Uruguay · Entry and visas
Uruguay visa rules for US citizens
Source-checked37 sources, 36 officialHow we checkIn brief
No visa needed: US citizens get 90 days, renewable once for 90 more. You can start residency from inside Uruguay.
Visa-free (US)90 days, renewable once for 90 more
Residency income fromNo fixed minimum in law
CitizenshipAfter 3 years with family, 5 without
Tax on foreign income12% on foreign interest and dividends; a 10-year break can apply
Visiting Uruguay on a US passport
| Visa needed? | No, a regular US passport is enough; diplomatic and official passports need a visa |
|---|---|
| Days allowed | 90 days; how repeat visits are counted isn't confirmed |
| Can you extend? | Yes, once, for 90 more days: about $37, in person, at least 15 days before your stay ends |
| What you can't do | Work for a Uruguayan employer. Remote work without the nomad permit isn't addressed Needs review |
| Overstay penalty | You can be expelled, but you first get 60 days to sort it out; a late extension costs about $57 |
| Passport validity | Valid and in good condition; no minimum validity found Still being checked |
Good to know
- Want to stay longer? You can apply for residency or the remote-work permit from inside Uruguay.
- Leaving while it's pending? Buy a re-entry permit, about $37, for each trip out.
- Health: no vaccine or insurance rule for visitors; health papers apply only to residency.
Checked against the lawDays, extension, overstay and switching status, read in the migration law and decree.
Not yet verifiedThe visa exemption and the extension fees, from official pages.
Still being checkedPassport, funds and onward-ticket rules, against the US government's Uruguay page.
Sources (7)
Legal basis and exact figures
- Law: Ley 18.250 arts 36 (tourists), 38-39 (change of category), 40-41, 51 C and 52 (expulsion after a 60-day order to regularise, Ley 20.212 wording); Decreto 394/009 art 13 a (90 days renewable for 90 more), arts 8 A-B, 17-18.
- Fees: prórroga 225.60 UI if still valid, 345.00 UI if expired (USD 37.23 / 56.94 at BCU UI 6.6988 and USD 40.589, 12 Nov 2026); re-entry permit 225.60 UI. No per-day overstay fine for individuals found.
- Still open: US State Department page; proof of funds, return ticket and exit-tax practice; how DNM counts repeat entries; airline passport rules.
Every rule, with its legal basis
The rules
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Do you need a visa? | No visa for US ordinary (pasaporte común) holders; US diplomatic and service passports need a visa (MI visa table, 19/08/2025). |
| Working as a visitor | Tourists are non-residents entering for recreation or rest (Ley 18.250 art 36 num 1). Paid work for a Uruguayan employer needs a residence category or the Hoja de Identidad Provisoria (Dec 394/009 art 8 A). Remote work for a foreign entity has its own provisional ID (art 8 B); the law is silent on a tourist doing remote work without it (Needs review). |
| How long you can stay | 90 days for tourists, renewable for 90 more (Dec 394/009 art 13 lit a). Not expressed as a per-year cap in the text read; how DNM counts repeated entries not verified. |
| Extending your stay | Prórroga de permanencia temporaria at a DNM office in person with passport, filed at least 15 calendar days before the authorised stay ends; an already expired stay can still be extended under the 'vencida' variant (DNM page 15/07/2026). Legal basis Ley 18.250 arts 29(G), 38. |
| Passport | Passport is a valid travel document (Ley 18.250 art 41; Dec 394/009 art 17: in force and in good condition). No minimum remaining validity found in the texts read; airline rules and US State Department page not checked. |
| Health requirements | No vaccination or insurance requirement for US tourists found in the sources read. Health documents (carné de salud, vaccination schedule) apply only to residence applications. |
| Switching to residency | Change of category is allowed for regular entrants (Ley 18.250 arts 38-39; DNM authorises it, art 29 H). US tourists can start permanent residence, temporary residence or the Hoja de Identidad Provisoria from inside Uruguay; a re-entry permit (225.60 UI) is needed for each trip out while a residence case is pending. |
| Fees | 225.60 UI if the stay is still valid; 345.00 UI if it has expired (about USD 37.23 / 56.94 at BCU UI 6.6988 and USD 40.589, 12/11/2026). |
| Overstaying | Staying after the authorised period is a ground for expulsion (Ley 18.250 art 51 C), but DNM must first order the person to regularise within a peremptory 60 calendar days (art 52, as amended by Ley 20.212). The late-extension fee is 345 UI. No per-day overstay fine for individuals found (art 69 fines are set by regulation for transport companies). |
| At the border | Entry and exit only through authorised points with the documents set by regulation (Ley 18.250 art 40). Refusal grounds in art 45. Minors resident over one year need parental authorisation to leave (Dec 394/009 art 18). Proof of funds, return ticket and exit-tax practice not verified; The US State Department page is still to be checked. |
Links
- Ministerio del Interior: Régimen de visas de admisión
- Ley 18.250, Ley de Migraciones (IMPO, Documento Actualizado)
- Decreto 394/009, reglamento de la Ley de Migraciones (IMPO, Documento Actualizado)
- DNM trámite: Prórroga de permanencia temporaria
- DNM trámite: Residencia Legal Permanente
- DNM trámite: Hoja de Identidad Provisoria (incl. nómada digital)
- Banco Central del Uruguay: cotizaciones (USD billete, Unidad Indexada)
Other Uruguay guides
Every rule with its legal source.
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