Countries › Uruguay › Guide › 11. Real estate and land › The coastal defence strip in Uruguay: 250 metres from the shore, ministerial authorization and Special Plans

The coastal defence strip in Uruguay: 250 metres from the shore, ministerial authorization and Special Plans

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

Along the Atlantic, the Río de la Plata, the Uruguay River and Laguna Merín, a 250 metre coastal defence strip limits changes to the land; anything altering its natural shape needs prior ministerial authorization (Código de Aguas art. 153). Old unconsolidated beach subdivisions inside the strip can only be built through a Special Plan that keeps the first 150 metres from the shore as open space (Ley Nº 18.308 art. 50). Breaches lead to restoration at the owner's cost plus environmental fines, and appeals do not suspend measures in the strip.

USD figures use UYU 40.21 per US dollar, the BCU quotation for DLS. USA BILLETE on 27 October 2026; amounts in Unidades Indexadas (UI) use UYU 6.6792 per UI, the BCU quotation for 27 October 2026; amounts in Unidades Reajustables (UR) use UYU 1,940.77, the UR for September 2026 published by IMPO (the latest published on 27 October 2026); the BPC is UYU 6,864 for 2026 (Decreto Nº 11/026). All were retrieved on 27 October 2026. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Coastal defence strip width	250 metresCódigo de Aguas art. 153, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Open space kept from the shore in Special Plans for unconsolidated subdivisions	150 metresLey Nº 18.308 art. 50, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. A coastal defence strip runs along the Atlantic, the Río de la Plata, the Uruguay River and Laguna Merín, 250 metres wide measured inland from the upper limit of the shore, or only up to a paved national road or coastal avenue if closer. Any action that changes the natural shape of the strip needs prior authorization from the competent ministry, which refuses it if harmful; extraction of sand, gravel and rock is limited to 50 centimetres above the upper shore limit.
Cost to do it: Ministerial authorization; environmental studies as required.
Example: A beach house project within 250 metres of the Atlantic shoreline in Rocha needs ministerial authorization for any earthworks. / Coastal plots are priced on what the strip allows, not on frontage.Código de Aguas (Decreto Ley Nº 14.859), art. 153 as worded by Ley Nº 15.903 art. 193, Art. 153, 1987-11-10 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Breaches are sanctioned by the ministry with an order to restore the strip or a ban on extraction; if the offender delays, the ministry restores at the offender's cost, and environmental fines and measures under Ley Nº 16.112 art. 6 and Ley Nº 17.283 also apply.
Cost to do it: Restoration costs plus environmental fines.
Example: Dune levelling without authorization can be reversed at the owner's cost. / Exposure includes restoration and fines.Código de Aguas art. 154 (wording by Ley Nº 19.355 art. 510), Art. 154, 2015-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. The shores of the Río de la Plata, Uruguay, Negro, Santa Lucía, Cuareim and Yaguarón rivers, the Atlantic coast and Laguna Merín are specially protected by planning instruments. In subdivisions approved but not consolidated inside the strip, without infrastructure and with most lots unbuilt, building is allowed only through a Special Plan that reorders the area, keeps the first 150 metres from the shore as open space, ensures access and avoids continuous building parallel to the coast. Administrative appeals do not suspend measures in the coastal strip.
Cost to do it: Special Plan costs; loss of the first 150 metres to open space.
Example: An old unbuilt beach subdivision lot near the shore may be unbuildable until a Special Plan is approved. / Do not rely on old approved subdivision plans on the coast.Ley Nº 18.308, Art. 50, 2008-06-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Rule	Source
250 m defence strip, ministerial authorization for changes	Código de Aguas art. 153
Restoration and fines	Código de Aguas art. 154
Special Plan, 150 m open space for unconsolidated subdivisions	Ley Nº 18.308 art. 50

Coastal rules

Worked example

A foreign buyer of a lot in an old seaside subdivision in Maldonado checks whether it lies within 250 metres of the shore and whether the subdivision is consolidated; if not, building waits for a Special Plan.

Step by step

Measure the distance from the upper shore limit or the nearest paved coastal road.
Ask the department whether the subdivision is consolidated and whether a Special Plan exists.
Obtain ministerial authorization before earthworks or sand extraction.

Common traps

Old approved subdivision plans do not guarantee buildability on the coast.
Appeals do not suspend coastal enforcement.

Sources

← Zoning, subdivision and building permits in Uruguay: land categories, cessions, value capture and planning finesWater rights in Uruguay: public ownership of water, permits and concessions of up to 50 years, and wetlands →