Full Country Name: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Capital: Montevideo
Area: 177.410 km2
Population:  3.100.000 inhabitants
Major Industries: Its economy traditionally has been based on agriculture, wool, rice, textiles, leather, meat, and tourism.

LOCATION
Uruguay, one of the smallest countries in South America, is located on the Atlantic coast between Argentina and Brazil, the two largest countries of the continent. The country is divided into 19 “departments” (provinces, states), Montevideo being its capital, where half of the country’s population lives.

CLIMATE
Located entirely within the temperate zone, Uruguay has a climate that is fairly uniform nationwide. Seasonal variations are certain, but extremes in temperature are rare. Due to its abundance of water, high humidity and fog are very common. The lack of mountains, which act as wind barriers, makes the whole country vulnerable to high winds and rapid changes in weather as fronts or storms sweep across the country.  Seasons are fairly well defined, and in most of Uruguay spring is usually damp, cool, and windy, summers are warm, autumns are mild, and winters are chilly and uncomfortably damp. Average highs and lows in summer (January) in Montevideo are 30º C and 17° C.  During winter (July) average highs and lows in Montevideo are 14° C and 0° C, although the high humidity makes the temperatures feel colder.

GOVERNMENT
Uruguay is a constitutional republic, with a President chosen by mandatory elections that are done every 5 years. The elected president appoints the Cabinet, or Council of Ministers. The judicial branch is made up of a five-member Supreme Court, which also administrates the local courts. The Supreme Court of Uruguay is highly regarded as corruption free and independent from politics.

CURRENCY
In Uruguay, the currency used is the Uruguayan Peso. Its fixed exchange rate is Uruguayan Peso $19.75 to USD $1.

Banks
All banks in Uruguay are monitored by the Central Bank of Uruguay and the Central Bank of Uruguay is responsible for all monetary policy. Banks are open Monday-Friday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm and are closed on weekends and bank holidays. The main banks in Uruguay are:

• Banco República - www.bancorepublica.com.uy
• Citibank - www.latinamerica.citibank.com
• HSBC - www.hsbc.com.uy
• Lloyds TSB - www.lloydstsb.com.uy
• Nuevo Banco Comercial - www.nbc.com.uy
• Santander - www.santander.com.uy

LANGUAGE
Spanish is the official language, however, English is taught in schools and many high-level executives and professionals speak it fluently.

RELIGION
Most of the people in Uruguay are Roman Catholic; however they are not a very religious country, as opposed to most other Latin countries.

SHOPPING
Uruguay is world widely famous for its fine leather or pure wool garments and accessories.  Handicrafts, especially made in local stones (agates and amethysts) are sought after as well.  Antique auctions in the city are extremely appealing to visitors as they can purchase anything from furniture to memorabilia.    
   
RESTAURANTS
Variety is wide and of excellent quality, although it’s difficult to find spicy foods.  Due to its agricultural nature, visitors are more likely to prefer Uruguay’s “parrilladas” or BBQ’s. International cuisine is the second option, either formal or informal environments.  The wine selection is abundant, especially our local variety “Tanat” and “Merlot”, which are being exported world widely today.   

ENTERTAINMENT
Night life in Uruguay increases mainly during the summer.  Pubs, restaurants with live music bands, discos, theatres, cultural events, and movies are always available.  Uruguay enjoys the longest Carnival in the world, 45 days, where tourists can participate in some of the local parades.  Sports are another year round form of entertainment, especially soccer, basketball, tennis, yachting, horse riding, jogging or simply walking along its beautiful coastline.  Uruguay offers a wide range of touristic sites to visit.  During the summer, all activities take place on the east of the country with beautiful summer beach resorts.  Punta Del Este, Piriápolis, and La Paloma are calmer and more restful environments. Punta Del Diablo or Valizas are fishing villages very popular among tourists.  In winter, tourism is drawn towards the western part of the country, with thermal water springs and pools in Salto and Paysandú, or visiting the old historical city of Colonia.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

Police: 911 Emergency call
Fire: 104
Ambulance: 147 (UCM)
Telephone Operator: 120
Directory Enquiries: 122

SCHOOLS

As most of the country’s population lives in Montevideo, international bilingual schools are tremendously popular.  Most of them are English, although German, Italian and French schools are also available.  The school year is from March through November, except for the Uruguayan American School in Montevideo which follows the European/American schedule which is August through June. Some of the most common schools are:

• The British Schools - http://www.british.edu.uy
• Uruguayan American School - http://www.uas.edu.uy
• Lycèe Français - http://www.lf.edu.uy
• Deutsche Schule Montevideo - http://www.dsm.edu.uy

IMMIGRATION PROCESS

There are 3 different kinds of residencies:

1. Mercosur residency: Maximum stay of 2 years and approval usually takes 6 months
2. Temporary Residency: Maximum stay of 4 years and approval usually takes 6 to 8 weeks.
3. Permanent Residency: Stay of 4 or more years and approval usually takes 6 months to 1 year.

Documentation required to bring BEFORE arriving in the country is:

1. Certified copy of birth certificate(s) duly legalized at the Uruguayan Consulate closest to place of birth.
2. Certified copy of marriage certificate duly legalized at the Uruguayan Consulate closest to place of marriage (if applicable).
3. Original Police Clearance(s) for all applicants  15 and older from the countries where they have lived in the past 5 years, duly legalized by the Uruguayan Consulates in the countries of residency. (Uruguay only accepts NATIONAL clearances and will reject local, state or county police clearances).
4. Tetanus vaccination.
5. Original passport(s).
6. Tourist card(s) (handed to traveller upon arrival).
7. Proof of income

Documentation required AFTER arriving in the country:

1. Local health certificate(s) (fasting, urine and blood samples required for adults only).
2. Smaller than passport-sized picture(s) (carnet).
3. Employment letter
4. Company registration Notary certificate

Please Note:  In Uruguay all documentation is retained and not returned except for passports. Once Immigrations has approved applicants’ residency, a local ID card must be obtained for all family members.  For those who will work in Uruguay, the local ID card becomes the Work Permit.

Important Immigration Links:

• American Consulate: http://montevideo.usembassy.gov
• American Chamber of Commerce: http://www.uruguaychamber.com

HOUSING

Rental prices vary depending on neighbourhood and the accommodations being sought (garden, pool, condo common areas, etc.).   Average prices for standard unfurnished apartments are:

• 1 bedroom: US$ 1.100 to US$ 1.500
• 2 bedrooms: US$ 1.800 to US$ 2.500
• 3 bedrooms: US$ 2.800 to US$ 3.500

HOLIDAYS

New Year:  January 1
3 Kings Day: January 6
Carnival: February 23-24
Holy Week: April (varies every year)
Patriotic Dis-embarkment: April 19
Labor Day: May 1
Battle of Las Piedras: May 18
Artigas’ Birthday: June 19
Constitution Day: July 18
Independence Day: August 25
America’s Day: Oct 12
Memorial Day: November 2
Christmas: Dec 25

Technical Information

Voltage: 220-Volt, 50 Cycles/sec.
Plugs: Standard American Plugs
Television Systems: PAL N/NTSC; 4 open air TV channels in Montevideo.  No digital TV.
Telecommunications: Telephones and mobile phones are accessible immediately as well as high speed internet, both for homes and offices.  Local cable TV companies have few channels to offer, except for one international company.