Uruguay Passport: Everything You Need to Know About Getting It

Choosing to relocate to Uruguay can be rather exciting, and obtaining a Uruguay passport comes with a number of benefits: well-developed infrastructure, eco-friendly power generation, and a variety of outdoor spaces, to name but a few. The country’s passport is strong and ranks 57th out of 199 countries on the Global Citizen Solutions Global Passport Index. On our Quality of Life Index, it ranks 33rd, and on our Enhanced Mobility Index, it ranks 54th.

In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of obtaining a Uruguay passport, the application process, and more. Keep reading to learn why Uruguayan citizenship may be the perfect choice for you!

Key facts about Uruguay

Uruguay sits on the Atlantic Coast of South America, and most of its borders consist of large bodies of water. It has the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Rio Uruguay to the west, and the Rio de la Plata to the south. The country’s coastal towns, such as Punta del Este, are extremely popular with retirees.  And places like Montevideo (the capital city), Ciudad Vieja, Carrasco, and Pocitos are often visited by expats.

The summers here are hot and sunny, while the winters can become quite cold. The landscape is made up of plains and low hill ranges and is mainly used for agricultural purposes. Over the years, Uruguay has developed a democratic tradition that, along with its European lifestyle, has it to become known as the “Switzerland of South America.” 

While Uruguay is relatively small and offers a laid-back atmosphere, the country has a rich history and culture. Uruguay has won two World Cups and even hosted the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930. It is also considered one of the most progressive nations in the world. It ranks high on lists based on its democracy, peace, freedom of the press, prosperity, and tolerance.

And, if you have ever wondered which country boasts the longest national anthem in the world, you will be delighted to learn that it is Uruguay. The country’s anthem is almost five minutes long, written by the poet Francisco Esteban Acuña de Figueroa. Another interesting fact about Uruguay is how eco-friendly it is. Most of its energy is generated using renewable resources, with wind and hydropower being their most used sources for energy production. So not only is Uruguay’s countryside beautiful, but it’s also extremely eco-friendly!

Yes, Uruguay is a truly impressive country for many, having taken massive steps towards becoming a leading country in embracing renewables. In fact, 98 percent of the country’s electricity generation is from renewable sources. So, let’s look at some of the benefits that come with obtaining a Uruguayan passport. 

Benefits of a Uruguay Passport

Being a Uruguay citizen and possessing a valid passport from the country affords you many benefits, some of which are outlined below.

• Travel benefits
You are allowed passport-free access to all of South America and MERCOSUR (the Southern Common Market made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and associate member countries). In addition to this, Uruguayan passport holders travel visa-free to the Schengen Zone in Europe.

• Tax holiday
Uruguayan citizens, legal residents, and tax residents of the country can benefit from a number of tax advantages, such as an eleven-year tax holiday on foreign-sourced income.

• Tax reduction
An alternative option to the tax holiday in Uruguay is a tax reduction. You can choose to forgo the tax holiday and instead benefit from a permanent reduction in personal tax income from twelve percent to seven percent.

• Tax incentives
Uruguayan citizens can enjoy several tax incentives that are offered according to industry. This can include an exemption from VAT, a special depreciation for Corporate Income Tax, and a ten-year exemption from net worth tax.

Along with these benefits, there are a number of other advantages to being a Uruguayan citizen. The country is politically and economically stable, has a solid banking system and open economy, and the tax advantages mentioned above are considered some of the best in the Americas. Uruguay is also well-equipped to deal with foreign affairs as part of its efforts to encourage foreign investment in the country.

Global Visa Requirements for Uruguayan Passport Holders

The Uruguayan passport is moderately strong, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 150 countries worldwide. This allows Uruguayan citizens considerable ease of travel, particularly to countries in Latin America, Europe, and parts of Asia. The passport’s strength reflects Uruguay’s stable diplomatic relations and respectable international standing. Here is the list of global visa requirements for Uruguayan passport holders.

Country	Uruguay
Afghanistan	visa required
Albania	visa free (90 days)
Algeria	visa required
Andorra	visa free (90 days)
Angola	visa free (30 days)
Antigua and Barbuda	e-visa
Argentina	visa free (90 days)
Armenia	visa free (180 days)
Australia	e-visa
Austria	visa free (90 days)
Azerbaijan	visa required
Bahamas	visa free (90 days)
Bahrain	visa on arrival
Bangladesh	visa on arrival
Barbados	visa free (90 days)
Belarus	visa free (30 days)
Belgium	visa free (90 days)
Belize	visa free
Benin	e-visa
Bhutan	e-visa
Bolivia, Plurinational State of	visa free (90 days)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	visa free (90 days)
Botswana	visa free (90 days)
Brazil	visa free (90 days)
Brunei Darussalam	visa required
Bulgaria	visa free (90 days)
Burkina Faso	e-visa
Burundi	visa on arrival
Cambodia	visa on arrival
Cameroon	e-visa
Canada	visa required
Cabo Verde	visa on arrival
Central African Republic	visa required
Chad	visa required
Chile	visa free (90 days)
China	visa required
Colombia	visa free (90 days)
Comoros	visa on arrival
Congo	visa required
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the	e-visa
Costa Rica	visa free (180 days)
Côte d'Ivoire	e-visa
Croatia	visa free (90 days)
Cuba	visa required
Cyprus	visa free (90 days)
Czechia	visa free
Denmark	visa free (90 days)
Djibouti	e-visa
Dominica	visa free (21 days)
Dominican Republic	visa free
Ecuador	visa free (90 days)
Egypt	visa on arrival
El Salvador	visa free (90 days)
Equatorial Guinea	e-visa
Eritrea	visa required
Estonia	visa free (90 days)
Eswatini	visa free (30 days)
Ethiopia	e-visa
Fiji	visa free (120 days)
Finland	visa free (90 days)
France	visa free (90 days)
Gabon	e-visa
Gambia	visa required
Georgia	visa free (90 days)
Germany	visa free (90 days)
Ghana	visa on arrival
Greece	visa free (90 days)
Grenada	visa free (90 days)
Guatemala	visa free (90 days)
Guinea	e-visa
Guinea-Bissau	visa on arrival
Guyana	visa free (90 days)
Haiti	visa free (90 days)
Honduras	visa free (90 days)
Hong Kong	visa free (90 days)
Hungary	visa free (90 days)
Iceland	visa free (90 days)
India	e-visa
Indonesia	visa required
Iran, Islamic Republic of	e-visa
Iraq	visa required
Ireland	visa free (90 days)
Israel	visa free (90 days)
Italy	visa free (90 days)
Jamaica	visa free (30 days)
Japan	visa free (90 days)
Jordan	visa on arrival
Kazakhstan	e-visa
Kenya	e-visa
Kiribati	visa free (90 days)
Kuwait	visa required
Kyrgyzstan	e-visa
Lao People's Democratic Republic	visa on arrival
Latvia	visa free (90 days)
Lebanon	visa on arrival
Lesotho	e-visa
Liberia	visa required
Libya	visa required
Liechtenstein	visa free (90 days)
Lithuania	visa free (90 days)
Luxembourg	visa free (90 days)
Macao	visa free (90 days)
Madagascar	visa on arrival
Malawi	visa on arrival
Malaysia	visa free (90 days)
Maldives	visa on arrival
Mali	visa required
Malta	visa free (90 days)
Marshall Islands	visa on arrival
Mauritania	visa on arrival
Mauritius	visa on arrival
Mexico	visa free (180 days)
Micronesia, Federated States of	visa free (30 days)
Moldova, Republic of	visa free (90 days)
Monaco	visa free (90 days)
Mongolia	visa free (30 days)
Montenegro	visa free (90 days)
Morocco	visa required
Mozambique	visa on arrival
Myanmar	e-visa
Namibia	visa required
Nauru	visa required
Nepal	visa on arrival
Netherlands	visa free (90 days)
New Zealand	e-visa
Nicaragua	visa free (90 days)
Niger	visa required
Nigeria	e-visa
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of	visa required
North Macedonia	visa free (90 days)
Norway	visa free (90 days)
Oman	visa on arrival
Pakistan	e-visa
Palau	visa on arrival
Palestine, State of	visa free
Panama	visa free (90 days)
Papua New Guinea	e-visa
Paraguay	visa free (90 days)
Peru	visa free (180 days)
Philippines	visa free (30 days)
Poland	visa free (90 days)
Portugal	visa free (90 days)
Qatar	visa on arrival
Romania	visa free (90 days)
Russian Federation	visa free (90 days)
Rwanda	visa on arrival
Saint Kitts and Nevis	visa free (90 days)
Saint Lucia	visa free (42 days)
Samoa	visa on arrival
San Marino	visa free (90 days)
Sao Tome and Principe	e-visa
Saudi Arabia	visa required
Senegal	visa required
Serbia	visa free (90 days)
Seychelles	visa free (90 days)
Sierra Leone	e-visa
Singapore	visa free (30 days)
Slovakia	visa free (90 days)
Slovenia	visa free (90 days)
Solomon Islands	visa required
Somalia	visa on arrival
South Africa	visa free (90 days)
Korea, Republic of	e-visa
South Sudan	e-visa
Spain	visa free (90 days)
Sri Lanka	e-visa
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	visa free (90 days)
Sudan	visa required
Suriname	visa required
Sweden	visa free (90 days)
Switzerland	visa free (90 days)
Syrian Arab Republic	visa required
Taiwan, Province of China	visa required
Tajikistan	e-visa
Tanzania, United Republic of	visa on arrival
Thailand	visa required
Timor-Leste	visa on arrival
Togo	visa on arrival
Tonga	visa required
Trinidad and Tobago	visa free (90 days)
Tunisia	visa required
Turkmenistan	visa required
Tuvalu	visa on arrival
Turkey	visa free (90 days)
Uganda	e-visa
Ukraine	visa free (90 days)
United Arab Emirates	visa free (90 days)
United Kingdom	visa free (180 days)
United States	visa required
Uzbekistan	e-visa
Vanuatu	visa free (30 days)
Holy See (Vatican City State)	visa free (90 days)
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of	visa free (90 days)
Viet Nam	e-visa
Yemen	visa required
Zambia	visa on arrival
Zimbabwe	visa on arrival

Uruguay Passport Requirements

To obtain a Uruguayan passport, you need to qualify for citizenship. To obtain citizenship, you first need to have residency in Uruguay. 

You can obtain residency through the Independent Means Visa, which requires you to prove a minimum income of $1,500 (for one person), or the equity route, which requires you to invest a minimum amount of $1,700,000 in an enterprise or $390,000 in real estate in the country. The latter option has no physical presence requirement, which is an attractive option for many expats.

If you are married, you can apply for citizenship with Uruguay’s Electoral Court after three years of residency in Uruguay. If you are a single person, you can apply for Uruguayan citizenship after five years of residency. It will generally take between six and twelve months for your citizenship application to be granted and your passport to be issued.

You can learn more by visiting our article: Uruguayan Citizenship: The Ultimate Guide.

Uruguayan Passport Fee

As mentioned, you must apply for citizenship at Uruguay’s Electoral Court. The cost of applying for a Uruguayan passport will depend on the office at which you choose to make your application. 

How to Get a Uruguay Passport

The process of applying for citizenship in Uruguay is not complicated. You must make an appointment to file your application with Uruguay’s Electoral Court. The documents required include the following:

• Birth certificate
• Uruguay permanent residence certificate
• Proof of residence
• Proof of social integration
• Proof of identity
• Proof of income
• Application fee (this will be determined by the office at which you choose to apply)

When you make your application, you will be given a date for your interview. You will need to demonstrate that you are able to speak Spanish at a conversational level during your interview, as well as proof that you have made an effort to integrate into Uruguay’s society. Once you have completed your interview, it can take anywhere between six and twelve months for the Electoral Court to approve your application and issue your passport.

Processing Times for a Uruguay Passport

The time it takes for you to qualify for citizenship will depend on whether you are married or not. In both cases, however, the period of time you need to spend in Uruguay begins from the moment you arrive in Uruguay, not the date you apply for residency.

As a single person, you will need to spend five years as a resident in Uruguay. If you have not chosen the equity route, you will be required to spend the majority of your time in the country. If you have chosen the equity route, there is no minimum period that you are required to stay in Uruguay.

As a married couple or family, you can apply for citizenship after being a resident of Uruguay for three years. This three-year period has no requirement of marriage to a Uruguayan citizen and will apply to couples where both partners are foreign. Again, if you have not opted for the equity route to citizenship, you will need to spend the majority of your time during this period in the country.

Once you have made your application for citizenship, it will take a further six to twelve months for your application to be granted and your passport to be issued.

Dual Citizenship in Uruguay

Regarding dual citizenship, Uruguay is quite open and supportive of it. Individuals can hold citizenship from another country while also being citizens of Uruguay. This policy reflects Uruguay’s inclusive approach to immigration and citizenship. Obtaining Uruguayan citizenship generally involves a residency period, during which applicants must demonstrate ties to the country and comply with legal requirements. Uruguay’s embrace of dual citizenship aligns with its overall welcoming stance towards expatriates and immigrants.

How Can Global Citizen Solutions Help You?

Global Citizen Solutions is a boutique migration consultancy firm with years of experience delivering bespoke residence and citizenship by investment solutions for international families. With offices worldwide and an experienced, hands-on team, we have helped hundreds of clients worldwide acquire citizenship, residence visas, or homes while diversifying their portfolios with robust investments. 

We guide you from start to finish, taking you beyond your citizenship or residency by investment application. 

Frequently Asked Questions about the Uruguay Passport