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Temporary residence in Uruguay for workers, executives, professionals and entrepreneurs: requirements, terms, renewals and fees

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

Temporary residence is the route for a foreigner coming to Uruguay for a defined activity: employees, executives, directors, consultants, professionals, academics, students and their spouses, minor children and parents. The DNM grants it for a minimum of six months and up to two years, renewable to a maximum of four for workers and executives; workers must show an employer letter with pay at or above the national minimum wage (UYU 25,383 a month from 1 July 2026, about US$631) plus a notarial certificate or BPS work history. The filing fee is UI 557.30 (about US$92.57) plus a UI 55.70 certificate for the identity card; renewals must be requested within the 90 days before expiry, and the holder may work on the same terms as nationals for the term granted.

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

Temporary residence filing fee	557.3 UIDNM procedure sheet, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Temporary residence for workers and executives, initial and maximum term	2 years, renewable to 4 yearsDecreto Nº 394/009 art. 11 a), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Window to request renewal before expiry	90 daysDNM procedure sheet, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Minimum monthly pay in the employer letter (national minimum wage from 1 July 2026)	25383 UYUDecreto Nº 319/025; DNM procedure sheet, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Time to prove social security registration after identity authorization	30 daysDecreto Nº 394/009 art. 42, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Provisional Identity Sheet for activities under 180 days	55.71 UIDNM procedure sheet, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. A temporary resident is a foreigner who enters to carry on an activity for a fixed term. The law lists migrant workers; scientists, researchers and academics; professionals, technicians and specialized staff; students, scholarship holders and interns; business people, entrepreneurs, directors, managers and consultants; journalists; athletes; artists; and religious workers. Their spouses, minor children and parents, people admitted on humanitarian grounds, and others authorized by reasoned Executive resolution are also covered, and Mercosur nationals may choose this category.Ley Nº 18.250, Art. 34, 2008-01-06 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Temporary residents need: (a) for adults, a criminal record certificate from the country of origin and from each country of residence in the last five years, legalized and translated (anyone with a conviction must wait five years from serving the sentence); (b) proof before the DNM of the activity behind the application; and (c) a health card showing fitness to reside. The DNM sheet adds a Uruguayan vaccination scheme certificate under Decreto Nº 136/018, a valid visa where the nationality requires one, and, for workers, a letterhead employer letter stating the activity, contract term and monthly pay at or above one national minimum wage, backed by a notarial certificate on the company or a BPS nominal work history.
Cost to do it: Filing fee UI 557.30 (about UYU 3,722 or US$92.57); certificate for the identity card UI 55.70 (about UYU 372 or US$9.25); notarial certificate, apostilles and sworn translations are extra and set by the professionals.
Example: A Uruguayan subsidiary hiring a Peruvian process engineer on a two year contract at UYU 180,000 a month issues the employer letter (well above the UYU 25,383 floor) and a notary certifies the company data. / Government fees about US$101.82; the salary floor in the letter is about US$631.26 a month.Decreto Nº 394/009; DNM procedure sheet Residencia Legal Temporaria (updated 20 October 2026), Decreto 394/009 art. 7; procedure sheet requirements, 2009-08-24 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. Terms: up to two years, renewable to a maximum of four, for workers, academics, professionals, business people and executives, journalists, athletes and religious workers; up to one year, renewable, for students (total not more than two years beyond the course), scholarship holders and interns; up to one year, renewable, for artists; family members get the same term as the principal; Mercosur nationals follow the residence agreements. The DNM sets the term by reference to the reasons, the contracts filed and the category; the DNM sheet describes the general temporary residence as six months minimum and two years maximum, renewable.
Cost to do it: Each renewal is a new DNM filing; the sheet does not list a separate renewal fee, so budget the UI 557.30 (about UYU 3,722 or US$92.57) residence fee schedule.Decreto Nº 394/009, Art. 11, 2009-08-24 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. Renewal and change of category: the renewal (prórroga) of a temporary residence must always be requested within the 90 days before it expires. A temporary resident may apply to change category, for example to permanent residence, if the regulatory requirements are met, and must leave once the authorized term ends unless an extension or change of category was requested before expiry.
Example: An executive whose two year residence expires on 31 March 2027 should file the renewal between early January and 31 March 2027, or apply for permanent residence on the basis of the local job.Ley Nº 18.250; DNM procedure sheet, Ley 18.250 art. 38 and 39; procedure sheet (Otros datos de interés), 2026-10-20 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. Work rights and onboarding: a temporary resident may work as an employee or on their own account under the general labor law for the period granted. Once the DNM issues the authorization for the identity document, the worker must, within the next 30 days, prove registration with the social security bodies as an employee; self employed applicants file a sworn statement with line of business, address and start date, then prove BPS and DGI registration within 30 days.Ley Nº 18.250; Decreto Nº 394/009, Ley 18.250 art. 19; Decreto 394/009 art. 42 and 44, 2009-08-24 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. Temporary residents may enter and leave Uruguay as often as they wish while their term is valid. While the residence file is still pending, however, each trip abroad requires a DNM re entry permit.
Cost to do it: Re entry permit UI 225.60 (about UYU 1,507 or US$37.47) per trip until residence is granted.Ley Nº 18.250; Decreto Nº 394/009; DNM sheet Permiso de reingreso, Ley 18.250 art. 35; Decreto 394/009 art. 15, 2009-08-24 official text · verified 2026-10-27

7. Activities shorter than 180 days use the Provisional Identity Sheet instead of a full temporary residence: the applicant proves the activity and its end date, gets the sheet from the Dirección Nacional de Identificación Civil and is then registered with social security; it can be renewed once for 180 days.
Cost to do it: DNM fee for the Provisional Identity Sheet UI 55.71 (about UYU 372 or US$9.25) (DNM sheet, updated 12 March 2026).Decreto Nº 394/009 art. 8 (wording of Decreto Nº 238/022), Art. 8 A, 2022-07-28 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Category (Ley 18.250 art. 34)	Initial term	Maximum
Workers, academics, professionals and technicians, business people and executives, journalists, athletes, religious workers	Up to 2 years	4 years
Students	Up to 1 year, renewable	Course length plus 2 years
Scholarship holders and interns	Up to 1 year, renewable	While the scholarship or internship lasts
Artists	Up to 1 year	Renewable for equal periods
Spouse, minor children, parents	Same as the principal	Same as the principal
Mercosur nationals	2 years under the residence agreements	Renewable once, or convert to permanent

Temporary residence terms by category (Decreto Nº 394/009 art. 11)

Worked example

A German company sends a plant manager to its Uruguayan subsidiary for three years. Month 0: the subsidiary prepares a letterhead letter (role, three year contract, pay of UYU 350,000 a month) and a notarial certificate on the company. The manager enters visa free, gets the Uruguayan vaccination certificate and a health card, files online and pays UI 557.30 (about UYU 3,722 or US$92.57). After the DNM audience, the residence in process certificate allows a provisional identity card; within 30 days the subsidiary registers the manager with BPS. When residence is granted (term up to two years) the manager pays UI 55.70 (about UYU 372 or US$9.25) for the certificate and gets the definitive card. In month 21 to 24 the manager files the renewal for the third year, or switches to permanent residence on the basis of the local job. Total government fees for the first filing: about US$101.82, plus US$37.47 for each trip abroad while the file is pending.

Step by step

1. Confirm whether the nationality needs a consular work visa (see the visas page); if so, enter within the visa window and file within 30 days of arrival.
2. Collect criminal records for the country of birth and each country of residence over six months in the last five years, apostilled or legalized and translated by a Uruguayan sworn translator (Brazilian documents need no translation).
3. In Uruguay, obtain the vaccination scheme certificate and an occupational health card from an authorized provider.
4. Employer prepares the letterhead letter (activity, term, monthly pay at or above the minimum wage) and a notarial certificate on the company, or the worker obtains a BPS nominal work history.
5. File online with a gub.uy user (documents in PDF), pay the UI 557.30 fee by bank transfer or collection network, then attend the in person audience with originals (10 minute tolerance; missing it forfeits the fee).
6. Obtain the provisional identity card, register with BPS (and DGI if self employed) within 30 days, and request a re entry permit before any trip while the file is pending.
7. Diary the expiry and request renewal within the 90 days before it, or apply for permanent residence.

Common traps

Arriving at the audience late or with a different passport from the one used to book: the DNM does not start the file and the fee is lost.
Partial delivery of missing documents: the DNM receives them in a single instance only.
State or provincial criminal records (for example a single US state check) are not accepted where national scope is required; obtain a national certificate or a consular certificate.
Letting the provisional card lapse: the DNM will not renew the residence in process identity card unless all requirements for granting residence have been met.
Foreign powers of attorney for minors must be notarized by a Uruguayan notary and are valid 180 days.
Temporary residence alone does not settle tax residence: more than 183 days in a calendar year makes the person a Uruguayan tax resident (see the tax residence page).

Sources

← Visas and business visitors in Uruguay: who needs a consular visa, the seven visa types, 90 plus 90 day stays and extensionsPermanent residence in Uruguay for non Mercosur nationals: means of living, documents, timeline, absence rule and cancellation →