In short: yes, Uruguay allows dual citizenship (and dual nationality).
Contents
Dual citizenship is one of the reasons many foreigners choose Uruguay: becoming a Uruguayan citizen does not require giving up your original citizenship. But the Uruguayan system has its own particularities, because it distinguishes between nationality, natural citizenship and legal citizenship. This guide explains Uruguay’s dual citizenship law, how to get dual citizenship in Uruguay and the one case in which legal citizenship is lost.
Yes. Uruguayan law does not require you to renounce another nationality to obtain Uruguayan citizenship, and it does not strip Uruguayan nationality from anyone who acquires another. Uruguay sets no limit on how many nationalities a person may hold: any limit comes from the laws of the other countries involved.
| Situation | Dual citizenship allowed? | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Foreigner who obtains Uruguayan legal citizenship | Yes | That your home country does not remove your nationality when you naturalize. |
| Natural Uruguayan who acquires another nationality | Yes | Uruguayan nationality is never lost. |
| Legal citizen who naturalizes in a third country | Loses the Uruguayan one | Legal citizenship is lost (Article 81). |
| Child of foreigners born in Uruguay | Yes | They are Uruguayan; the other nationality depends on their parents’ country. |
The route is Uruguayan legal citizenship: 3 or 5 years of habitual residence, good conduct, means of support and two witnesses. At no point are you asked to renounce your original nationality.
One nuance: a legal citizen does not acquire Uruguayan nationality, only citizenship, and keeps their original nationality. That is precisely what allows them to hold both.
A Uruguayan by birth can obtain another nationality, for example Italian or Spanish by descent, without losing Uruguayan nationality. Under Article 81 of the Constitution, Uruguayan nationality is not lost even by naturalizing elsewhere.
Article 81 also provides that legal citizenship is lost through any subsequent naturalization in another country. In practice, a foreigner who becomes a Uruguayan legal citizen can hold their original nationality plus Uruguayan citizenship, but if they later naturalize in a third country they lose Uruguayan legal citizenship. If you plan further citizenships, the order of the applications matters.
Rules change. Before applying for Uruguayan citizenship, check the current law of your home country.
US citizens can become Uruguayan legal citizens and keep their US citizenship. Two points to keep in mind: the United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live, and US citizens must enter and leave the United States on their US passport.
Anyone born in Uruguay is a Uruguayan national and natural citizen, even if their parents are foreigners. Whether they can also hold their parents’ nationality depends on that country’s law, which often grants it by descent. Many children of foreigners living in Uruguay therefore have dual nationality from birth.
Holding dual citizenship does not determine where you pay tax. In Uruguay, as in most countries, taxation depends on tax residency, not citizenship. The main exception is the United States, which taxes its citizens based on citizenship. If you hold US and Uruguayan citizenship, plan your tax position in both countries.
Yes. It does not require you to renounce another nationality to become a citizen, and Uruguayan nationality is not lost by acquiring another.
No. Uruguay does not require it. Check whether your home country removes your nationality when you naturalize elsewhere.
Yes. The United States allows dual citizenship. Remember that US citizens are taxed by the US on worldwide income.
Uruguay sets no limit. The exception is legal citizenship, which is lost if the holder later naturalizes in another country.
Not by itself: taxation depends on tax residency. US citizens are the main exception.
At GlobalTax we review your case before you apply: your home country’s rules, the order of applications if you plan another citizenship, and the tax impact. Contact us.
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