Countries › Uruguay › Guide › 8. Immigration › Mercosur residence in Uruguay: permanent residence by nationality, the two year temporary option, fee exemptions and the Brazil border document

Mercosur residence in Uruguay: permanent residence by nationality, the two year temporary option, fee exemptions and the Brazil border document

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

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

Nationals of Mercosur member and associated states (the DNM lists Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname and Guyana) are permanent residents by right on proof of nationality, and the Ministry of the Interior must decide within 90 business days. They file with a valid passport or identity card, national criminal records from countries lived in for more than six months in the last five years, a sworn statement and the Uruguayan vaccination certificate; no means of living test applies, and Brazilian and Paraguayan nationals pay no filing fee under reciprocity. A two year temporary Mercosur residence, renewable once, remains available, and Brazilians living in listed border towns can get a five year border document to work or study on the Uruguayan side.

USD figures use UYU 40.210 per US dollar (BCU, DLS. USA BILLETE, 27 October 2026) and UI amounts use UYU 6.6792 per Unidad Indexada (BCU, 27 October 2026), both from the BCU quotations service; UR amounts use UYU 1,940.77 (IMPO value table, September 2026, latest published). Conversions are for orientation only; DNM fees are set in UI and move with the index.

Key facts

Basis for Mercosur permanent residence	Proof of nationality; no means of living test textLey Nº 18.250 art. 33 B, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Statutory decision term for Mercosur permanent residence	90 business daysLey Nº 18.250 art. 33 (Ley Nº 20.075 art. 169), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Mercosur permanent residence fee (Brazil and Paraguay exempt)	557.3 UIDNM procedure sheet, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Temporary Mercosur residence term	2 years, renewable once yearsDNM sheet; Ley Nº 17.927 agreement art. 4, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Time after entry to complete a consular Mercosur file at the DNM	30 business daysDecreto Nº 45/023 art. 4, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Brazil border special document term	5 yearsLey Nº 17.659; DNM sheet, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. Nationals of Mercosur member and associated states are permanent residents merely by proving that nationality. The application may be filed with the Ministry of the Interior or a Uruguayan consulate, and the Ministry must decide within 90 business days.
Cost to do it: UI 557.30 (about UYU 3,722 or US$92.57) plus UI 55.70 (about UYU 372 or US$9.25) certificate; Brazilian and Paraguayan nationals are exempt from the permanent residence fee under reciprocity (DNM sheet).
Example: A Colombian founder pays about UYU 4,094 in total; a Brazilian founder pays only the certificate, about UYU 372. / About US$101.82 against about US$9.25 for a Brazilian or Paraguayan national.Ley Nº 18.250 art. 33 as worded by Ley Nº 20.075 art. 169, Art. 33 B, 2022-10-20 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Ley Nº 20.075 of 20 October 2022 moved these files to the Ministry of the Interior or consulates and introduced the 90 business day decision term.

2. Requirements: nationality proved by a valid passport or identity document; for those over 18, a sworn statement of no international criminal or police record (no exclusion under Ley 18.250 art. 45 B, C, D and 46) and criminal records from the countries of residence of more than six months in the last five years; and the Uruguayan vaccination scheme certificate. Files from consulates let the applicant enter as a resident in process, with 30 business days after entry to complete the documents at the DNM. If the applicant fails to supply missing documents for 365 days, the administration may proceed to decide. The procedure follows the reciprocity agreement with the applicant's state.Decreto Nº 45/023, Art. 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8, 2023-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Decreto Nº 45/023 transferred Mercosur and family based files from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of the Interior and repealed Decreto Nº 312/015.

3. Temporary Mercosur residence: under the Mercosur Residence Agreement approved by Uruguay, nationals of a party may obtain temporary residence of up to two years on proof of identity and nationality, birth and civil status certificates, criminal records for the last five years and a sworn statement, and may convert it to permanent residence by applying within the 90 days before it expires and proving lawful means of living. The DNM sheet grants temporary Mercosur residence for two years, renewable once for the same term, with renewal requested within 90 days before expiry. Residents under the agreement may take any employed or self employed activity on the same terms as nationals.
Cost to do it: UI 557.30 (about UYU 3,722 or US$92.57) plus UI 55.70 (about UYU 372 or US$9.25) certificate (DNM sheet, updated 20 October 2026).Ley Nº 17.927 (approval of the Mercosur Residence Agreements); DNM sheet Residencia Legal Temporaria Mercosur, Agreement art. 4, 5 and 8, 2005-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. Brazilian nationals resident in the border localities covered by the Uruguay Brazil agreement on residence, study and work for border nationals can obtain a Special Border Document to work or study in Uruguay, also available to retirees and pensioners. It is valid for five years, renewable before expiry, and allows residence only within the border localities covered by the agreement.
Cost to do it: UI 557.30 (about UYU 3,722 or US$92.57) (DNM sheet, updated 12 March 2026).Ley Nº 17.659 (approval of the Uruguay Brazil border nationals agreement of 21 August 2002); DNM sheet Documento especial fronterizo, Single article; procedure sheet, 2003-06-19 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. Foreign documents must be apostilled or legalized and translated by a Uruguayan sworn translator, except documents issued in Brazil, which are exempt from translation for Mercosur immigration purposes; documents issued electronically with online verification need no apostille.Ley Nº 18.134; Ley Nº 19.670 art. 112; DNM procedure sheets, Ley 18.134; Ley 19.670 art. 112, 2007-06-11 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Route	Who	Term	Fee	Key documents
Permanent Mercosur	Nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana	Indefinite	UI 557.30 + UI 55.70; Brazil and Paraguay exempt from UI 557.30	ID or passport, criminal records, vaccination certificate
Temporary Mercosur	Same nationals	2 years, renewable once	UI 557.30 + UI 55.70	ID, criminal records, birth certificate, vaccination certificate, health card
Border special document	Brazilians resident in listed border towns	5 years, renewable	UI 557.30	Per sheet; residence limited to border localities

Mercosur routes compared (DNM sheets updated 20 October 2026 and 12 March 2026)

Worked example

An Argentine engineer moves to Colonia to run a logistics hub. They file for Mercosur permanent residence online with an Argentine national criminal record (no translation needed for Spanish documents, but an apostille is), the vaccination certificate and their DNI. Fees: UI 557.30 (about UYU 3,722 or US$92.57) plus UI 55.70 (about UYU 372 or US$9.25), about US$101.82. The ministry should decide within 90 business days; meanwhile the engineer gets a residence in process identity card and may work. For Argentine side matters (exit of funds, Argentine tax residence, the Argentina Uruguay tax agreement) see The Argentine Thread guide.

Step by step

1. Confirm the nationality is on the DNM list (Mercosur members and associated states).
2. Obtain national scope criminal records for each country of residence over six months in the last five years, apostilled and translated if not in Spanish (Brazilian documents need no translation).
3. In Uruguay, get the vaccination scheme certificate (temporary Mercosur also asks for a health card).
4. File online or at a Uruguayan consulate; consular filers have 30 business days after entry to complete the file at the DNM.
5. Pay the fee unless Brazilian or Paraguayan (permanent route), attend the audience and obtain the residence in process identity card.
6. If you chose temporary Mercosur residence, request renewal or conversion within the 90 days before it expires.

Common traps

Choosing temporary Mercosur residence by habit: permanent residence is available on nationality alone and avoids renewals.
Suriname is listed by the DNM as a Mercosur associated state for residence, but its nationals still need a visa with prior authorization to enter.
Provincial or state criminal records (for example an Argentine provincial certificate) are not a substitute where national scope is required.
The border document only authorizes residence within the listed border localities; moving to Montevideo needs a regular residence.
The fee exemption is for permanent residence of Brazilian and Paraguayan nationals only; the certificate fee and re entry permits are still payable.
Argentina side rules on moving people and money are outside this page; see The Argentine Thread guide.

Sources

← Permanent residence in Uruguay for non Mercosur nationals: means of living, documents, timeline, absence rule and cancellationFamily members in Uruguay: residence for spouses, partners, children and parents of residents and of Uruguayans, family visas and travel rules for minors →