'Permanent Residency in Retirement' Retirement

Bob (219.88.254.158) -

Can anyone tell me the exact requirements to secure permanent residency status in Uruguay as a retired person plus wife? I am a 65 year old British subject.

Many thanks for any help that you can provide

Bob

Comment #1 Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) -

You need to meeting the monthly income requirements (probably on the order of US$500/month). Show a clean police records and provide the suitable documents (birth certificate, etc). Documents from outside Uruguay will need to be authenicated and translated (if needed).

You also have to have a local health examin that costs about US$20.

Comment #2 peekaboo from my frozen igloo (Contact Member) -

Wow, that is interesting to know that you are required to show proof of income in order to become a citizen? I wonder it the US requires that? It's good to know they don't want bums roaming the streets!

Comment #3 Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) -

Well, it is income (and a clean police record) you need to show for Residency (the right to live in the country long term). The requirement for Citizenship is more or less to be a resident for enough time.

Most countries want people that will enhance their place to become residents (as opposed to "bums"). Therefore, I think you'll find all countries have some income requirements. They are usually based on what normal costs of living there are and usually seem quite low based on US standards.

Many countries such as Costa Rica don't allow one to work even after they get residency. Uruguay, however does allow one to work once they get residency; though I suspect most don't as they have already shown they can support themselves without working in Uruguay.

I'm not sure anyone walks to talk about immigration to the USA here!

Comment #4 tony gibson (68.109.179.140) -

dear sir

what do I need to get from authorities to show

a clean police record? is there a name for it? thanks tony

Comment #5 Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) -

What I did was go to the Montevideo Interpol Office. They took my fingerprints, some money (I think about US$18) and then sent it off to the FBI and the results were sent directly to immigration.

Comment #6 Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) -

I should mention that the process may be different for people from different countries as they have different requirements based on country of birth. For example if you are from the USA and haven't lived anywhere else the Interpol report is fine. If you lived outside the USA they will need a report from every country you lived in for the past 5 years. If you are from Colombia you will need one from every country you ever lived in.

Comment #7 PokerPrincess from Canada, Earth (Contact Member) -

What about from Canada? I would imagine it would be the same as the U.S. though.

However, you are saying $500 U.S. per month. Do you mean to say that you can live in Uruguay comfortably with only $500.00 a month income to cover rent, auto, food, clothes and entertainment?

If that's the case WOW!!!! What are accommodations like in Uruguay? Let's say I wanted to buy a bungalow what would that cost?

Comment #8 Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) -

What I am saying is that the immigration laws require you to have $500/mon income. That is also probably more than many Uruguayans earn in a month.

But your question "that you can live in Uruguay comfortably with only $500.00 a month income to cover rent, auto, food, clothes and entertainment?"

Is much different.

Who said anything about autos? Are you planing to live alone or with others? What neighborhood? Will you be comfortable in a $60/month apt vs a $500/month apt. Do you want to live in Montevideo or in the boonies?

Comment #9 PokerPrincess from Canada, Earth (Contact Member) -

Oh my goodness, a %60/month apt. Where the heck would you be living to have an apartment for $60 a month?

I would be living alone and I would want to be in a nice clean safe area and would require a car to drive because I have a bad heart and a bad hip.

So where would you suggest I look for housing or apartment living? I hear that there is a lot of crime in Montevideo. Is that true?

Comment #10 Robbie (203.211.91.39) -

I have all the info about permanent residency directly from the Uruguay Embassy in Australia.

I can email you all the documents.

Cheers,

Robbie

• Energy Medicine

Comment #11 lily from valley (Contact Member) -

$60 a month? It sounds like a good deal but for that price I wonder if it is really in a good area. I never thought about retiring there but it seems like it might be cheap to live there.

Comment #12 Irv in Pocitos from Montevideo, Uruguay (Contact Member) -

Hello PokerPrincess.. fellow Canadian..

$60/mo is NOT in a good area...

For $150/mo you can find a clean, 1 bedroom in a decent area. For $300/mo you can get a very nice 1 bedroom in the nicest part of town within a few blocks of the beach. All the apts I've seen here are condos.. You have to pay the condo fee on top of the rent. That adds another 10 to 20% to the monthly cost. If you're planning on being here in the winter, look for one with radiant heating. July and August are damp and cold.

Unless you go to a bad part of town, (there are a few), Montevideo is safe, even by Canadian big city standards. Random violence is rare. Most crime is against property - when you're not home. Uruguayan burglars are very creative.

IMHO, nice and clean and safe = Pocitos. Carrasco is clean and safe too but I wouldnt describe it as nice. It's more like 'grand'. 4x4 Mercedes and BMW's. Big lawns, backyards and houses. Back to suburbia.

Car? Before we came here, we were a 3 car family. Cant remember the last time any of us walked anywhere in Toronto. In Pocitos, we share one car and rarely use it. Taxis are cheap and easy to get--even in the rain. Everything you need is within 4 blocks. Supermarket, fruit store, dry cleaner, laundry, bank, hairdresser, at least 4 good restaurants and a few take outs.

If you're a mall person, you can rent within 4 blocks of the nicest one in Montevideo.

Bungalow? Difficult in Pocitos--mostly condos and 2 floors. But in other parts of the city, they exist. Range $60K and up for something decent.

Buying house/apt? I've met a couple of honest agents here but for the most part, dont trust real estate agents.. It's not the system we're used to. Jungle rules.

References:

Pocitos shopping mall:

Google: Punta Carretas shopping

Apartment rentals classified

Google: gallito.com

Click on 'Inmuebles'

In the 'subrubro' box choose 'alquiler apartamentos'

In the 'clasification' box choose 'Pocitos 1 dorm'

To calculate rents; for USD divide by 24. For CAD divide by 20

Comment #13 johnmacdonald from panama (Contact Member) -

Can you bring your furniture and personal things to Uruguay while you are applying for residency?

Comment #14 Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) -

You will need to make a refundable deposit that would cover the taxes which is returned upon completion of your residency. Or at least that is how I think it works.

Comment #15 Irv in Pocitos from Montevideo, Uruguay (Contact Member) -

There is a provision for people coming here to live. A good broker can get your container (or shipment) released without putting up a substantial deposit if you can prove you're going the residency route. You should be able to get your temporary cedula within 15 days of arriving. If you plan your shipment to arrive after that, you can show the temp cedular with the proper documentation and get 6-12 months to produce the residencia legal (permanente) at which time, the duties are dropped.

Comment #16 Javier from Montevideo (Contact Member) -

Please remember you can't initiate any paper work for residency without your birth certificate.

As Lee said before you can get your criminal records from Interpol here, but you must have a notarized birth certificate.

The first step to apply for residency is to get your birth certificate translated (by a Public Translator) and submit it to the Office of Civil Registry. One you get there you can get things moving at the Immigration Department.

Also know that your birth certificate must be visated by the Uruguayan Consul in your country, this can also be done at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but it'll take about an extra monthg if you are lucky.

I see some of you have very useful information about moving to Uruguay and others have very important questions to be answered. I invite you all to registry at my blog (you can see it on my profile) and post some of this info so it is available to everybody.

Comment #17 william john reese (71.10.32.239) -

i would like to know more about permanent residency in Uruguay, i plan to retire as a correctional officer with the state of michigan.my wife is a dental hygienist.we both will be in our early 50s when we retire and like helping others.

Comment #18 Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) -

Basically you show that you have US$500+ of monthly income. Do you have any specific question(s)?

Comment #19 Robert Hodge (200.42.249.83) -

I am a US expatriate and retired military. I have been living in the Dominican Republic for ten years and have my Permanent Residency, Cedula, plus Dominican Drivers License. I have my military retirement, social security in addition, I am self-employed (small business counseling). I assist persons in starting small home or family run businesses. I also have three dogs that provide me with a good sense of security. Would I have any problem bringing my dogs with me? I would like to possibly live in or near a small town, with public transportation to Montevideo, in a possibly small house with a little property to garden. I would like to rent or lease at first with a possibility of purchasing a place of my own eventually. However, I do plan a preliminary visit for a week or so in July 2008.

Bob Hodge

Comment #20 Kim from Cali (70.130.69.229) -

My husband and I are looking at retiring and moving from the US in about 8 months. We will have a federal government retirement and two small children. We are interested in permanent residency leading to citizenship. Does it matter that we have small children? We also would like to know what the path to citizenship is for a retiree. Do you have to be a year round resident or does time away count against you for getting your citizenship. Thanks

Kim

Comment #21 Oregon Woodsmoke from Bend, Oregon, USA (Contact Member) -

I saw it written where persons whose income is from a pension or rents must show $1500 a month, not $500. The $500 figure must be for a salary.

Ood, because rents or pension would certainly be a more reliable income.

I am pretty sure that the income figure is per person, not per family.

A disclaimer here: I haven't never even been to Uruguay. I am just researching like crazy, with plans to move to Uruguay and purchase a house.

Comment #22 ray tanner (195.194.77.152) -

Hi,

I do not qualify for a pension as yet and wondered if the guaranteed income could be done by another way such as a sizeable bank deposit account?

Comment #23 Wilbur Corncob from Punta del Este (Contact Member) -

"sizeable bank deposit account, " yes, but then I think you are talking about on the order of US$100, 000 (or real estate of a similar value).

But the income requirements for residence do not require your income come from a pension. Just that it doesn't come from "working" (unless it is of course based on a job offer to work in Uruguay).

Comment #24 ray tanner (195.194.77.152) -

Hi,

Thanks for the quick response. I would like to buy a house in Uruguay and retire early so to speak. I would not get a private pension for another 2 years so would have to support myself until then.

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