{"id":17274,"date":"2018-02-12T05:08:28","date_gmt":"2018-02-12T10:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=17274"},"modified":"2020-09-19T05:52:37","modified_gmt":"2020-09-19T10:52:37","slug":"retire-in-uruguay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/retire-in-uruguay\/","title":{"rendered":"Retire in Uruguay"},"content":{"rendered":"

Uruguay is becoming a known retirement haven thanks to its safe and secure economy and culture.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Combined with its pleasant weather and first world amenities – such as fast, reliable internet and clean drinking water. About 90 percent of the population is European (mostly Spanish and Italian), so there is a European feel to the culture as well. This country offers a quiet lifestyle with farmland or life on the beachfront, whichever you prefer. It\u2019s small in size and population and allows for a happy, quiet retirement.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cost of Living<\/b><\/h2>\n

Uruguay<\/a> is not among the most affordable places to retire. When compared to other South American countries like <\/span>Nicaragua<\/span><\/a> or some parts of <\/span>Panama<\/span><\/a>, it can seem pricey. The current exchange rate from the U.S. dollar to the Uruguayan peso is 0.035 UYU to $1 USD. Still, with the dollar coming out so favorably, you\u2019ll still find yourself paying at least $700 USD\/month to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Montevideo. <\/span><\/p>\n

Life in Uruguay is still plenty affordable, and likely cheaper than where you\u2019re coming from. A three-bedroom apartment in the city center runs at just over $1,000 USD per month. Depending on which lifestyle and area you choose, you can live a comfortable life on anywhere between $1,300 USD per month and $2,700 USD per month.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Retirement Visa<\/b><\/h2>\n

You may choose to apply for a retirement visa in Uruguay <\/a>rather than a regular permanent resident visa. This will allow you to bring your vehicle over duty free, and it will also grant you a passport without any wait time. Neither of these options are available with the regular rentista visa. There isn\u2019t an income requirement that needs to be met, but most of the time a monthly income of $1,500 will suffice.<\/span><\/p>\n

When applying for residency, you\u2019ll have to go to immigration in person, and a permanent residency application can take anywhere between six months and two years to process. Fortunately, you can go ahead and begin your life in Uruguay during the waiting time. You will be issued an ID card right away, and this will allow you virtually all of the same rights as a permanent resident. This includes opening a bank account and obtaining a driver\u2019s license.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you continue to spend a majority of your time in Uruguay, you can apply for citizenship after five years of residency. Uruguay frowns on paper residencies, so it will be important to show that you intend to spend most of your time living there. During the process to be granted either permanent residency or citizenship, the government may check in on you to see that you are in fact living in the country. This is highly important for them. You can also hold on to your citizenship from the country you\u2019re leaving as well. Uruguay allows for a double citizenship and its passport allows visa-free access to many other countries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is what you\u2019ll need when applying:<\/span><\/p>\n