Uruguay water crisis: how did we get here?
Uruguay has some of the most abundant water sources in the world. But the capital was told we had water supplies for just 18 days.
For latest travel update, visit this page
After nineteen long months, totally closed to regular travelers, Uruguay finally opens its borders from November 1.
Who can enter?
Uruguay is allowing entry for the following travellers:
Arrivals must:
Jan 10 2023 The Uruguay government declared the end of the health emergency on April 1 2022 after 752 days. 82% of the population has received at least two shots.
Guru’Guay provides this information as a public service. Sources: Government decree, Ministry of Health and El Observador. We are not an official channel. Please check with official sources before travel.
[This page was published on October 29 2021 and last updated at the date above]
Uruguay water crisis: how did we get here?
Uruguay has some of the most abundant water sources in the world. But the capital was told we had water supplies for just 18 days.
Is Uruguay a developed country? Harvard moves Latin America HQ to Uruguay
Harvard University Business School opens Latin American research centre, praising Uruguay living standard and freedom of expression.
Montevideo Carnival 2024 dates
Hot off the press! The world’s longest carnival is in Montevideo Uruguay and we’ve got the dates.
Salón No. 3 – La Barra gourmet cuisine, cafe & deli
Gourmet lunches, speciality coffee & pastries, out of an antiques store. Smoked hams, artisanal cheese & local produce from the Expendio.
Casa Flor – live the Uruguay coast like a local (VIP)
One of the very best hotels in Punta del Este. Casa Flor’s well-connected owners give you access to the secrets of Uruguay’s coast most can only dream of.
Uruguay offers new digital nomad residency
Digital nomads and remote workers can now obtain a residency permit to work legally from Uruguay for six to twelve months.
Big Bang Nature Stays – Bohemian beach domes
Unique ocean-front location to reconnect with nature—with luxury touches—on one of Uruguay’s most deserted beaches in Maldonado.
8% of Uruguay is black—and maybe more
Afro-Uruguayans play a huge part in Uruguay’s cultural identity. Are they really just 8% of the population? The new census may correct the stats.
Gaucho week in Montevideo – Easter
Traditional food, handmade goods, and South American cowboys riding wild horses. It’s the Semana Criolla – Montevideo’s Easter gaucho festival.
Travel to Uruguay: Medical insurance mandatory
There’s been some confusion around whether it’s necessary to have health insurance to enter Uruguay since recent changes to travel requirements. We explain.
Traveling to Uruguay? Entry requirements were updated by the government in August 2022. Check out Uruguay travel restrictions at this time.
Here’s my reply to how the Covid situation is like in Uruguay. I thought maybe you’d also be interested in an update. March 2022.
Der Spiegel ranked Uruguay’s pandemic response #11 in the world. So what have I been grateful for every day of the pandemic?
Uruguay has done well to obtain vaccines from three different manufacturers, and so cover the needs of the entire population.
It happened on the eve of Independence Day—almost as if it had been planned. Uruguay’s vaccination rate is third in the world, and cases plummeting.
The government banked on a fast vaccination campaign to control the pandemic in Uruguay. The data shows the strategy is working.
Proudly made in Uruguay
Follow us
Subscribe
To receive two emails a month about travel, life and sometimes investment opportunities in Uruguay
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
What’s your interest in Uruguay?
Travel interests
Store
About us
Guru’Guay is part of UruguayNatural, the official country brand of Uruguay
Proudly made in Uruguay
Follow us
Subscribe
To receive two emails a month about travel, life and sometimes investment opportunities in Uruguay
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
© Guru’Guay 2013 – 2023. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission.
Language
61 Responses
Bonjour, ayant obtenu mon passeport vaccinal en janvier 2022, je compte me rendre à Montevideo dans les prochaines semaines mais mon passeport vaccinal semble ne pas respecter les 9 mois mentionnés ! Mon voyage peut il être compromis ?
Merci
Hi Mathieu, i think you will be fine. I have just travelled to and from Uruguay several times in the last few months and was not asked for my vaccination proof. But you should check with your airline to be 100% sure. Best, Karen
can the unvaccinated enter uruguay yet? (without special permission)
Yes. Please see our new update on requirements to enter Uruguay. — best, Karen
Is it true that now unvaccinated people can enter Uruguay with just a negative test result?
Yes. Please see our new update on requirements to enter Uruguay. — best, Karen
Dear Karen,
The web page of ferry operator between Montevideo and Buenos Aires seems to suggest that it is only for locals/residents/home owners of the two countries and that international tourists cannot take this ferry to travel between Argentina and Uruguay. Is that so?
Hi Ilmars, the borders are open since late last year so anyone can travel on the ferry. Perhaps they haven’t updated their site? Best, Karen
Hi, firstly, thanks for the information that you have given on your website. I am in Santa Catarina, Brazil at the moment. I am planning to travel to Uruguay on May 26 as my Brazilian visa end on May 27. Do you know if I can enter Uruguay via Brazilian border? Thanks in advance.
Yes, the borders are open!
Hey everyone! We just arrived to uruguay from the states without issue.
You need a PCR negative test result 72 hours of travel. We did ours one day prior to travel with a result coming on the day of travel. It gets a bit wonky because the flight was 36 hours. Id recommend getting the result as close to your flight as possible.
The health declaration is required within 48 hours of travel and can be filled out in English. It was super easy on the desktop. My suggestion is to print everything out, your negative result, the health declaration- it will be easier. You will need to show it several times likely- we had to show it in new york and brazil.
You will need to be vaccinated within 9 months. this means that even if you are had two shots, if it was over 9 months ago then you will need the third booster to qualify for travel. This was what I was told by the Uruguayan embassy in San Francisco, who are very helpful by the way.
Im curious if anyone knows of any antigen test spots in montevideo with a fast turn around of four hours? We need a negative test result within 24 hours for the flight home to the usa.
Thanks to all and good luck! Its harrowing but worth it once you arrive and feel the sunny breeze!
Hello, thank you for the clear info about traveling to Uruguay. I have a flight to Montevideo booked (from Argentina but I am a US citizen) on Febuary 19. Some websites are saying that the border is closed to all foreigners, but the government website seems to say that if you’re fully vaxed or have recovered from covid in the past 90 days, anyone can enter. Does anyone know if the information on this article is still accurate in now, in mid Feb 2022? There are so many conflicting reports that its making me nervous. Muchas gracias :]
Hello, Stephen. The information we provide on this article is still accurate. Hope this helps — safe travels!
Federico
Hello, I am traveling to Uruguay on Feb 15. My US health insurance covers me while I am in Uruguay. Us my insurance card sufficient proof of health coverage? Also wondering if my VOVID card is considered official certificate…it is hand-written by the staff at Walgreens and does not look official. Did any recent US travelers have any issues with similar documentation?
Hi Laura, how are you doing? If I were you, I would check with my insurance company and ask them to send me some literature that I can print out just to be 100% covered, though I have not heard of people being asked to show their insurance coverage (someone else may have a different story, if so, please post). Regarding your covid card, hopefully someone else can enlighten us here. Best wishes and safe travels – Karen
I filled out this form this week and found out a few other glitchy things about filling it out:
– The attachments also can’t be screen shots from an iPhone, this seems to be because they don’t save as jpeg – I had to export them as a file to get them to attach.
– I also found that if you click on any of the fields for a date where you actually don’t want to enter something there is no way to erase the automatic entry of today’s date and go back to blank, the whole form has to be started over.
– if someone were to get a booster dose within 14 days of travel it would register an error/ineligible (as if the person was not yet qualified as fully vaccinated), even if the origin vaccine series was <9 months ago. So if anyone is coming recently boosted it is best to just not enter it (if originally vaccinated within 9 months).
Hope this helps others – I'd definitely recommend doing it on a computer rather than a phone and have all attachments ready in file sizes that aren't too big to attach before starting.
Amy, thank you SO much for sharing your tips regarding a successful completion of the health declaration form! Just an addition, new iPhones appear to automatically save photos in .heic but you can change your phone settings to save photos as jpegs. — Best wishes and many thanks again, Karen
Hi
I was thinking in planning to go to Uruguay to see my family at the end of the year but I am so confused with the rule over there I am a double vaccine I need a 3 shot to enter the country 9 months before entry personal I am not confident to get it after new advice by WHO ORGANISATION AND Australia is not forcing us to do so I understand we need to have a PCR test and insurance cover can you provide some information more clear or an update of the entry rule us you know a lot of country in Europe are taking all mandatory and they just relax any restrictions on travelling. Thanks for your time
Hi Teresa, it’s certainly a confusing time. Check back with us toward the end of the year. I’m sure there’ll be changes by then. All the best — Karen
Thanks for all the great information. I have seen a lot of information about getting a PCR on the 7th day in country. What if you were only planning on being in country 4 days? I was hoping to continue on to Buenos Aires, after an extended weekend. Is there a minimum stay in Uruguay?
Hi Tabitha, thanks for the thanks! The second PCR on the 7th day requirement was eliminated at the end of 2021. So no worries for you! Safe travels – Karen
Hola Karen,
I wanted to comment on a recent experience we had with the required health declaration. As you know, this on line form has to be submitted no more tha 48 hours prior to beginng one’s travels. My spouse and I filled out the declaration form and submitted same. Repeatedly. Over and over again and each time we received an error message in transmission and were advised to wait a few minutes to see if we would receive an e-mail confirmation. If not, then to try again. We were never successful. There is no one to consult . There is no means to chat on line with a health ministry representative.
Faced with this unfortunate event we proceeded with our planned return to Uruguay and were almost immediately turned away at Miami International Airport despite our explanation. However, when the airline check-in agent noticed we both had permanent residency in Uruguay he requested we fill out the form once again in front of him and submit it. This was a very intense experience with hundredscof others behind us waiting to check in. Initially we couldn’t even connect with airport wi fi, until the agent allowed us to use his own private network. We finally able to submit the form with the same error message. He requested we take a photo of error message and told us to show it the boarding agent in Bogota. We went through the same intense moment there, but the boarding agent after consulting with her supervisor allowed us board on the final flight to Montevideo. She said this was a rare event. In Montevideo wecwere met be health ministry employees who had us fill out the paper form ( thank god for paper ) and enter the country.
My point is, if one is confronted with this same situation TAKE A PHOTO OF THE ERROR MESSAGE and hope you too meet helpful airline employees.
Ken Kreuzburg
Thank you so much, Ken, for taking the time to share this with other readers. I’m so sorry you had to go through this. All the best — Karen
Another reader sent an excellent TIP: If you’re uploading test results or other attachments and the file size is too large, it just gives the errors over and over again as described. Save the attachment with less resolution so the file size is smaller, and it works! — Cheers, Karen
Hello Guru of Guru’Guay,
I am planing to go to Colonia del Sacramento by ferry from Buenos Aires and visit Mondevideo for two days. Is it currently possible to take the ferry? Would you recommend it?
Best regards, Thomas
Hi Thomas, yes, you can take the ferry. Check out my article on getting from Buenos Aires to Montevideo by ferry. Enjoy! — Karen
Btw here’s a list of PCR testing sites for foreigners https://uy.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/113/LISTA-LABORATORIOS-HABILITADOS-app-coronavirus_0-2.pdf
Hi Karen, my wife and I are going from Montevideo to Carmelo today and have plans to continue onwards to Buenos Aires in 8 days. Do you know if a PCR test is required for travel from Uruguay to Argentina by bus or boat? Also, what is the best means of transportation for that journey nowadays? I know the border situation is somewhat tricky. 🙏😊 Thanks so much!
Hi Jonas, hope you’re enjoying Carmelo. I don’t think buses are running yet. The requirements on this page are up to date. Enjoy your time! — Karen
If a PCR test needs to be taken 7 Days of the 1st PCR test , are testing labs common outside of Montevideo?
I’m planning a February trip and would like to be in Carmelo around that point of our trip. I tried searching but have not found a list of labs in that acould go for our test.
Do you know if there is a list of nationwide testing sites?
Hi Michelle, yes, there are testing sites all over. The best would be ask your hotel/host in Carmelo as there is no list of labs. Cheers, Karen
Hello, your website and information is wonderful! Thank you so much. I was wondering if you knew the insurance requirements please? Is there something specific we need to make sure is written? Thank you 🙂
Thanks, Natalie! Just that COVID coverage is provided. Best, best — Karen
Thanks so much for your constant updates, it has been such a help planning for my trip!
My wife and I received our second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on March 15 and are leaving on November 18 for Montevideo. We are within the 9 month window for entry into the country but we did want to get our booster shot beforehand this week. I’ve read comments from Minister of Tourism Remo Monzeglio, however, that “En todos los casos, deberán ser ingresos con el ciclo vacunatorio completo, más los 14 días.” Do you know if this means that, although we are currently fully vaccinated in the eyes of Uruguayan law, that this 14 days would then apply again to those getting the booster as well? If so we will skip it, but do not want to mess up the trip by being extra safe.
Also, has there been any update on where/how to schedule COVID tests once in Uruguay to meet those requirements?
Hi Daniel, obviously my advice is not official, but if I were you I would go for the booster shot. The 14 days is clearly to do with the second shot. Cheers! Karen
Are they allowing citizens from the U.S.A in. The embassy page is still saying no.
Hi Demetrice, yes, people from the US are being allowed in. Many embassy pages are not yet up to date. Best wishes, Karen
It’s a shame Uruguay is putting a 9 month time limit on vaccines to enter the country. It’s very uncommon internationally and I think it’s likely to hamper the tourism recovery. Many countries don’t have a 3rd shot option, especially those who issued mRNA to start with, both because they are not yet known to be needed and because the WHO is calling for basic vaccination of the global population first.
I was planning to return to Uruguay next year but this policy is making that questionable.
Hi Michael, a very valid observation. We’ve actually been very privileged in Uruguay to have had the option of a third booster jab. Officials may be looking at this page soon, so hopefully they’ll register your complaint. Best wishes — Karen
Any idea on if / when Uruguay will open borders to travelers who have not been vaccinated? Thanks.
Yes, there is news. We are providing this information voluntarily and as soon as we can will update the page. I just checked the Ministry for Tourism site in English but they are still linking to the decree in Spanish. Thanks for your patience! Best — Karen
Why the vaccine requirement? What happened to the liberty loving Uruguay that we used to know? Very sad to me!!
Hi Anni Marie, precisely because the vaccine has been what has brought the number of deaths and hospitalisations down. See my article. The government could not open the border and not expect the same socially-responsible attitude from travellers as they have expected from citizens and residents, don’t you agree? Best, Karen
Sorry Karen I guess I won’t be coming back since I am unvaccinated and no plan to get vaccinated. I too am glad where I live thru these times. I have not stop enjoying life or spending time with family and friends not to mention all the places I have traveled to. Take care and I hope you continued success with your newsletter.
Thank you for the wishes, Kathy. — Best, Karen
Great updates! We were hoping to come to Uruguay after the first of the year, but we were vaccinated more than 9 months before we will arrive – it sounds like we can’t come, because we were vaccinated too early (about 10-11 months prior to arrival). Do you think this will be a problem?
Hi Shannon, thank you! Unfortunately it looks like it would be a problem. Are they offering boosters where you are? — Karen
After visiting Uruguay, are there facilities that can provide rapid testing, on the same day as flight back to US?
Hi Maureen, yes there are. There is a cost involved. We’ll post details when we have them. — Karen
Along with details on the companies that will provide PCR tests (I pray we do not have to go back to Montevideo for it as we’re building a driving tour of the country. We plan on staying within a couple of hours from the coast but we’ll be looking for our new home!), details on the health insurance requirements, if given. I purchased health insurance when we went to Europe but my partner did not. Thanks!
Hi Shirley, we’ll keep you posted. Good luck with your search for a new home in Uruguay! — Best, Karen
Karen,
Yet more proof that sometimes “small” is better. Friends in Swindon in the U.K. are fed up. Case up and down, confused signals from Boris and more. Hopefully, see this marvelous “little” country in February. Stay well and thanks.
Hi Joseph, it does help! Uruguay’s response has been thanks to a variety of factors like steady leadership, tech innovation and a willingness of the population to step up among other things. Cases will undoubtedly increase now as people relax and the borders open but with 74% of the population fully-vaxxed, things are looking up. Thank you for your kind wishes and greetings to you in Swindon (I have relatives in Chippenham). Uruguay here you come. — Karen
What if your vaccination was more than 9 months ago?
Hi Kara, it looks like you’ll have to get a booster if that is an option for you. Best — Karen
This is great news as were waiting to see if our 16 year old would be allowed in with only one vaccination.
Can you please clarify when the second PCR test needs to be taken? You say 7 days after arrival but I’ve seen somewhere else that it’s 7 days after the first test. It’s important in terms of us making sure we are located somewhere easy to get the test on the proscribed day. Thanks
Hi Amanda, I just spoke to lawyer Mark Teuten as apparently there are lots of cross references in the government decree with other decrees. So this is the information he’s generously shared:
* Under 18s can come up in unvaccinated, so your son is more than welcome already having one vaccination. It may even be possible for him to get further vaccinated here if you wish.
* The second PCR test should be taken 7 days after the 1st test. You don’t need to get the test exactly on the seventh day, but it cannot be before the seventh day.
So, good news!
Best wishes — karen
Is there any information as to if mixed vaccines count?
I’m not sure where to look for that information.
I’ve got one AstraZeneca and one Moderna but would love to visit in February
Here in Uruguay, we’ve ALL got mixed vaccines! Most of us have two coronavac and a Pfizer. So you won’t need to worry about that, I’m sure. Great that you are planning to visit! — Karen
Thanks for the updates you post. very helpful. I am due to arrive (from UK via Spain) into Uruguay on 10 November and so waiting eagerly for formal announcement. I haven’t been able to find the formal announcement and our FCO Travel Advice site not yet updated, but this sounds promising / great news…
Hi Gary, this info was taken from the declaration that was circulated by presidency yesterday so it’s definitely good news!! Congratulations on your 220K YouTube subscribers—I’m definitely going to check out your channel even though I’m not planning to take a cruise. The video titles are so intriguing. So cool to have you using Guru’Guay. Looking forward to seeing what you’ll be doing in Uruguay. Best wishes, Karen