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    Passive income — Latin America

    🇺🇾Uruguay

    Permanent Residency (Rentista)

    Most stable South American democracy with one of the most generous expat tax holidays.

    Duration
    Permanent on grant
    Threshold
    ≈ $1,500–$2,000/mo income (case-by-case)
    Application fee
    Free state fees (legal fees apply)
    Path to PR
    PR on grant; citizenship at 3 years (married/family) or 5 (single).
    Tax treatment
    11-year tax holiday on foreign financial income for new residents.
    Family
    Spouse and minors included.

    Required documents

    • ·Apostilled birth and marriage certificates
    • ·Police clearance from every country lived in 5+ years
    • ·Health certificate from Uruguayan provider

    Things to know

    • ·PR is granted before citizenship — there is no temporary visa stage.
    • ·Spanish required at citizenship interview.

    Apostille & legalization

    Apostille route

    Apostille only — both United States and Uruguay are parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.

    Documents that must be apostilled

    • ·Marriage certificate
    • ·Document explicitly flagged for legalisation
    • ·Police / criminal-record clearance
    • ·Medical certificate

    Bank statements, employment contracts, photos, passport copies and the application form itself do not need an apostille.

    1. Obtain originals or certified copies of each civil/criminal record (birth certificate, marriage certificate, police clearance, diploma, etc.).
    2. Have each document apostilled by the competent authority in United States (U.S. Department of State — Office of Authentications).
    3. Translate the apostilled document into the official language of Uruguay — the apostille itself is also translated.
    4. Submit the apostilled + translated bundle directly to the Uruguay immigration authority or consulate; no further consular stamp is required.

    Translation: Most documents must be translated into the local language by a certified translator. Agency translations are usually accepted.

    Issuing authority in United States: U.S. Department of State — Office of Authentications

    Documents older than 3–6 months are often rejected. Plan to obtain fresh originals shortly before your visa application.

    Official immigration portal

    Verified 2026 — confirm current rules before applying.

    Other residency programs in Latin America

    Full mobility

    Uruguay passport — full mobility report

    More on Uruguay

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