'Questions not answered' Expat

• EXPAT LUNCH: Sunday, May 27, 2012
  Not a week missed in 6-1/2 years!
• Now in Asuncion, Paraguay too!
• EXPAT DINNER: Thursday, May 24, 2012

Questions not answered

1) As a lifelong daily lap swimmer, proximity to a pool will determine which area (even which country) I live in. According to www.swimmersguide.com, pools available to the public are in Colonia del Sacramento, Salto, and, of course, Monetvideo. Can you verify this? Entry fee or membership cost per visit, month, year?

2) I am interested in retiring to Uruguay for 3 things I’ve never found in the U.S. and that have been painfully detrimental to my quality of life: a community of friends, the freedom to explore nature unmolested, and cheap cost of living (In the Mid-Atlantic, I live on $5, 000/yr--no electronics, AC/heat, vegetable garden). Might I find these 3 in Uruguay?

3) Is the “European feel” of Uruguay a myth? If not, does it extend beyond Monetvideo? Or only to select cities? If so, which cities?

4) Are eye exams and dental cleaning included in free medical care? If not, what do they (and eyeglasses) cost?

5) Require proof of health insurance to enter and/or become resident?

6) What is tax or tax rate on annual income from U.S. to cover living expenses? Is there an income threshold under which I won’t be taxed?

7) Can I bring/ship in tea, toothpaste? What are the cost of necessities like floss?

8) I’ve read that cheap, small apartments in safe areas can be had away from the beach (in Salto, Fray Bentos, Mercedes, etc.) for $150-175/mo. True? (I considered Ecuador and Southern Italy, but the violent crime is scary.)

9) What do you wish you’d known before you arrived?

10) What would you bring?

11) What would you do differently to prepare? After arrival?

12) I don’t know a soul in Uruguay. If you are willing to be my “touchstone, ” what can I bring in return from U.S.?

1) I think you will find that some of the sports clubs have pools. There doesn't seem to be a relevance of municipal pools as in the USA. You pay a monthly membership for the clubs

2) - a community of friends -> Uruguayan... American... ? American Expat seem to be easy to make friends with. Compared to Paraguayans Uruguayans are difficult to make friends with. It's all relative.

- freedom to explore nature unmolested: Oh yes!

- cheap cost of living: I can't stand the word cheap.. for one rent of $100 a month is expensive and for another $10, 000 a month is cheap. Though at the sunday meetings one of the most common comments by newcomers is, "Uruguay is not cheap". I always ask: "Who says it is?"

3) I would be a bit sarcastic in my answer here and say, "who cares"? Come and see if you like it. It's not Europe, but when they Europeans came they basically killed all the indigenous people, so there are less indigenous influences than some other parts of Latin American.

4) There is NO free medical care (well, there probably is for the very poor). You could check with the particular Multalista you will become a member of for specifics.

The British Hospital includes eye exams. Glasses are incredible expensive. I was looking at US$700+ for some multi-focal lenses and glasses... the place that had a discount with my British Hospital membership was even more. I finally filled the prescription in the Philippines for under US$200. A big part of the problem was they all wanted to sell some brandname frames.

Dental was included in the separate "Ambulance" plan for an extra fee and I was unhappy with that service. A filling at a private dentist runs about 1, 000 pesos (price update anyone)?

5) You need a medical exam for residency. It is superficial. It is not clear whether it is possible to fail the exam, or whether it is simply a screening.

6) That is in flux and a point of unclarity. At the moment you are probably not liable to tax on earnings outside Uruguay. Those the law taxing such things was passed in 2011 and not yet implemented.

7) Probably (tea might be iffy), but if you have a suitcase full of toothpaste they might hassle you claiming you need to pay tax because you are planning to sell it. Look up prices on Tienda Inglesa website (follow my link for quick tips).

8) I know someone that was paying $120 a month in Montevideo... not an Expat and not a neighborhood expats live in.. .and not something found in the newspaper or online. Maybe, but I think you'd need really need to pound the pavement in those areas to find out. See what buscandocasa lists (same link). Check the rental deposits... 1 month rent, plus 5 months deposit, plus 1 month real estate commission does not in my mind equal cheap (regardless of how low the rent is).

9) Nothing, I arrived with the idea of staying if I liked it and going if I didn't. I did end up pretty much going, though I still have an Apartment in Montevideo. I had no plans to leave, but with the new tax laws, it looked better to be out of the country for 6 months of 2011 and it turned into 11 months... a lot of it based on my answer to you in #2.

10) A suitcase full of clothes and an adventurous attitude.

11) Nothing keep an open mind and explore.

12) Stop by the Sunday lunch or Thursday dinner and you'll make some instant expat friends, maybe some locals too.

The longer I am outside the USA... the less interest in I have in things from the USA.

Expert Page: Quick Tips for Getting Settled in Uruguay

1. The Club Esparta (a local sporting club) has an outdoor pool for use in summer. The Nivana hotel in nearby Nueva Helvecia has an indoor heated pool. We also have the Rio Plata c/w stunning sandy beaches. Esparta membership costs 500 pesos (25U$S) a year, I don't know what the Nivana charges and the rio is free.

2. Uruguayos are "reserved but friendly" so it can take time to make close friends here. Personal freedom is what we do best. Living on 5k U$S a year would be very difficult or impossible.

3. Here we are Swiss and Piemontese (alpine Italian.) Overall, the ROU's population is 90%+ European. If you're expecting colorful Indio ladies in bowler hats, you'll be disappointed.

4. My mutualista (healthcare co-op) does offer dental care but it involves travelling 25 kms to Juan L Lacaze. I use a private dentist in Valdense who charges less than my former "free" UK health service dentist. Spex are done privately through opticians and the price depends on the type in question. I have complex varifocals which came from Chile and cost 7, 780$ (about 390 U$S.)

5. No... though you'll have to do a local Carnet de Salud (health inspection) for immigration if you wish to become a permanent resident.

6. Yes but. At present a foreigner's foreign income isn't taxed. A law was passed 13 months ago which will apply 12% income tax on certain sorts of untaxed foreign income but for reasons unexplained, it has yet to be introduced. The annual tax exempt allowance for locally derived taxable income is between 3k and 4k U$S/person.

7. If you bring yes and yes but shipping can get complicated. I use a special "flossing" toothbrush which cost me 90$ (4.50 U$S) locally c/w a box of spare bristly things.

8. I don't know. Rough rural houses rent for between 250 to 400 U$S a month in these parts.

9. Nothing. I spent 4+ years doing research and made 3 visits and a grand tour before moving here.

10. I arrived here with just a suitcase and spent 2 years finding my perfect small farm, buying it and starting to rebuild/extend the house. Only then did I import a 45 foot container with the accumulated junk of a lifetime plus a new anti-pet hair vacuum cleaner and the most comfortable sofa and reclining chairs available in northern Italy :-)

11. No

12. I'll let you know nearer the time :-)

We encourage everyone to share their opinions, comments, thoughts and information, please consider sharing...

Please register or login in to reply to this post:

• Login
  (Register)

• Meet Americans in Uruguay (Punta del Este)
• Security of Americans in Uruguay? (Expat)
• Questions about Uruguay (Expat)
• Residency (Immigration)
• More related posts for Questions not answered

Related posts on other sites:

• What are the prospects for Americans in Uraguay? (World Forum)
• Post: Why Retire in the Philippines Expat? (Philippines Expat and Travel Forum)

Related eBooks:

• Uruguay 2011 Travel Guide City Guides for Montevideo, Punta del Este, Piriapoli