Uruguay Residence Certificate: Which One You Need and How to Get It

A bank, an employer, a foreign authority or the Electoral Court may ask you for a Uruguay residence certificate, but they don’t always mean the same document. This guide explains the residence certificates issued by Uruguay’s National Immigration Office, what each one is for, the cost and how to request them, and how they differ from a tax residence certificate. If you don’t have residency yet, start with our guide to legal residency in Uruguay.

Which residence certificate do you need?

What you need it for	Document	Issued by
Proving you are a legal resident (banks, employers, authorities abroad)	Immigration certificate	National Immigration Office
Proving your entries and exits (citizenship, tax residency)	Immigration certificate with travel history	National Immigration Office
Getting or renewing your ID card	Immigration certificate for the ID card	National Immigration Office
Voting in Uruguay without citizenship	Residence certificate	Electoral Court
Proving tax residency (tax treaties, foreign banks)	Tax residence certificate	DGI

Immigration certificate (certificado migratorio)

This is the residence certificate in the strict sense: an Immigration Office document that proves your immigration status (residency in process, temporary or permanent) and, if requested, your travel history (entries into and exits from Uruguay).

• Requirement: a valid ID. A representative needs a notarized power of attorney.
• Minors: requested by a parent with the birth certificate (apostilled and translated if foreign, issued within the last year).
• Fee: 55.70 UI.
• Delivery: digital, by email.

The travel history is mainly used to prove habitual residence when applying for Uruguayan citizenship and to prove days of presence for tax residency.

Immigration certificate for the ID card

To get a Uruguayan ID card as a foreigner, the Civil Identification Office requires an Immigration Office certificate proving your residency.

• First ID card: requested during the residency process, with residency in process; you don’t have to wait for approval.
• Renewal: permanent residents request the certificate for ID renewal online, while in Uruguay, up to 6 months before the card expires. Review takes about 15 days, then you receive a payment link.
• Fee: 55.70 UI.

How to request a residence certificate

1. Log in to the online process on gub.uy with a gub.uy account or digital ID.
2. Fill in the form, stating whether you also need your travel history.
3. Upload your ID (front and back).
4. Pay through payment networks or bank debit.
5. Receive the certificate by email.

If the certificate is for use abroad, it may need an apostille. See apostille and legalization.

Residence certificate for voting without citizenship

Article 78 of Uruguay’s Constitution lets foreigners vote without becoming citizens if they meet certain conditions. The Electoral Court issues a specific residence certificate for registering in the National Civic Registry. You need at least 15 years of habitual residence, good conduct, a family established in Uruguay and capital, property or a profession in the country. It is free, issued in person and valid for life. With fewer years, the route to voting is legal citizenship, available after 3 or 5 years.

Tax residence certificate (DGI)

The tax residence certificate is issued by the DGI and proves you are a Uruguayan tax resident, for example to apply a double tax treaty or to report your tax residency to a foreign bank. You can be a legal resident without being a tax resident, and vice versa. See tax residency in Uruguay.

FAQ

Need a certificate and not sure which one?

At GlobalTax we identify the document you are being asked for, request it on your behalf and, if it is for use abroad, handle the apostille, in English, Spanish or Portuguese. Contact us.