Moving to and living in Uruguay
Uruguay’s most popular website in English has your back
The best local experts and service providers
Personal recommendations are essential to getting good service in Uruguay. Think of Guru’Guay as a friend sharing her favourite contacts. We only recommend people and companies we know personally and professionally and have vetted.
Mobility LC – Outstanding Uruguay relocation specialist
Uruguay residency, work permits, bank accounts, citizenship & whatever else you as expats in Uruguay need to make your landing smooth.
Team Haverkate – recommended Uruguay real estate brokers
Team Haverkate specialise in finding dream Uruguay real estate for expats. They speak English, German, French and Dutch and can now offer you virtual tours.
Stella Lorenzo Arq. – property appraisal and inspiration
An independent appraisal by a recommended professional with 20+ years experience will take the risk out of buying property in Uruguay.
Private consultations: Is Uruguay a great fit for you?
Are you considering a move to Uruguay—full-time, sabbatical or snow-birding—and want expert advice specific to your circumstances?
Does your company love working with foreigners? If you think you have what it takes to be a Guru’Guay Top Pick, contact us now.
Why Uruguay is an increasingly interesting choice to live
Uruguay has a notable history and society. It’s been an outlier in South America for centuries.
Learn about the history, culture and society
A risk analyst from the USA evaluates Uruguay’s strengths and weakness as a place to live in an increasingly unstable world.
Cost of living
Uruguay is a developed country and quite expensive by Latin American standards. Most people are considered middle class, however the majority cannot afford a car or to consider buying a home until they are well into their thirties. Public transport and bicycles are popular modes of transport generally out of necessity, not choice. It’s not easy to find well-paying employment. Most people make ends meet by living in extended families, and eating out rarely.
NEW SERIES!
Living, working & investing in Uruguay
Guru’Guay teams up with one of the country’s top law firms, Andersen, to get some professional advice for our readers and foreigners all over the world.
How to become a Uruguay resident
OK, you know you have the means to support yourself in Uruguay. What next? Uruguay is probably one of the easiest countries in the world to immigrate to and obtain residency. You need a clean criminal record and be able to prove a monthly income of around 1500 USD per person.
- Basics of getting residency, bringing personal belongings tax-free and health care
- How to become a resident (documentation and other requirements)
- Applying as a retiree (worth reading even if you’re not of retirement age)
- Benefits of Uruguayan residency (more relevant than ever given the recent pandemic)
- Vaccines required
- Travelling with minors once you have residency
- Our recommendations for law and notarial firms Top pick
- Our recommendations for relocation specialists Top pick
Private 1:1
about living in Uruguay
Your opportunity to have private one-on-one time with Karen A Higgs, author, Guru’Guay founder and Uruguay’s foremost English-language expert.
Beach-front real estate
Las Cárcavas
Las Cárcavas is a beach-front real estate development of exclusive sustainable ranch-style lots, located right on the breathtaking coast of Rocha, Uruguay, a short drive to the internationally-fêted beach town of José Ignacio, and just over an hour from an international airport.
Buying real estate in Uruguay
Over the last ten years a growing number of Europeans and North Americans have been buying real estate in Uruguay. This is partly down global factors, increases in the value of farmland and the stability of Uruguay’s economy and laws. The latter is an open secret in South America with Uruguay regarded as a safe haven for Latin American investors particularly those from Argentina for decades. There are no restrictions on who can purchase property–except for those affecting rural property—but you must use a public notary to prepare the legal documents. The notary ensures the title deeds are in order and that there are no outstanding debts on the property.
Uruguay has a legal regime which provides for the free entry and exit of foreign currency and also permits it to be freely converted into the local currency. All real estate transactions are carried out in US dollars. As will be seen below, for certain tax aspects the value is recalculated in Uruguayan pesos and taxes are paid in pesos, but the transaction itself will always be in US dollars.
FRESH CONTENT
I’m buying a NEW build outside Montevideo
2021 ended with some big news for my family. We bought an investment property outside of Montevideo near the airport.
And I’m documenting the process through articles and off-the-cuff videos.
Health care
Uruguay has a very affordable public-private healthcare system. Anyone can buy membership in Uruguay’s forty or so health institutions—the majority of which are known as ‘mutualistas’. Find out the coverage available and how to join the afforable ‘mutualista’ system as a tax-payer or employee.
Starting a business
Tax residency
This measure from 2020 was aimed principally at Argentine nationals who are looking for ways to escape the Argentine tax man.
- Who can get tax residency and what is the difference with legal residency
Travel Guidebooks
With passion & soul
Written by a Brit with all the contacts and knowledge accrued over almost twenty years living in Uruguay, this guidebooks will make your holiday planning stress-free and ensure you have an unforgettable time in one of South America’s least-explored destinations. Buy the Guru'Guay guidebooks for your tablet, kindle and phone or get the paperback versions.
