Uruguayan Immigration Update

Posted on June 8, 2007
Filed Under Immigration | 13 Comments

This week JP from OutInUruguay took the initiative to go to the Immigration Office (DNM) in Montevideo and get whatever information he could. He was kind enough to send me scans of the material he obtained. Of particular interest to expats are four sheets of paper listing the requirements for the permanent residency application process. I translated these requirements and they can be found here.

It is important to note that this new information does not contradict what has been reported here and elsewhere about the process, but it does include new information. And it contains better instructions regarding the Certificate of Good Conduct for individuals from countries other than the US.

I have updated my previous posts on this subject to include some of this new information and added links to the new document. So if you have printed those posts for your files, you may want to do it again and discard the old copies.

The document JP obtained clarifies the monthly dollar amount needed to apply as a rentista. The amount stated is US$ 500. This item has been confusing because if one is applying for permanent residency under the Ley 16.340, the amount required is US$ 1,500 per month plus a US$ 100,000 investment. The advantage of applying under Ley 16.340 is that you are eligible for Uruguayan passports as soon as the residency is approved (as opposed to 3-5 years under the regular process). The disadvantage is that you cannot work for other people or companies in Uruguay.

Other key information contained in this document:

You can only apply for a cédula provisoria after your Interpol (or FBI) background check has cleared. So if you leave it for after you arrive in Uruguay, it may take a few months until you become eligible. And I believe the cédula is needed in order for children to be admitted in public schools. If you have more info on this please write in.

You need to present schooling information when applying for permanent residency for children 5 and older.

It lists all the countries that do not have an agreement with Interpol. The Certificate of Good Conduct for those countries therefore can’t be obtained through the Montevideo Interpol Office.

Also Certificates of Good Conduct are needed from all countries you lived in the last five years (for a year or longer), plus from the country of your nationality (if different). This step alone may make it more complicated for a lot of people.

There is an alternative to a Certificate of Good Conduct: the consulate (in MVD) of the country in question can certify that you have no criminal record in that country.

The document has more details on the proof of means requirements for investors, students, members of religious orders and more.

Also, the certificate of means of a spouse, child or parent can used in application process of the spouse, parent or child.

JP asked the immigration officials for recommendations for escribanos, translators and accountants and was told that they can’t make recommendations and that they are all equally valid. Which is not to say that they will accept whatever any given professional chooses to do. The DNM still has specific requirements and it is still a good idea to seek someone who has done work for them before.

If you have gone though the immigration process and have any additional insight, please write in. If you will be going through the process soon, please take notes and make copies of the documents. I will update the immigration posts with the any new information that is sent in. Thanks

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13 Responses to “Uruguayan Immigration Update”

Enzo on June 8th, 2007 6:01 am

This is another great post. Pretty soon the whole process will be detailed and spelled out clearly. Thanks JP for providing the documentation, and a special thanks to Brazzie for translating it and making it available. I appreciate the efforts and look forward to the updates.
urufish on June 8th, 2007 8:36 am

Before a student can be placed in the system here, public or private, you need to produce their student record from their previous school(s). The records must include the course names and the marks or grades. The document must be legalized by the Uruguayan consulate in the same country. Then they have to translated by an official translator in Uruguay. Then you submit them to the school system you wish to attend here. The student will be tested to decide at what level/grade they will start here.
urufish on June 8th, 2007 8:47 am

Some notes..

Proof of means.. unless you’ve been lured to uruguay by promise of employment from a company here or you are retired and have no intention of ever working here, you can set up your own company and use that for ‘proof of means’. The simplest method is to register a unipersonal company. Then hire a local accountant and show him your income for the past couple of years to prove that you make enough to qualify and have him generate a document (I will scan one and send it to you), that proves this. If you need to go beyond this, you can setup an SA or SRL instead.

If you need to produce a marriage certificate (married to an Uruguayan), from another country, it too must be legalized by the consulate from that country. If the woman has been married more than once, you must construct a legal brige(s) that ties the name on her cedula (usually her maiden name from Uruguay), to her name on the current marriage certificate. You do this by providing documents from each step (marriage licenses and divorce decrees). All these documents must be legalized by the consulates having jurisdiction (from each country’s document).

#6.. you need to produce and surrender the immigration receipt you received upon entering the country prior to receiving your provisario. Without that receipt, you can not get out of the country again, so you need to purchase exit/entry passes in lieu of these. You can buy these at the immigration office on Misiones or at Carrasco airport prior to boarding. I assume you can also buy them at the port (Buqeubus).
Make sure you present it upon your return in Uruguay.

please note that only 10 new applications can be accepted in anyone day… so come early to be sure to get a number.
Brazzie on June 8th, 2007 8:53 am

Urufish, thanks for the great info. I will update the earlier immigration post to include the new info.

Do you happen to know whether one needs a cédula (provisoria or permanente) in order to place children in public school? We don’t have children, but this issue must be loom large if you do.
urufish on June 8th, 2007 9:03 am

Your post opened up a whole pandora’s box of other stuff. Hopefully, I’m not writing any more times today…. there’s another wrinkle worth adding…
You wont get your cedula the same day you get your picture taken and printed.. they take 3-5 days to process everything before it’s ready. Therafter, you do get it within 15 minutes of being processed (renewals, definitiva, etc.) I’m 99% sure you must get your first cedula at the main office downtown. Therafter, you can get processed at the Geant (Carrasco office). I assume there are other office throughout Uruguay. Being a MVD person, I dont personally know of the others.
Brazzie on June 8th, 2007 9:07 am

With all the good info you have, feel free to write in a thousand times.

I discussed obtaining the first cédula here: http://uruguaydreaming.com/2007/05/02/first-uruguayan-cedula/

I will add this info there.
urufish on June 8th, 2007 9:09 am

You asked the question at the right time.. My cleaning lady was walking by and I asked her. She has 3 children. 20, 17 and 6. She says that since her first child, her children have ALL had Cedulas from THE TIME THEY’RE BORN. It’s obligatorio. Now I know why they have a sign at the cedula office specifying you can accompany a minor through the process. Must be hard to sit still for a photo at 6 months old

Anyway, she said that the school requires each child’s cedula to be admitted. Her kids are in the public system. I assume it’s the same in all schools with perhaps some exceptions, like the American school because of it’s unique position in Uruguay.
Brazzie on June 8th, 2007 9:15 am

Thanks. Talk about just in time.
I remember having read about that requirement somewhere, but it is good to have a confirmation.

This means that if you have children of school age, you must do your homework and get all the police record (or FBI) stuff before you get to Uruguay!!!

Man, the timing of all that can get complicated.
urufish on June 8th, 2007 10:28 am

I wonder if you need FBI checks for minors.. doesn’t make sense does it? a criminal record for a 9 year old? I imagine those records would be sealed anyway.. juveniles get special treatment in the judicial system.
Brazzie on June 9th, 2007 12:27 pm

The document says that only family members 15 or older need to present the Good Conduct Certificates.
kcwinkleman on June 23rd, 2007 8:03 pm

We have 2 children in school here in MVD. They are ages 6 and 4. We did NOT need the cedula to get them into public or private school. Only the report card for our 6 yr old and copies of their passports and vaccination records. It was just too easy.
Brazzie on June 23rd, 2007 8:07 pm

Thanks for the info.

This is great to know. It should greatly simplify the life of anyone moving to MVD with school age children.
urufish on July 9th, 2007 10:01 pm

Hmmmmm… so the schools aren’t looking for cedulas specifically. they’re looking for an official, federal ID. for a local, that’s a cedula. For a foreigner, it can be a passport. Interesting.

Uruguayan Immigration Update

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