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Applying for Permanent Residency

Posted on April 29, 2007
Filed Under Expat Tips, Immigration | 11 Comments

In a previous post, I discussed the steps that need to be taken before leaving for Uruguay in order to apply for permanent residency. In this installment I will cover what needs to be done after the arrival in Uruguay. In the next installment, I will discuss how to apply for a national ID (cédula).

After you arrive in Uruguay, keep in mind that you will be dealing with government officials that have an enthusiasm for bureaucracy and procedural matters. So take a deep breath and go along for the ride. Don’t try any shortcuts as it will probably only delay things. To the best of my knowledge, here’s what you need to do:

Open a savings account at the Banco República and arrange with your bank back home to start making regular transfers to your new account. The new required minimum amount for qualifying as rentista (person living off one’s own means) seems to be 500 USD per month per family and 1,500 USD if you wish to apply using the Ley 16.340 which makes UY passports available without the normal 3-5 year wait. Some expats have reported that a quarterly transfer (with three times the amount) has also worked in the past. To my knowledge, evidence of these transfers is only needed until you get your permanent cédula.

All the immigration paperwork will be done at the Departamento de Trámite de la Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM), Calle Misiones 1513. Monday through Friday from 9:15 am to 2:30 pm. You may want to check the place out and get familiar with it for when you need to come here for real. Click here to see a translation of the requirements sheet obtained at the DNM.

Contact an accountant or escribano and ask what is needed for the proof of means (certificado de ingressos) for your particular case. Make sure you ask whether they dealt with the DNM before. The DNM likes their paperwork done in a particular way and it will save you time if you deal with someone who has done this before. Engage his/her services. Ask for assistance writing the letter requesting residency status change. The most frequent options for “proof of means” while in Uruguay are:

• Employees of private companies or institutions operating in Uruguay must present a work offer on company letterhead, signed by the authorized persons and stating the position to be held, the monthly salary (minimum of 1,500 pesos) and a statement from a notary attesting to the existence of the company (personnel, purpose, address in Uruguay, whether they are still operating legally) or a
• Temporary work contract in Companies operating in Uruguay, statement of certification by a notary containing the company data specified above and contract details (nature of work, salary and duration).
• Investors and stockholders must present a notary certification or a certification from an accountant containing the company information (personnel, purpose, address in Uruguay) and the connection of the applicant to the company and the estimated monthly income.
• Foreign retirees and people that live off their own means (from outside UY) must present a certification from a notary stating that the person falls in this category and receives a minimum of 500 US dollars in Uruguay coming from abroad.
• Retirees that receive a pension from the UY Social Security must present the latest check stub.
• Owners of real estate in Uruguay must present a notarized document that serves as proof of title ownership.
• The spouse of a Uruguayan public employee or retiree needs to present the latest check stub.

Compose a letter requesting a change of Visa status from temporary to permanent. It should contain the following information:

• First and last name of the requestor
• Place and date of birth
• Address and phone number in Uruguay
• Entry/departure card (issued by immigration when entering the national territory), or photocopy of the passport showing the country entry stamp. If previous documentation is not available, the requestor must inform exact date and point of entry to the country
• Reason for applying for Uruguayan permanent residence
• For those nationalities that require consular visa to enter the national territory, the letter must enclose photocopies of passport pages in which personal information, passport validity, last Uruguayan consular visa obtained and entry stamp are shown

When the DNM authorizes the category change request (only done after the police records check clears), ask for a Certificado de Llegada or an equivalent document. This is required to apply for a temporary national ID (cédula provisoria) while the application is being processed.

In case you chose to ship your household goods, you’ll need to go to the Uruguayan Customs (aduana) with your previously created inventory of items and reviewed by the Uruguayan consulate in your home country. If you are a returning Uruguayan you will need the Certificado de Llegada for this process. If you are a foreigner, you will need to place money in escrow in a bank account to cover the estimated taxes on your goods until your application for permanent residency is approved. The money will be released once you are approved. You’ll need to ask for a “en tramites para aduana” certificate at the DNM after your application has been accepted.

Send your documents to be translated by a certified public translator.

Have your picture taken, photos Carné type. Ask for six, just in case.

Apply for your Carné de Salud at Calle Durazno 1242, in Montevideo. Monday through Friday from 7 am to 4 pm. It costs 3 Unidades Reajustables and can be picked up 48 to 72 hours later. Alternatively, you can also use the carné de salud issued by health care institutions authorized by the Ministerio de Salud Pública, provided that it contains the statement that it is for the purpose of RESIDENCIA LEGAL o RADICACIÓN EN EL PAÍS. What’s needed:

• Passport
• Proof of vaccination against tetanus. Otherwise you’ll be vaccinated at the clinic.
• Fasting for at least four hours before your appointment (they will draw blood for tests).
• If you are undergoing medical treatment bring a statement from your doctor.

If you do not already have the certificate of good conduct from your country (FBI, or local police reports), go to the Uruguayan Interpol, Maldonado 1109, to get fingerprinted. They will hand you a sealed envelope with the request plus your fingerprints. This envelope should be presented to the DNM at the interview. After the interview, you need to mail it to the FBI (or whatever agency they instruct you to) yourself.

After the documents have been translated, they need to be certified at the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores in Montevideo, Colonia 1206.

Once all the documents have been assembled go to the Immigration Office. If you choose to go without an appointment, make sure you arrive at least half an hour before it opens, unless you don’t mind waiting for two hours. And when it opens to the counter and state that your are applying for permanent residency for the first time. They issue ten numbers per day for new applicants. The cost is 473 pesos. The fee is readjusted quarterly according to the Unidad Reajustable. Here are the documents required at the Permanent Residency Interview:

• One photo type carné
• Carné de Salud
• Document used to enter the country or a currently valid id (passport, or national ID for countries in the Mercosur).
• Paper entry form received upon entering Uruguay (except for Argentine citizens).
• Documents, translated and certified: birth certificates, marriage certificates, proof of means, good conduct report.

If you don’t speak Spanish, you will need to be accompanied by a translator to the interview and to the medical examination for the Carné de Salud. They will review all the paperwork and if everything is in order you will be in trámite.

Record your birth certificate with the Dirección General del Registro de Estado Civil Sección Registro de Extranjeros, calle Uruguay 933, Montevideo. You will need your birth certificate (the one that was certified, translated etc). This way if in the future you need to present a birth certificate for something else, it will be easier. This step is not required but falls in the category of you-might-as-well. Because you will have all that is necessary and if you wish to do it later, it will be a lot of work.

Continued ….

Other posts in Expat Tips

• Pros and Cons of Shipping Furniture Abroad
• Should I Bring My Electrical Aplliances to Uruguay?
• Usufruct and Inheritance Issues
• Tipping Custom in Uruguay
• American Income Tax While Living Abroad
• Visa Requirements to Travel to Brazil
• Inheritance Laws in Uruguay
• Uruguayan Spanish Conjugation
• Obtaining the Uruguayan National ID
• Uruguayan Permanent Residency Process

Other posts in Immigration

• Pros and Cons of Shipping Furniture Abroad
• Should I Bring My Electrical Aplliances to Uruguay?
• Pros and Cons of Retiring in Uruguay
• Uruguayan Immigration Update
• Visa Requirements to Travel to Brazil
• Obtaining the Uruguayan National ID
• Uruguayan Permanent Residency Process
• Rules for Obtaining Uruguayan Citizenship
• Uruguayan Links

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