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Enforcing arbitral awards in Uruguay

Argentina. For full detail on Argentina, go to The Argentine Thread.

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

Uruguay enforces foreign arbitral awards under the New York Convention, in force since 28 June 1983 with no reservations, so awards from any country qualify, not only from treaty partners. Ley 19.636 sets the procedure: a written application with the authenticated award and arbitration agreement, Spanish translations where needed, and refusal only on the Convention grounds; the Inter American (Panama) Convention and the Mercosur Las Leñas Protocol also apply where relevant. Domestic awards and awards seated in Uruguay are enforced through the summary vía de apremio once no annulment is pending; awards against the State are paid through a set budget procedure.

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. Amounts set in UR use UYU 1,940.77, the latest published UR value (September 2026, Decreto 229/026, IMPO values table); amounts in UI use UYU 6.6792 per UI (BCU, 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
Reciprocity reservation under the New York Convention	No Decreto Ley 15.229, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Translation required for awards not in Spanish	Yes, by a Uruguayan public translator or consul Ley 19.636 art. 40.2, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Term for the State to pay an approved award liquidation	30 calendar daysCGP art. 400.4, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Inter American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration approved	Yes (Decreto Ley 14.534, 1976) Decreto Ley 14.534, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. 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 or declarations listed by UNCITRAL. Parliamentary approval was given by Decreto Ley 15.229.
Cost to do it: No treaty fee; costs are translation, apostille and counsel.
Example: An award made in London against a Uruguayan exporter qualifies for enforcement under the Convention. / Because Uruguay made no reciprocity reservation, even an award made in a non Convention state for US$1,000,000 can be enforced under Ley 19.636 art. 40 and 41, which apply to awards whatever the country where they were made.Decreto Ley Nº 15.229 (approval of the New York Convention), art. 1, 1981-12-11 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. An arbitral award, whatever the country where it was made, is recognized as binding and enforced on a written application to the competent court. The applicant files the duly authenticated original award or a certified copy, and the original arbitration agreement or a certified copy; if they are not in Spanish, a translation by a Uruguayan public translator or by the Uruguayan consul is required. Recognition may be refused only if the opposing party proves incapacity or an invalid agreement, lack of proper notice or inability to present its case, an award beyond the submission, irregular composition or procedure, or that the award is not yet binding or was set aside or suspended at the seat; or if the court finds the matter not arbitrable or the award contrary to Uruguay's international public policy. If annulment is pending at the seat, the court may adjourn and order the award debtor to give security.
Cost to do it: Certified translation of award and agreement by a Uruguayan public translator, apostille of the copies, and local counsel; the court may order security if it adjourns.
Example: A Uruguayan respondent cannot ask the court to reconsider the evidence; it can only prove one of the listed grounds. / A US$1,000,000 (about UYU 40,214,000) ICC award made in New York is enforced on filing the authenticated award, the clause and their Spanish translations.Ley Nº 19.636 (International Commercial Arbitration), art. 1.2, 40 and 41, 2018-07-13 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. The Código General del Proceso confirms that foreign awards may be enforced under treaties, the international arbitration law and, where applicable, the rules on foreign judgments, which apply to foreign awards as far as relevant. Under those rules foreign decisions are not reviewed on the merits.
Cost to do it: Same document costs as for foreign judgments: authentication, legalization or apostille and translation.
Example: Where Ley 19.636 is silent, a court can look to CGP art. 539 on authenticity and translation. / A party enforcing a US$500,000 award should prepare the same certified copies it would for a foreign judgment.Código General del Proceso, art. 502 (Ley Nº 20.257) and art. 543, art. 502, 538.2 and 543, 2024-04-25 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. Uruguay approved in 1976 the Inter American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration adopted in Panama in 1975, together with the conventions on letters rogatory and on taking evidence abroad. Among Mercosur states, the Las Leñas Protocol of 27 June 1992, approved by Ley 16.971, covers recognition and enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards in civil, commercial, labour and administrative matters: requests may be channelled by letter rogatory through the Central Authority, and the award must be authentic, translated, issued by a competent tribunal under the requested state's jurisdiction rules, after proper summons and defence, final, and not manifestly contrary to public policy.
Cost to do it: Requests through the Central Authority avoid legalization; translations are still required (Las Leñas Protocol art. 10 and 20).
Example: A São Paulo seated award against a Montevideo company may be enforced under the New York Convention or the Las Leñas Protocol. / An award for US$250,000 made in Buenos Aires against a Uruguayan party can rely on the New York Convention, to which Argentina is a party, or on the Mercosur protocol signed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. For the Argentine side see The Argentine Thread guide.Decreto Ley Nº 14.534; Ley Nº 16.971 (Las Leñas Protocol), DL 14.534 art. 1 e); Las Leñas Protocol art. 18 to 24, 1998-06-15 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. A domestic award, or an international award seated in Uruguay, that is not subject to a pending annulment action is a title for the summary enforcement route (vía de apremio), like a final judgment. In domestic arbitration the file is sent to the court that would have heard the case at first instance, which keeps it confidential and enforces the award under the rules for judgments; a pending domestic annulment action suspends enforcement.
Cost to do it: Enforcement costs as for judgments; the arbitrators may ask the same court to fix their fees (art. 498.2).
Example: A Montevideo construction company enforces a UYU 10,000,000 domestic award by attaching the employer's receivables after the five day annulment window closes. / A foreign creditor holding a Montevideo seated international award for US$2,000,000 can start the vía de apremio once no annulment is pending.Código General del Proceso, wording by Ley Nº 19.090 and Ley Nº 20.257, art. 377 numeral 4, 494, 498 and 499, 2024-04-25 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. Awards against central government bodies that order payment of a liquid sum follow a special procedure: the creditor files a detailed liquidation, the State has 6 days to object, the court approves it within 10 days or holds a single hearing, and then informs the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which must deposit the amount in the creditor's account at Banco República within 30 calendar days after notice. Departmental governments and state enterprises must budget for awards and pay within 30 calendar days after notice.
Cost to do it: Costs of enforcement fall on the State only if the award or judgment expressly ordered them (art. 400.3).
Example: A supplier holding an award against a ministry for UYU 8,000,000 files its liquidation; once approved, payment is due within 30 calendar days of the Ministry's notice. / A foreign contractor with a US$4,000,000 award against a state enterprise is paid through the art. 401 procedure rather than by attaching public assets.Código General del Proceso, wording by Ley Nº 19.090 and Ley Nº 20.360, art. 400 and 401, 2024-09-20 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Award	Instrument	Route	Source
Foreign award, any country	New York Convention; Ley 19.636	Written application; refusal only on art. 41 grounds	Ley 19.636 art. 40 and 41
Award from a Mercosur state	Las Leñas Protocol or New York Convention	Letter rogatory via Central Authority or direct application	Ley 16.971; Protocol art. 19 and 20
Award from an OAS state party to the Panama Convention	Panama Convention or New York Convention	Application to the court	DL 14.534
International award seated in Uruguay	Ley 19.636; CGP	Vía de apremio once no annulment pending	CGP art. 377.4
Domestic award	CGP Title VIII	Vía de apremio before first instance court; annulment suspends	CGP art. 494, 498 and 499
Award against the State	CGP	Liquidation and payment within 30 calendar days	CGP art. 400 and 401

Enforcement route by type of award

Worked example

A Swiss trader wins a US$1,000,000 (about UYU 40,214,000) award in Geneva against a Uruguayan grain company. It obtains an apostilled certified copy of the award and the contract containing the clause, has them translated by a Uruguayan public translator, and applies to the competent court (Ley 19.636 art. 40). The debtor alleges it was not properly notified of an arbitrator appointment and must prove it (art. 41.1 a). If the court rejects the defence, the award is enforced and the trader can attach the debtor's receivables and bank balances in Uruguay; it can ask for interim measures while the application is pending (CGP art. 535).

Step by step

Obtain a certified copy of the award and of the arbitration agreement, apostilled at origin (Ley 18.836 for the Apostille Convention).
Have both translated into Spanish by a Uruguayan public translator if needed (Ley 19.636 art. 40.2).
Identify assets in Uruguay and consider interim measures before or while applying (CGP art. 535).
File the written application with the competent court; be ready to answer defences limited to art. 41.
If annulment is pending at the seat, be ready to request security from the debtor if the court adjourns (art. 41.2).

Common traps

Translations must be by a Uruguayan public translator or the Uruguayan consul, not any sworn translator (Ley 19.636 art. 40.2).
A domestic award cannot be enforced while the annulment action is pending (CGP art. 499).
Assets of the State are not attached; payment follows CGP art. 400 and 401.
Public policy refers to Uruguay's international public policy, a narrower concept than domestic mandatory law (Ley 19.636 art. 41).

Sources

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