There are a few requirements that you need to be aware of if you want to apply for Uruguay residency.
- Your birth certificate and marriage certificate must be legalized at the Uruguayan Consulate in your home country (the one closest to your place of birth or marriage).
- Proof that you have had a Tetanus vaccine (can be done in your home country or you can get one at the clinic in Uruguay).
- Proof of income of at least U$S 500 per month.
- Good Conduct Certificate from your country’s National Police (the FBI in the US) – both from the country where you were born and where you have lived for the last five years (if these are different locations). This certificate can be obtained before your arrival in Uruguay (must be no more than 6 months old), or you can have it run at Interpol in Montevideo. It must also be legalized by the Uruguayan Consulate in your home country.
- A Health Certificate, which must be obtained in Uruguay. Blood and urine tests will be done for people over 15. Women over 21 must provide a PAP Test and Mammogram (tests must be less than 3 months old and can be done in your home country).
There is also a lot of paperwork in Spanish that goes along with the Uruguay residency process, so if you aren’t fluent in Spanish (and comfortable with the local dialect), you may want to consider hiring a relocation specialist to help you. It can be done on your own; it just depends on your comfort level.
The process of getting permanent residency in Uruguay varies in length, but you can expect it to take around a year, give or take.
Once your application Permanent Residency in Uruguay is submitted, you will receive a paper that allows you to apply for a provisory Local ID (Cédula Provisoria), which will be valid for one year. After your application for Permanent Residency in Uruguay is approved, your Cedula will be valid for three years.
Citizenship
Why get citizenship in Uruguay? You will have duel citizenship with your home country and visa free travel for all of South America.
To apply for citizenship you must do this at the Electoral Court. The requirements are:
- After 5 years of filing for residency (3 for families), you can apply for citizenship.
- In the 3-5 years you can not leave Uruguay for more than six consecutive months.
Citizenship for Retirees
If you have a government pension of over U$S 18,000 and property in Uruguay valued at over U$S 100,000, you can apply for your passport when you apply for residency… And 12-18 months later, you can travel South America visa free AND bring a car in from the U.S. tax free.
It is very expensive to bring a car to Uruguay, but cars are an appreciating asset here. A car that wouldn’t sell for U$S 1,000 in the U.S. can easily go for U$S 10,000.