STEPS TO OBTAIN THE RESIDENCE PERMIT IN URUGUAY

   

    One thing you will find once you arrive in Uruguay, is that paperwork is almost a habit. It is, sometimes, frustrating but it's part of the culture so you will just have to play along and hope for the best.

    The following is the necessary paperwork to be able to obtain the Residence Permit to live in Uruguay as a foreigner. Once this is finished you will be given a Cedula de Identidad, the official ID Uruguayan document.

    The fist step is to obtain an appointment to begin the procedure at the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones in Misiones 1513, Monday through Friday from 9.15 AM to 2.30 PM. For this it is necessary to present the document that was used to enter the country (Passport or other ID). 

    Once you have been given an appointment you will need the following:

a) A passport photograph.

b) Proof of income:

If you will be working in a Uruguayan company (could be the Uruguayan office of an international company): a certificate signed by a Notary Public certifying the existence of the Uruguayan company, Legal name, validity, legal period of the society, legal address in the country, registration before the BPS and DGI, people authorized to sign on behalf of the company, position, salary or average income in the case of directors. Local Notaries know how to prepare this document.

If you will be working on your own or will live on own income (retirement, etc.), proof of income (at least  u$s 500 per month) certified by a local Notary Public.

c) Health Certificate issued for legal residency. To obtain it it is necessary to have an updated tetanus vaccine certificate. The Health Certificate can be issued by the authorized private health institution and the cost is about U$ 1.500 (u$s 80) per person. The Certificate must state "APTO PARA RADICACION O RESIDENCIA LEGAL EN EL PAIS".

d) Exact date of entry to the country presenting the entrance card.

e) Criminal Record certificate issued by the Federal Police institution (FBI or similar) and authenticated by the Uruguayan Consulate in you country of origin (the consulate located closest to your town) and then by  the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This document can also be obtained from the Interpol office in Montevideo.

If before coming to Uruguay you have been living for more than 5 years in a different country (not your own) them you must present 2 Certificates, one issuee by this country and another one from you country of origin.

f)  Identity Document that was used to enter the country (passport or ID in the case of Mercosur countries) and a photocopy.

g) In case the spouse is also requesting the residency, then it is necessary to present the Marriage Certificate authenticated by the Uruguayan Consulate in you country of origin (the consulate located closest to your town) and then by the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a photocopy.

h) Birth Certificate authenticated by the Uruguayan Consulate in you country of origin and then by the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and photocopies, of those who are requesting the residency, and of any Minor Children there might be. This document has to be presented in the Dirección Nacional de Registro Civil (Uruguay 933) where you will be given a Uruguayan legal Birth Certificate.

    All documents written in English (or any other language) must be translated into Spanish, signed and stamped by a Certified Public Translator. If you do not speak Spanish then you will have to be accompanied by an interpreter.

    This explanation covers most of the alternatives. For more specific information you can contact me directly.

Bienvenidos al Uruguay

    I’m back:

    Sorry for the delay in posting. I was away on vacations and and have been working on some projects for the future.

    I went to the south of Argentina and Chile. Mountains, glaciers, snow in springtime, long walks in the woods, and losing myself in nature. But I'm not going into that at this moment. Anyone planning to go there and want information, please write to me at aledelpino101@yahoo.com.ar.

    I met many people from different countries. I noticed that when I told them I lived in Uruguay, many did not know anything about this country. I told them about my blog so they could find more information, but I found that I did not have "basic" information on Uruguay. So, let's get the facts.

    URUGUAY is a country located in the south-east of South America. It's the second smallest country in the subcontinent after Surinam, with a total surface of 176.214 sq.km (68037 sq.mi). It has borders on the north and north-east with Brazil and on the West with Argentina. Its coasts are washed on the south by the Rio de la Plata and East by the Atlantic Ocean.

    It has a population of 3.5 million, 88% of European origin, mainly Spanish. The rest are of Native and African origin.

    The official language is Spanish, with the particular intonation of the Rio de la Plata shared by Argentina and Uruguay. According to the United Nations, Uruguay is the country with the highest literacy level of Latin America.

    The official name of the country is Republica Oriental del Uruguay. This refers to the fact that, before its independence, it was an eastern province of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. Please refer to my July post on the early history of Uruguay.

    It is a democratic country with a parliamentary political organization, governed by a President elected every 5 years and a General Assembly formed by the Senate (Cámara de Senadores) and the House of Representatives (Cámara de Diputados).

    The country is politically divided into 19 Departamentos. The capital, and biggest city, is Montevideo with 1.7 million people, being the southernmost capital city of the world. Located on the coast of the Rio de la Plata, Montevideo is also a very important port. The seat of the Mercosur organization, international common market formed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, is located in Montevideo.

    Uruguay's landscape is mostly flat with some low hills on the south-east. Its fertile soil has made agriculture and cattle the base of the economy, exporting large quantities of meat and cereals mostly to the United States, Brazil and Argentina.

    Another important source of incomes is tourism. Uruguay has many important beach resorts on the coasts of the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean. Atlantida and Piriapolis on the Rio and La Paloma, La Pedrera and Punta del Diablo on the Atlantic, are some of the most important ones. And of course, Punta del Este, with beaches on both, has become one of the most important seaside resorts of South America. Visitors from all over the world, mainly Argentina and Brazil visit the beautiful and warm beaches of Uruguay.

    Music is a very important part of the Uruguayan culture. The main traditional types of music are the Tango (please see my post of August) and the Candombe. The Tango has a mixed European and African origin and developed in Argentina and Uruguay, and the Candombe ia of African origin and became popular mostly in Uruguay. The Folk, Popular and Rock musics are also very important and there is a surprising number of musicians for such a small country. The Candombe music is the base of the very popular celebration of the Carnival, every year in February.

    The most popular sport is football (soccer). Uruguay was the first World Soccer Champion in 1930 and won a second Championship in 1950, in this case beating Brazil in the final match in the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The local teams of Nacional and Peñarol have won numerous international tournaments. The Uruguayan national team will take part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

    There is a lot more to say about this small but beautiful country. I will go into more details of different aspects in future posts. If there is anything in special you want to know about, just ask. I'll be more than glad to give you the necessary information.

    Thanks, and see you in the next post.