of passport pages in which personal information, passport validity, last Uruguayan consular visa obtained, and entry stamp are shown. In the case of a Uruguayan’s child or spouse, the category change request is also required, but permanent residency can be initiated prior to obtaining the authorization from the immigration authority. This also applies to children under 18 years old and spouses of foreign legal residents or foreigners who have already started their change category procedure.
|