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Courts, arbitration and enforcement in Uruguay

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Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Stable

Uruguay lets parties to an international contract choose the governing law and the forum (Ley 19.920), and gives international commercial arbitration seated in Uruguay a dedicated statute modelled on the UNCITRAL Model Law (Ley 19.636), with annulment as the only recourse. Foreign arbitral awards are enforced under the New York Convention, in force for Uruguay since 28 June 1983, and foreign judgments through an exequatur before the Supreme Court with no review of the merits. Uruguay has been an ICSID Contracting State since 8 September 2000; domestic arbitration was rewritten in 2024 (Ley 20.257), and most court cases must start with a conciliation hearing.

USD figures use UYU 40.214 per US dollar, the BCU quotation for DLS. USA BILLETE on 26 October 2026, retrieved from the BCU quotations service on 27 October 2026. Conversions are rounded and for orientation only.

Key facts

Party to the New York Convention (1958)	Yes, accession 30 March 1983, no reservations Decreto Ley 15.229, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
New York Convention in force for Uruguay	1983-06-28 dateDecreto Ley 15.229, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
ICSID Contracting State	Yes Ley 17.209, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
ICSID Convention in force for Uruguay	2000-09-08 dateLey 17.209, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
International arbitration law based on the UNCITRAL Model Law	Yes (2018, Ley 19.636) Ley 19.636, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Deadline to seek annulment of an international award seated in Uruguay	3 monthsLey 19.636 art. 39, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Deadline to file annulment of a domestic award	5 daysCGP art. 501 (Ley 20.257), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Default term to issue a domestic award	120 business daysCGP art. 496 (Ley 20.257), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Court for enforcement of foreign judgments	Suprema Corte de Justicia, single instance, no appeal CGP art. 541, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Review of the merits of foreign judgments	No CGP art. 538.2, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Party choice of law in international contracts	Yes, with exceptions for land, consumer, employment and other listed contracts Ley 19.920 art. 45 and 50, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Mandatory conciliation hearing before most civil and commercial suits	Yes CGP art. 293 (Ley 19.090), as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. International contracts may be governed by the law the parties choose, and the choice may be changed at any time; a reference to a state's law excludes its conflict rules. Choosing a law does not imply choosing a forum, and choosing a forum does not imply choosing a law. In contractual matters Uruguayan courts accept the jurisdiction of the state the parties agreed in writing, unless the agreement was obtained in a clearly abusive way, and the agreement may be made at signing, during the contract or after the dispute arises. Party choice of law and forum is not allowed for contracts listed in art. 50: real rights and leases over land in Uruguay (Uruguayan law applies), securities, consumer contracts and individual employment contracts, among others. Exclusive Uruguayan jurisdiction is exceptional and read restrictively, covering for example real rights over property located in Uruguay, its registries and local intellectual property protection. Without a valid choice, Uruguayan courts have international jurisdiction when the defendant is domiciled in Uruguay or has a branch or agency there through which it contracted.
Cost to do it: No fee to make a choice of law or forum; the cost is drafting. A clause that fails (for example in a consumer or employment contract) means litigating where the statute points instead.
Example: A supply contract between a Montevideo distributor and a São Paulo manufacturer may validly choose Uruguayan law and the courts of Montevideo, or another law and forum, in writing. / A US$2 million share purchase between a US buyer and Uruguayan sellers may choose New York law; that choice alone does not send disputes to New York courts, so the forum must be chosen separately (art. 46).Ley Nº 19.920 (General Law of Private International Law), art. 45, 46, 50, 57, 60 and 61, 2020-11-27 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Before filing most civil and commercial lawsuits the claimant must request a conciliation hearing with the future defendant before the Juzgado de Paz or Juzgado de Conciliación of the defendant's domicile. The hearing is called with at least three days' notice and is presided over by the judge. If the defendant does not appear, this counts as a simple presumption against it in the later case. A settlement reached there has the effect of a final judgment. Conciliation is not required when the defendant's domicile is unknown or outside the department of the competent court, for preparatory measures, non ordinary proceedings, family, lease and labour matters (labour conciliation takes place administratively), consumer cases under Ley 18.507, and where the law excludes it.
Cost to do it: No fee is set in the CGP for the hearing; the cost is counsel time for a short hearing, typically a few weeks before the main claim can be filed.
Example: Before suing a Montevideo customer for UYU 4,000,000 of unpaid invoices, the supplier must request a conciliation hearing at the Montevideo conciliation court; if the customer settles there, the agreement is enforceable like a judgment. / For the same claim of about US$99,468, a foreign supplier can skip conciliation only if a statutory exception applies, for example the debtor is domiciled outside the department of the competent court.Código General del Proceso (Ley Nº 15.982), art. 293 to 297 as reworded by Ley Nº 19.090 of 14 June 2013, art. 293, 294, 295 and 297, 2013-06-14 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. International commercial arbitration seated in Uruguay is governed by Ley 19.636, which applies in the absence of a treaty. An arbitration is international if the parties have their places of business in different states when they sign, or if a substantial part of the obligations or the subject matter is most closely connected with a place outside the state of the parties; the parties cannot make it international by agreement alone. The arbitration agreement must be in writing, including electronic communications. A court seized of a matter covered by an arbitration agreement must refer the parties to arbitration if a party asks no later than its first submission on the merits, and seeking interim measures from a court is compatible with arbitration. The default is three arbitrators, nationality is no bar, and the tribunal applies the law chosen by the parties (equity only if expressly authorized). The award can be challenged only by an action for annulment before the Tribunal de Apelaciones en lo Civil, on the limited Model Law grounds (incapacity or invalid agreement, lack of notice or inability to present the case, excess of mandate, irregular composition or procedure, non arbitrability, or breach of Uruguay's international public policy), filed within three months of notification of the award.
Cost to do it: Unless the parties adopt institutional rules, the tribunal fixes its own fees in the award at a reasonable amount considering the sum in dispute, complexity and time spent, and may take into account international scales such as the ICC scale (art. 35 and 36); costs follow the event, the parties are jointly liable for arbitrators' fees and expenses, and the tribunal may require equal deposits and suspend the case if they are not paid within 30 days (art. 37 and 38).
Example: A dispute between a Uruguayan company and a Brazilian buyer seated in Montevideo with a three member tribunal: any annulment action goes to the Tribunal de Apelaciones en lo Civil and must be filed within three months of notification. / On a US$5 million (about UYU 201,070,000) claim that the claimant wins, the losing party bears the arbitration costs unless the tribunal apportions them (art. 37), and the merits cannot be reopened on annulment.Ley Nº 19.636 (International Commercial Arbitration Law), art. 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 28 and 39, 2018-07-13 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. Domestic arbitration is governed by the Código General del Proceso as rewritten in 2024. Any individual or collective dispute may be submitted to arbitration unless the law provides otherwise, except matters on which settlement is prohibited. The arbitration agreement must be in writing, and the old requirement of a separate compromiso before a notary or a court was abolished; earlier clauses that required it are valid as direct arbitration agreements. Arbitration is at law unless equity is expressly agreed, and equity is not allowed where public policy rules apply. Absent an agreed term, the award must be issued within 120 business days from the tribunal's first act. The only recourse is annulment on seven listed grounds (late award, deciding matters not submitted or failing to decide those submitted, refusing essential evidence, failing to attempt conciliation, non arbitrable matter, breach of prior res judicata), filed within five days of notification before the appellate court that would have heard the case; enforcement of the award is suspended while it is pending. Investment arbitration started by foreign investors is always treated as international.
Cost to do it: Arbitrators' fees and institutional fees as agreed; the costs of incidents and of the annulment action are borne by the losing party in them, and absent agreement the costs of the arbitration go to the losing party claim by claim (CGP art. 497).
Example: A Uruguayan landlord and a local tenant company with an arbitration clause signed in 2015 that required a later notarial compromiso can now go straight to arbitration (art. 473.5). / A party wishing to annul a domestic award on a US$300,000 (about UYU 12,064,200) construction claim has only five days from notification to file, against three months for an international award under Ley 19.636.Código General del Proceso (Ley Nº 15.982), Title VIII as reworded by Ley Nº 20.257, art. 472, 473, 476, 477, 496, 499 and 501, 2024-04-25 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Ley Nº 20.257, promulgated 25 April 2024 and published 8 May 2024, gave new wording to CGP art. 472 to 506: it abolished the separate compromiso requirement, declared earlier clauses directly enforceable, added concurrent interim measure powers for arbitral tribunals and restated the annulment grounds and procedure.

5. Uruguay acceded to the 1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards on 30 March 1983, with entry into force on 28 June 1983 and no reservations, after approval by Decreto Ley 15.229. It also approved the 1975 Inter American (Panama) Convention on International Commercial Arbitration by Decreto Ley 14.534. Under Ley 19.636 an arbitral award, whatever the country where it was made, is recognized as binding and enforced on written application to the competent court with the authenticated award and arbitration agreement, plus a translation into Spanish by a Uruguayan public translator or the Uruguayan consul if needed. Recognition may be refused only on the New York Convention grounds, including non arbitrability or breach of Uruguay's international public policy; the court may adjourn and order security if annulment is pending at the seat. The CGP rules on foreign judgments apply to foreign awards where pertinent.
Cost to do it: Translation by a Uruguayan public translator of the award and the arbitration agreement if not in Spanish, apostille or legalization of the documents, and local counsel for the application.
Example: A London seated award ordering a Uruguayan company to pay UYU 40,214,000 is enforced in Uruguay on the New York Convention grounds only, with no review of the merits. / A US$1 million ICC award made in New York against a Uruguayan debtor can be enforced against its Uruguayan assets after recognition; the debtor can resist only on the limited art. 41 grounds.Decreto Ley Nº 15.229 (approval of the New York Convention); Ley Nº 19.636 art. 40 and 41; Código General del Proceso art. 543, Decreto Ley 15.229 art. 1; Ley 19.636 art. 40 and 41; CGP art. 543, 1981-12-11 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. Foreign judgments in civil, commercial, family, labour and administrative matters have effect in Uruguay without review of the merits if they meet eight conditions: authenticity, legalization (unless sent through diplomatic, consular or administrative channels), translation, international jurisdiction of the court of origin (except matters of exclusive Uruguayan jurisdiction), proper service on the defendant, due defence, res judicata in the state of origin, and no manifest breach of Uruguay's international public policy. Only money or other condemnatory judgments can be enforced. Enforcement (exequatur) is requested from the Suprema Corte de Justicia, which serves the other party with 20 days to answer, hears the Fiscal de Corte and decides with no appeal; the judgment then goes to the competent lower court for execution. Treaties prevail over these rules where they apply.
Cost to do it: Translation, legalization or apostille and certified copies of the judgment, of proof of service and of finality (art. 539.2), plus counsel before the Supreme Court; the CGP sets no exequatur fee.
Example: A Buenos Aires judgment for ARS against a debtor with a Montevideo apartment must pass exequatur before the Suprema Corte de Justicia before the apartment can be attached, unless a treaty provides otherwise. / A Florida money judgment for US$750,000 (about UYU 30,160,500) needs certified proof of service and finality; the debtor gets 20 days to answer and the Supreme Court's decision cannot be appealed.Código General del Proceso (Ley Nº 15.982), Book II Title X Chapter IV, art. 537, 538, 539 and 541, 1988-10-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

7. Whatever court has international jurisdiction over the dispute, Uruguayan courts may order and enforce conservatory or urgent measures over assets located in Uruguay to secure the result of a pending or future case. If the main case has not started, the court sets a term to file it, failing which the measure lapses. In arbitration, a party may ask a court for interim measures before or during the proceedings without waiving the arbitration agreement, and in domestic arbitration the appellate court and the arbitral tribunal have concurrent interim measure powers; a measure granted before a domestic arbitration lapses if arbitration is not started within 30 days.
Cost to do it: Counsel fees for the application; the court must require a sufficient counter guarantee from the applicant save in exceptional, justified cases (CGP art. 313).
Example: A creditor arbitrating in Santiago de Chile can ask a Montevideo court to embargo a debtor's UYU bank balances in Uruguay pending the award. / A foreign lender suing in New York over a US$3 million loan can seek attachment of the borrower's Uruguayan receivables, then must file the main claim within the term the Uruguayan court sets.Código General del Proceso art. 535 and art. 488 as reworded by Ley Nº 20.257; Ley Nº 19.636 art. 9, CGP art. 535, 313 and 488; Ley 19.636 art. 9, 1988-10-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

8. Uruguay is a Contracting State of the ICSID Convention: it signed on 28 May 1992, Parliament approved the Convention by Ley 17.209 of 24 September 1999, the instrument of ratification was deposited on 9 August 2000 and the Convention entered into force for Uruguay on 8 September 2000. Access to ICSID still requires the State's consent, usually in an investment treaty or contract. Every Contracting State must recognize ICSID awards as binding and enforce the pecuniary obligations they impose as if they were a final judgment of its own courts, without prejudice to its laws on immunity of states from execution. Uruguayan law treats any investment arbitration started by a foreign investor as international.
Cost to do it: ICSID charges a lodging fee and administrative fees set in its published schedule, plus arbitrators' fees; check the current ICSID schedule of fees when filing.
Example: A Uruguayan subsidiary of a foreign group cannot bring ICSID claims against Uruguay in its own name unless the consent instrument treats it as foreign controlled (ICSID Convention art. 25). / A US$20 million ICSID award against a Contracting State is enforceable as to its pecuniary obligations in all ICSID Contracting States as a final domestic judgment, subject to local rules on state immunity from execution (art. 54 and 55).Ley Nº 17.209 (approval of the ICSID Convention); ICSID Convention art. 25, 54 and 55; Código General del Proceso art. 472.1, Ley 17.209 single article; ICSID Convention art. 54, 1999-09-24 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Route	Governing text	Competent body	Key deadline or term	Recourse
International commercial arbitration seated in Uruguay	Ley 19.636	Arbitral tribunal; Tribunal de Apelaciones en lo Civil for support and annulment	Annulment within 3 months of notification	Annulment only (art. 39)
Domestic arbitration	CGP art. 472 to 506 (Ley 20.257)	Arbitral tribunal; appellate court that would have heard the case	Award within 120 business days unless agreed; annulment within 5 days	Annulment only (art. 499); enforcement suspended meanwhile
Foreign arbitral award	New York Convention (DL 15.229); Ley 19.636 art. 40 and 41	Competent court on written application	No statutory term set	Refusal only on New York Convention grounds
Foreign court judgment	CGP art. 537 to 543	Suprema Corte de Justicia (exequatur), then the competent lower court	20 days for the debtor to answer	No appeal against the Supreme Court decision
Domestic court claim	CGP art. 293 to 297	Juzgado de Paz or Conciliación first, then the competent court	Hearing on at least 3 days' notice	Ordinary appeals under the CGP
Investor State claim	ICSID Convention (Ley 17.209)	ICSID tribunal	Under the consent instrument	ICSID annulment only (Convention art. 52)

Which route, which court, which deadline

Instrument	Uruguay approval	In force for Uruguay	Source
New York Convention 1958	Decreto Ley 15.229 of 11 December 1981	28 June 1983 (accession 30 March 1983)	UNCITRAL status table
Inter American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration (Panama 1975)	Decreto Ley 14.534 of 24 June 1976	Approved; see OAS status	IMPO
ICSID Convention 1965	Ley 17.209 of 24 September 1999	8 September 2000 (deposit 9 August 2000)	ICSID/3 list as of 17 July 2026

Treaty status at a glance

Worked example

Collecting an award: a US company wins a US$1,000,000 ICC award in New York against a Uruguayan distributor. It files the authenticated award and arbitration agreement with Spanish translations by a Uruguayan public translator (Ley 19.636 art. 40). The distributor can resist only on the New York Convention grounds in art. 41; once recognized, the award of about UYU 40,214,000 is executed against Uruguayan assets, and an attachment of local bank balances can be sought in the meantime (CGP art. 535).
Choosing the clause: for a US$5,000,000 supply contract with a Uruguayan party, a seat in Montevideo under Ley 19.636 gives a three member default tribunal, annulment only on Model Law grounds within three months, and court support from the Tribunal de Apelaciones en lo Civil; choosing New York law alone does not choose a forum (Ley 19.920 art. 46), so the clause must name both.
Suing locally: a supplier owed UYU 4,000,000 (about US$99,468) by a Montevideo customer first requests a conciliation hearing at the competent Juzgado (CGP art. 293); a settlement there has the force of a final judgment (art. 297), and if the customer fails to appear that counts against it in the later case (art. 295.3).

Step by step

At signing, decide law and forum separately and put both in writing (Ley 19.920 art. 45, 46 and 60); check whether the contract falls in an art. 50 category where party choice is not allowed.
Prefer an arbitration clause with a stated seat, institution, number of arbitrators and language; if the seat is Uruguay, Ley 19.636 applies to international cases and CGP art. 472 onwards to domestic ones.
Before suing in a Uruguayan court, request the conciliation hearing unless an exception in CGP art. 294 applies.
If assets are in Uruguay, seek conservatory measures early (CGP art. 535; Ley 19.636 art. 9) and calendar the term to start the main case or the arbitration.
For a foreign award, assemble the authenticated award and agreement and certified Spanish translations, then apply to the competent court; for a foreign judgment, prepare certified proof of service, defence and finality and file with the Suprema Corte de Justicia.
Calendar challenge deadlines on receipt of any award: three months for international awards, five days for domestic awards.
For investor State issues, check whether a treaty or contract gives Uruguay's consent to ICSID before relying on it.

Common traps

Choosing a governing law is not choosing a forum, and vice versa (Ley 19.920 art. 46); silence on one leaves it to the default rules.
Forum clauses are not accepted in contracts listed in Ley 19.920 art. 50, including consumer and employment contracts and leases or real rights over Uruguayan land.
A domestic award must be challenged within five days of notification (CGP art. 501), a far shorter window than the three months for international awards.
An arbitration is not international just because the parties say so (Ley 19.636 art. 1.4); two Uruguayan companies performing in Uruguay are in domestic arbitration under the CGP.
Skipping pre suit conciliation does not void the case but the court suspends it until conciliation is proven (CGP art. 298).
Equity arbitration is not valid in domestic cases where public policy rules apply (CGP art. 477).
A pre arbitration interim measure in a domestic case lapses if arbitration is not started within 30 days of its execution (CGP art. 488).
Exequatur of a foreign judgment is decided by the Supreme Court in a single instance; missing proof of service or finality is the usual reason for delay.

Sources

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