An Overview of the Residency Application Process
Uruguay Residency Group takes great pride in walking its clients through each step of the application process. At no point will you be left to fend for yourself and you can rest assured knowing that your application is being managed by U.S. licensed attorneys in conjunction with our team of local experts.
A general overview of the residency application process is as follows:
Proving Identity
The applicant must gather his or her certified birth certificate and, if applicable, a certified marriage (or dissolution of marriage) certificate. These documents must be either “apostilled” or “legalized” depending on which country issued the document.
Criminal Background
The applicant must obtain police reports from the applicant’s country of birth, countries of citizenship and each place of residency over the last 5 years. Police reports must be either “apostilled” or “legalized” depending on which country issued the document. Please note that for U.S. citizens, a police report can be obtain in Montevideo, Uruguay via a local Interpol office and the report does not need to be apostilled or legalized. For U.S. citizens, a member of our staff will escort you to the local Interpol office and assist you with the entire process.
Proof of Income
The applicant must demonstrate that his or her income level is sufficient to cover his or her living expenses, including those of any dependents. Generally, this requires a notarized letter from the applicant’s lawyer or accountant certifying that the applicant has sufficient levels of income. Our staff will work in conjunction with your lawyer or accountant to draft the necessary language.
Traveling to Uruguay and Submitting Your Application
All applicants must travel to Uruguay to apply for residency. Uruguay does not require an entry visa for any passport holder from the OECD or from any South American country if the visitor’s stated purpose is tourism. As a result, we highly recommend the applicant enter as a tourist.
Once in Uruguay the applicant must obtain a health card from a licensed medical clinic. A member of our staff will escort you to the health clinic and assist you with the entire process. In order to avoid unnecessary testing, applicants are encouraged to bring proof of (i) a tetanus vaccination within the last 5 years, (ii) a pap smear and mammogram examination (for women between the ages of 20 and 66) within the last year, and (iii) a PSA examination (for men over 65) within the last year.
Lastly, the applicant must physically appear before the local immigration office (DNM) to submit his or her application. Appointment times should be reserved at least three weeks before the desired dates. The moment the application is accepted by the DNM the applicant is considered a temporary resident.
Residency
A temporary resident is entitled to live and work in Uruguay, much like a Green Card holder is permitted to live and work in the USA. Because of the overwhelming number of residency applicants, it now takes approximately 2 to 3 years for temporary residents to be granted their permanent residency. Permanent residents need only visit Uruguay once every 3 years to maintain their permanent residency status. Please note that the DNM requires that applicants actually reside in Uruguay in order to be granted permanent residency.
A general overview of the residency application process is as follows:
Proving Identity
The applicant must gather his or her certified birth certificate and, if applicable, a certified marriage (or dissolution of marriage) certificate. These documents must be either “apostilled” or “legalized” depending on which country issued the document.
Criminal Background
The applicant must obtain police reports from the applicant’s country of birth, countries of citizenship and each place of residency over the last 5 years. Police reports must be either “apostilled” or “legalized” depending on which country issued the document. Please note that for U.S. citizens, a police report can be obtain in Montevideo, Uruguay via a local Interpol office and the report does not need to be apostilled or legalized. For U.S. citizens, a member of our staff will escort you to the local Interpol office and assist you with the entire process.
Proof of Income
The applicant must demonstrate that his or her income level is sufficient to cover his or her living expenses, including those of any dependents. Generally, this requires a notarized letter from the applicant’s lawyer or accountant certifying that the applicant has sufficient levels of income. Our staff will work in conjunction with your lawyer or accountant to draft the necessary language.
Traveling to Uruguay and Submitting Your Application
All applicants must travel to Uruguay to apply for residency. Uruguay does not require an entry visa for any passport holder from the OECD or from any South American country if the visitor’s stated purpose is tourism. As a result, we highly recommend the applicant enter as a tourist.
Once in Uruguay the applicant must obtain a health card from a licensed medical clinic. A member of our staff will escort you to the health clinic and assist you with the entire process. In order to avoid unnecessary testing, applicants are encouraged to bring proof of (i) a tetanus vaccination within the last 5 years, (ii) a pap smear and mammogram examination (for women between the ages of 20 and 66) within the last year, and (iii) a PSA examination (for men over 65) within the last year.
Lastly, the applicant must physically appear before the local immigration office (DNM) to submit his or her application. Appointment times should be reserved at least three weeks before the desired dates. The moment the application is accepted by the DNM the applicant is considered a temporary resident.
Residency
A temporary resident is entitled to live and work in Uruguay, much like a Green Card holder is permitted to live and work in the USA. Because of the overwhelming number of residency applicants, it now takes approximately 2 to 3 years for temporary residents to be granted their permanent residency. Permanent residents need only visit Uruguay once every 3 years to maintain their permanent residency status. Please note that the DNM requires that applicants actually reside in Uruguay in order to be granted permanent residency.
