Uruguay Tax Residency by Investment: Real Estate or Business

By Global Tax · October 7, 2026

Aerial view of buildings in Punta del Este at dusk

In short:

You can become a Uruguayan tax resident by investment, without spending 183 days in the country, through four routes: two real estate and two business.
Real estate: over UI 15,000,000 (about USD 2.5 million), or over UI 3,500,000 (about USD 580,000) bought since 1 July 2020 plus 60 days of presence a year.
Business: over UI 45,000,000 in a promoted project, or over UI 15,000,000 creating 15 jobs.
Tax residency is not the same as the tax holiday: since 2026 the holiday requires 183 days or a larger investment (e.g. real estate over UI 12,500,000).

Contents

The four investment routes
Real estate
Business investment
Investment and the tax holiday
Proving it to the DGI
FAQ

Many investors cannot spend six months a year in Uruguay but can invest there. Uruguayan law lets you acquire tax residency through investment, and Law 20.446 added investment conditions in 2026 to keep the tax holiday. This guide explains the routes to Uruguay tax residency by investment, how to prove them and how they differ from the tax holiday investments. For the general framework, see Uruguay tax residency.

The four investment routes

Route	Minimum	Approx. USD	Presence required
Real estate	Over UI 15,000,000	2.5 million	None
Real estate bought since 1 July 2020	Over UI 3,500,000	580,000	More than 60 days a year
Business with a promoted project	Over UI 45,000,000	7.5 million	None
Business creating 15 new direct jobs (since 1 July 2020)	Over UI 15,000,000	2.5 million	None

Conversions use the September 2026 UI value. The investment is assessed at 31 December each year; one route is enough.

Tax residency through real estate

What counts is the acquisition price of Uruguayan property you own at 31 December, plus documented improvements; several properties can be added together. If you sell, you stop meeting the test for the year the property is no longer yours at year end. See real estate investments in Uruguay.

Tax residency through a business

Either over UI 45,000,000 in a company with a project promoted under the Investment Law (see investment project incentives), or over UI 15,000,000 since July 2020 in a company that creates at least 15 new direct jobs.

Investment for tax residency vs. for the tax holiday

	To be a tax resident	To keep the tax holiday (since 2026)
Real estate	Over UI 15,000,000, or UI 3,500,000 + 60 days	Over UI 12,500,000
Funds	Not a route	Over UI 625,000 a year in productive or innovation funds
Business	UI 45,000,000 (promoted) or UI 15,000,000 + 15 jobs	Direct investment expanding productive capacity
No-investment alternative	183 days	183 days

See Uruguay tax holiday.

Proving it to the DGI

Real estate: a notarial certificate with price, date and form of acquisition and property numbers, confirming ownership at 31 December (plus the Immigration arrival certificate for the 60-day route). Business: the promotion resolution and financial statements, or Labour Ministry and social security payroll records. Everything is filed with form 5202. See tax residence certificate.

Investing does not grant legal residency: that is a separate immigration application with no investment requirement. See Uruguay residency by investment.

FAQ

How much do I need to invest to become a Uruguayan tax resident?

Over UI 15,000,000 in real estate (about USD 2.5 million), or over UI 3,500,000 (about USD 580,000) plus 60 days of presence, or one of the business routes.

Does investment-based tax residency give me the tax holiday?

Not automatically. Since 2026 the holiday requires 183 days or a qualifying investment such as real estate over UI 12,500,000.

Do I have to live in Uruguay?

Not on the UI 15,000,000 route; on the UI 3,500,000 route, more than 60 days a year.

Investing to become a tax resident?

At GlobalTax we choose the right route, align it with the tax holiday and prepare the notarial documentation for the DGI, in English, Spanish or Portuguese. Contact us.