New members of the Uruguay forum, introduce yourselves here - 2025

Hi All,

My husband and I are from the US and are going to be visiting Uruguay soon with a possible move in the near future.

Would love any tips on what to do, see, visit, and how to meet and connect with other Expats.

Thanks!

Jennifer

Hi everyone!

My wife and I will be in Uruguay in about a month. I'm looking forward to running into you all in Montevideo!

I'm here to be helpful where I can, and probably ask a few questions myself.

Thanks for being so welcoming.

Mark

Been here 10 plus years. How can I help?

please note this is not the states!  Mail doesn’t work like at home, Uber eats and deliveries are very much based not just what town you live in but where in the town. Can be a great life but suggest folks go in with their eyes wide open and do a long term rental of at least a few months anywhere they are interested in. Also if a seasonal area consider how and when you will be there.

Hi all. My wife and I live in the US and plan to visit Uruguay later this year, partly to consider whether we'd want to live there. She is a dual US/Brazilian citizen, so she could qualify for permanent residence in Uruguay. Would love to hear from anyone who has worked with immigration attorneys in Uruguay and can recommend one or tell us how the process went for you. Also, is there anything equivalent to Meetup in Uruguay? (Meetup has a page for Uruguay, but no one is listing anything on it.) How have you gone about meeting people there? We're both pretty comfortable in Spanish so there won't be a big language barrier for getting to know locals. --Dan

Good morning, Dan!

You inquire about experience with immigration attorneys.  I have experience both with immigration attorneys and immigration consultants.   I was fortunate, both worked for me.  As everywhere it seems to depend on the very person you are contracting.  In general immigrations seems to be much easier here than in Canada for example.   If your wife is a Mercosur resident it should be much more easy.  To finish this point for me the specific consultant worked better than the lawyer and she is less expensive too.  The turn around time was very good and I always felt comfortable with her.  She kept calm and minimized the effort, built bridges even where she had not been before.  Very good interpersonal skills.

I live out in the country and have no problem whatsoever getting contacts although I do not speal Spanish at all.  Uruguayos are very friendly and helpful people.  The neighbours come to introduce themselves if you do not go looking for them.   I do not know how this works in the city.  So I never looked for an online option to connect.

Hope this helps.  If you come our way when you travel in Uruguay you are very welcome to visit.  We are close Ruta 1 at the Western end of Colonia.

Armin

Hello!

I'm Fern from Canada. I'm hoping to move to Uruguay soon, via the digital nomad visa. I am starting to think I might need an immigration consultant, as I'm far from fluent in Spanish (though I am studying), but I'm not sure how to find a good one. Does anyone have any tips?

@CanFern

Hello!

You indicated that you are interested in relocating from Canada to Uruguay.  My wife and I made the same decision almost exactly 3 years ago.  No regrets.  Except that I still do not speak Spanish well.  I live on a farm, so I have very few opportunities to practice.

While I know that this forum can be somewhat disappointing, because its members are just to busy starting a new life to be here all the time, there are ways to get help, and I am willing to help, although I too am working hard to set up. 

So if you should have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.  Regarding immigration consultants, I can recommend one.  I myslef worked with an immigration lawyer. 

All the best for your decision making.

Armin

My husband, sister and I are retired and looking to move from the PNW of the US. We have been to visit several times and have another trip planned for March.

I’ve been working on gathering the paperwork for the residency application. I just got my husband’s apostilled birth certificate and mine and my sister’s are in the process.

I just ran across a website about moving to Uruguay that says that these documents must be less than 30 days old. I haven’t seen that anywhere else. It’s currently taking 6-8 weeks just to get an apostille from a state, so I thought it would be best to get those started now even though we wouldn’t move until mid 2026 at the earliest.

Did I just waste my time?

No, you did not waste your time, at least if things have not changed since I was in your shoes three years ago.  If you send me a private message I can send you the contact information for an immigration consultant or an immigration lawyerhatever you prefer.

Both the document and the apostille have to be less than 1 year old.  That means you need a new marriage certificate etc as well.

The only exception  is the police record.  it needs to be less than 6 months old.  Please make sure that the record search is finger print based as well.

Please do everything before you come (including getting an appointment at immigration) because getting since by courier seems to take forever and longer.

Hope this helps. 

Armin

I will be traveling to Uruguay this week and be there over the weekend.  I was hoping to maybe sit and chat with a few English speaking Expats.  My main goal is simply to see the country, and look at some real estate.

I am making very aggressive plans to the leave the US quickly, and start and EVOO orchard.  I would enjoy being able to meet and converse with those who may already have experience, with not just immigration, but land and business ownership in Uruguay.

Thank you,

John

Hello, John!

I would be willing to meet with you, if you come my way.

As you know from your studies Uruguay has traditionally been very strong in fruits and orchards.  Many have been abandoned. 

I live on a farm, have not started farming yet, because I am still renovating and setting up, but I know enough people that do.  I do not know people that own commercially viable orchards.

May you have a great and informative trip.

Armin

Edit of my previous post:

There are commercially viable orchards and vineries.  I just do not know any owners of these personally.  I would be willing to try to establish contact.  Hope this clarifies any possible misunderstandings.