Work permit in Uruguay

• Uruguay has no separate work visa on the DNM pages we read: employees use temporary residence, for foreigners staying more than 180 days but less than 2 years, where workers are one of three activity types with students and religious workers.
• For an activity of less than 180 days, DNM's provisional identity card applies instead of temporary residence.
• Permanent residence is also open to employees directly, with separate proof of income for an employee of a Uruguayan company, an employee of an individual, a self-employed person and a company owner.
• The Mercosur categories are for people born or naturalised in listed South American countries, and the list on DNM's page does not include the United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.
• Law 19,254, sometimes cited as a consular route, covers relatives of Mercosur nationals and does not apply to these passports.

Sources: Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), IMPO. Checked 16 October 2026.

• A worker's pay must be at least one national minimum wage, UYU 25,383 a month from 1 July 2026 (Decree 319/025). To be safe, have more than UYU 26,000 a month.
• The pay is shown in a letter on the employer's letterhead stating the activity, the contract term and the monthly pay.
• The minimum wage is reset by decree, so the test figure changes; check it for the month you file.
• For permanent residence DNM asks for a monthly income "sufficient for support" and prints no figure; an employee of a legal person gives a notarial certificate of monthly salary and position plus a legal review of the company, or a social security (BPS) work history.
• A self-employed person gives a notarial certificate of income with the business details, or an accounting certificate of monthly income.

Sources: Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), IMPO. Checked 16 October 2026.

• You need your original, valid identity document and a passport-size photo.
• A criminal record certificate is asked from the country where you lived for the last 5 years (for more than 6 months) and from your country of birth.
• You need a vaccination certificate issued by a Uruguayan vaccination centre under Decree 136/2018 and an occupational health card (carné de salud laboral) from an authorised provider.
• The employer letter comes with either a notarial certificate with the company's details or a BPS Historia Laboral Nominada.
• Foreign documents generally need an apostille or legalisation and, where applicable, translation; electronically issued documents that can be verified do not.
• For minors you add a birth certificate (issued within the last year, legalised or apostilled) and authorisation from the parents with parental authority; authorisations given abroad must be notarised by a Uruguayan notary and are valid for 180 days.

Sources: Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM). Checked 16 October 2026.

• Start online through "Iniciar Trámite en Línea" with a gub.uy account or another digital ID; DNM reviews the application and then you book an appointment. Payment is by bank transfer or payment network.
• In person, book an appointment first. The Montevideo office is at Mercedes 1004, Monday to Friday 09:00 to 15:00; interior offices are listed on DNM's site.
• DNM states no time for a decision on temporary residence, so the wait is unknown.
• A late arrival of more than 10 minutes forfeits the appointment and the fee.
• Before the decision, visitors in the listed non-resident categories can stay 90 days, renewable for 90 more, under Decree 394/009 (article 13).

Sources: Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), IMPO. Checked 16 October 2026.

• The residence procedure costs 557.30 UI, about UYU 3,715 or US$92 at the UI value of UYU 6.6653 on 15 October 2026 and UYU 40.236 per US dollar on 14 October 2026.
• After approval the migration certificate for the ID card costs 55.70 UI, about UYU 371.
• Each time you leave Uruguay before approval you need a re-entry permit of 225.60 UI, about UYU 1,500.
• DNM says these amounts are indexed and adjusted every six months.

Sources: Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Banco Central del Uruguay (BCU). Checked 16 October 2026.

• Temporary residence runs for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 2 years, and is renewable.
• Ask for the renewal within 90 days before the permit expires; in Montevideo that is done by email to DNM's temporary residence department, and interior offices have their own contact.
• A temporary resident whose status is expiring can apply for permanent residence instead of renewing.

Sources: Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM). Checked 16 October 2026.

• Permanent residence can be requested directly without holding temporary residence first, or by a temporary resident whose permit is ending.
• An employee of a foreign company who works from Uruguay gives a notarial certificate of the link with the company, that it has no Uruguayan subsidiary, the income, and how the work is done from Uruguay.
• Legal citizenship asks for three years of habitual residence if you have family constituted in Uruguay and five if not, from age 18, with means of living proven for those years; it has no cost.
• Trips abroad longer than six consecutive months restart the citizenship count.

Sources: Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Uruguayan government procedures catalogue (gub.uy). Checked 16 October 2026.

• You are a Uruguayan tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in the calendar year there, or if the main base of your activities or economic or vital interests is there.
• A resident's pay and self-employment income is taxed on a progressive scale: nothing up to 84 BPC a year, then 10%, 15%, 24%, 25%, 27%, 31% and 36% above 1,380 BPC a year. The BPC is reset each year and we did not open a 2026 value, so the peso bands are unknown.
• Non-residents pay the non-resident tax only on Uruguayan-source income, at 3% to 12% according to Uruguay XXI.
• A separate skilled-worker programme (Law 20,446, articles 190 to 192) is for employment contracts with companies active in Uruguay.
• The new-resident option in article 24-bis does not cover salary or freelance fees.

Sources: IMPO, Dirección General Impositiva (DGI), Uruguay XXI (investment promotion agency of the Government of Uruguay). Checked 15 October 2026.

• Digital nomad visa in Uruguay
• Retirement residence in Uruguay
• Family visa in Uruguay

• Visas in Uruguay
• Uruguay

1. Régimen de visas de admisión (list of countries and passports), Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Ministerio del Interior. Checked 15 October 2026. Official list read on 15 October 2026: United States, ordinary passport, "No necesita Visa". The page does not give the length of stay. The Atlas Visa Map recorded the same visa-free status and a 90-day maximum stay (verified 27 May 2026) against the DNM home page.
2. Uruguay: international travel information (country page and travel advisory), US Department of State (Internet Archive copy). Checked 15 October 2026.
3. Residencia legal: permanent residence (requirements, costs, how to apply), Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Ministerio del Interior. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026: general documents and means of support by category, 557.30 UI, 55.70 UI and 225.60 UI, online and in-person application. The page states no processing time.
4. Residencia legal: temporary residence (requirements, costs, how to apply), Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Ministerio del Interior. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026 (page updated 12 March 2026): temporary residence for workers, students and religious workers; minimum 6 months, maximum 2 years, renewable; 557.30 UI, 55.70 UI and 225.60 UI. The page states no processing time.
5. Program Operations Manual: effective date and scope of the agreement with Uruguay, US Social Security Administration (POMS GN 01760.105 and GN 01760.110). Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026 (SSA Program Operations Manual): the agreement applies to US retirement, survivors and disability benefits and does not apply to Medicare or Supplemental Security Income; it removes dual coverage for US Social Security taxes and Uruguayan contributions.
6. US citizens and residents abroad: filing requirements, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 15 October 2026.
7. Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 15 October 2026.
8. Régimen de visas de admisión (list of countries and passports), Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Ministerio del Interior. Checked 15 October 2026. Official list read on 15 October 2026: Canada, ordinary passport, "No necesita Visa" (diplomatic and service passports are marked as needing a visa). The page does not give the length of stay. The Atlas Visa Map (refreshed 13 May 2026) recorded Canadian passports as visa-free with a 90-day maximum stay (verified 27 May 2026) against the DNM home page.
9. Visas for entry into Uruguay (Embassy of Uruguay in Canada), Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Uruguay (MRREE). Checked 15 October 2026. Official page read on 15 October 2026: holders of ordinary Canadian passports do not need a visa to enter Uruguay; holders of Canadian diplomatic and service passports, and of a Canadian refugee travel document, do.
10. Uruguay travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 15 October 2026.
11. What the consulate can do for you (Consular Section, Ottawa), Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Uruguay (MRREE). Checked 15 October 2026. Official page read on 15 October 2026. Lists what the consulate cannot do, including arranging residence, work or a work permit and regularising a person's migration status with local authorities.
12. Criminal record checks: where to go, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Checked 15 October 2026. Certified (fingerprint-based) criminal record checks, through a local police service or an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting company in Canada, or from outside Canada with a paper copy of your fingerprints; date modified 6 August 2024.
13. Authentication of documents: frequently asked questions, Global Affairs Canada. Checked 15 October 2026. Date modified 26 August 2026: the Apostille Convention took effect in Canada on 11 January 2024; no fee is charged for authentication.
14. Authentication of documents: requirements, Global Affairs Canada. Checked 15 October 2026. Date modified 26 August 2026: Global Affairs Canada authenticates documents issued by the Government of Canada; some provinces apostille their own documents.
15. Uruguay: pensions and benefits (Canada–Uruguay social security agreement), Government of Canada (Service Canada). Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026: the Canada–Uruguay agreement came into force on 1 January 2002; each country pays on the periods creditable under its own program, and periods in the other country can count towards qualifying.
16. Régimen de visas de admisión (list of countries and passports), Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Ministerio del Interior. Checked 15 October 2026. Official list read on 15 October 2026: Australia, ordinary passport, "No necesita Visa" (diplomatic and service passports need one). The page does not give the length of stay; Smartraveller (V12) says up to 90 days. The Atlas Visa Map (refreshed 13 May 2026) recorded visa-free status and a 90-day maximum stay (verified 27 May 2026) against the DNM home page.
17. Uruguay travel advice and advisories (Internet Archive copy), Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.
18. Apply for a National Police Certificate, Australian Federal Police (AFP). Checked 15 October 2026. Read on 15 October 2026 (the older address afp.gov.au/what-we-do/national-police-checks leads here). A$57 online (digital certificate, most arrive within a few days); A$114 with fingerprints, which go by post and take 15 to 30 business days; a hard copy can be requested.
19. Notarial services and fees (fee schedule from 1 January 2026), Australian Government, DFAT (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 7 October 2026 (page updated 30 September 2026), read on 15 October 2026: apostille A$105 per document; payment in Australia by card only.
20. Notarial services (legalising documents) in Australia: how to request, Australian Government, DFAT (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 12 March 2026 (updated 4 March 2026), read on 15 October 2026: by mail or at an Australian Passport Office; no processing time is published, times vary and rise at peak periods.
21. International Social Security Agreement between Australia and Uruguay (Internet Archive copy), Australian Government, Department of Social Services (DSS). Checked 15 October 2026.
22. Régimen de visas de admisión (list of countries and passports), Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Ministerio del Interior. Checked 15 October 2026. Official list (page dated 19 August 2025) read on 15 October 2026: New Zealand, ordinary passport, "No necesita Visa". The page does not give the length of stay. The Atlas Visa Map recorded New Zealand as visa-free with a 90-day maximum stay (verified 27 May 2026) against the DNM home page, which does not itself print the 90 days; Decree 394/009 (V4) does, for the visitor categories.
23. Criminal records: request your own Criminal Record Check, Ministry of Justice (New Zealand). Checked 15 October 2026. No update date shown. Online request; the Ministry aims to respond within 20 working days and says about 90% are answered in under a week. The page gives no cost and does not mention apostilles.
24. Vetting process for visas, New Zealand Police. Checked 15 October 2026. No update date shown. Police vetting for a visa sends the result directly to the visa authority, not to you; if you must supply the result yourself you request a Criminal Record Check from the Ministry of Justice. Police can pass a result to the DIA Authentication Unit for an apostille, which you pay DIA for.
25. Getting an apostille in New Zealand: fees and timing, New Zealand Government (govt.nz), Department of Internal Affairs Authentication Unit. Checked 15 October 2026. Page last updated 15 September 2026: NZ$37 per certificate, 15 working days, urgent service NZ$120 extra and 5 working days, form BDM460, a New Zealand notary public where notarisation is needed; courier is extra. It does not say whether a criminal record check from the Ministry of Justice can be apostilled.
26. Social security agreements, Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand). Checked 15 October 2026.
27. Decree 319/025: national minimum wage for January and July 2026, IMPO, the official legislation database of Uruguay. Checked 15 October 2026. Decree 319/025: national minimum wage UYU 25,383 a month from 1 July 2026.
28. Types of residencies in Uruguay (English), Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Ministerio del Interior. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026: lists temporary, permanent, Mercosur, family-of-Uruguayans and provisional identity card routes. It gives no money amounts and does not mention investor residence.
29. Hoja de identidad provisoria, including the digital nomad variant, Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Ministerio del Interior. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026: documents for the first application and the renewal of the digital nomad variant, fee of 55.71 UI which "cannot be paid from abroad", where and how to apply. The page states no processing time and no validity period for the sheet.
30. Ley 19.254 (2014): changes to the Migration Law for relatives of Mercosur nationals, IMPO, the official legislation database of Uruguay. Checked 15 October 2026. Read on 15 October 2026. Its title is "permanent residence for relatives of nationals of Mercosur states and associated states". It does not apply to Australian citizens, and it is not a consular route for them.
31. Frequently asked questions about Uruguayan residency (English PDF), Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Ministerio del Interior. Checked 15 October 2026. Official PDF dated 25 September 2023, read on 15 October 2026. Fee of 557.30 indexed units plus 55.7 for the first migration certificate; no stipulated processing time; one appointment per person; "resident in process" ID after applying. Written in 2023, so the fee lines are checked against V1 and V2.
32. Decree 394/009 (regulation to the Migration Law 18,250), articles 8 and 13, as updated, IMPO, the official legislation database of Uruguay. Checked 15 October 2026.
33. Unidad Indexada (UI) values, 6 October to 5 November 2026, Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). Checked 15 October 2026. UYU 6.6653 per UI on 15 October 2026.
34. Interbank US dollar rate, 14 October 2026, Banco Central del Uruguay (BCU). Checked 15 October 2026. UYU 40.236 per US dollar on 14 October 2026.
35. Carta de ciudadanía (ciudadanía legal uruguaya), Uruguayan government procedures catalogue (gub.uy), citizenship procedure. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026 (page updated 27 May 2026): three years of habitual residence with family constituted in Uruguay, five without; age 18; absences over six consecutive months restart the count; no cost.
36. Title 7 (IRPF), article 2: who is resident, IMPO, the official legislation database of Uruguay (Texto Ordenado 2023). Checked 15 October 2026.
37. Information on residency for tax purposes: Uruguay, Dirección General Impositiva (DGI), as published by the OECD. Checked 15 October 2026.
38. Title 7 (IRPF), articles 37 and 48: tax rates, IMPO, the official legislation database of Uruguay (Texto Ordenado 2023). Checked 15 October 2026.
39. Investor's guide: the Uruguayan tax system, Uruguay XXI (investment promotion agency of the Government of Uruguay). Checked 15 October 2026.
40. Title 7 (IRPF), article 6: what is taxed, IMPO, the official legislation database of Uruguay (Texto Ordenado 2023). Checked 15 October 2026.
41. Law 20,446 (2025-2029 Budget Law), including article 3 (in force) and articles 190 to 192, IMPO, the official legislation database of Uruguay. Checked 15 October 2026.
42. Title 7 (IRPF), article 24-bis: new-resident option for capital income (from 2026), IMPO, the official legislation database of Uruguay (Texto Ordenado 2023). Checked 15 October 2026.