Customs Regulations in Uruguay

Used Household Goods and Personal Effects

Documents Required*

• Copy of passport and ID
• Express release bill of lading (OBL) / air waybill (AWB)
• Packing list in Spanish legalized by Uruguayan Consulate
• Certificate of residence in Spanish (stating minimum of 2 years abroad) (returning citizens)
• Authorization resolution (Uruguayan diplomat)
• Certificate of entrance issued by the Migratory National Direction (private non – citizens, returning citizens, foreigners under legal residence)
• Certificate of residence (only returning citizens and foreigners under legal residence)
• Documents proving that legal residence procedure has been started (non – citizens)
• Diplomatic franchise authorization issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Uruguay upon request of the embassy or international organization in Uruguay (foreign diplomats)
• Uruguayan diplomats need a certificate issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating the period of employment abroad.
• Customs guarantee (foreigners with no legal Uruguayan residence)
• Signed letter of request for Customs requesting entry for household goods and personal effects (returning citizens / foreigners under legal residence)
• Banking guarantee letter (bond) in the value of the shipment, issued by a local bank in Uruguay (private non-citizens)

Specific Information

• Items other than household goods and personal effects are subject to import duties.
• Contact the local agent in Uruguay for specific regulations and requirements to avoid Customs issues, delays and extra costs.
• The packing list in Spanish must be authenticated by the Uruguayan Consulate at origin and must be typed on a computer or typewriter and printed on letterhead.
• This is mandatory only for returning citizens or foreigners already under permanent residence.
• The OBL / AWB must be endorsed by the owner of the goods with the same signature used on the entry documents when the owner of the goods physically entered Uruguay.
• Do not indicate “packed by owner” (PBO) on the packing list.
• Industrial tools, machinery, new appliances, etc. are not considered personal effects.
• The certificate of entrance is issued by the National Direction of Migration.
• For this reason, the move must be started and finished (with the entry of the personal effects and household goods) in the same condition (as a legal resident or as a foreigner citizen requesting legal residence).
• The condition must not be changed during the procedure (foreign citizens without legal residence in Uruguay).
• For the authority resolution, the owner of the goods should contact the local agent in Uruguay as the process involves multiple governmental ministries and can be confusing (returning diplomats).
• Non – citizens who have not yet obtained legal residence in Uruguay may import their household goods and personal effects duty and tax-free only if they have started the request procedure to obtain legal residence.
• The amount of the bank guarantee is determined based on the declared value of the shipment provided by the owner of the goods (foreign citizens without legal residence in Uruguay).
• A returning citizen with more than 2 years of residence abroad who decides to return permanently may import their household goods and personal effects duty and tax-free.
• The certificate of residence must state that the owner of the goods has lived abroad for at least 2 years.
• The owner of the goods must produce a bank guarantee with Uruguayan Customs which must remain in force until the permanent residence is granted.
• Returning diplomats must obtain an authenticated packing list from the Uruguayan Consulate at origin.
• Owner of the goods must arrive in Uruguay before shipment’s arrival at airport / port.
• The owner of the goods must obtain a Customs release with a note or diplomatic franchise for the incoming household goods.
• The process should be managed by the diplomat’s embassy, Consulate, or diplomatic organization to obtain the relevant documentation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (foreign diplomats).

Motorized Vehicles*

Documents Required

• Copy of passport / diplomatic identity card issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (foreign diplomats)
• Original commercial invoice in owner of the goods’ name
• Driving document in owner of the goods’ name
• Express release bill of lading
• Certificate or written evidence of car’s registration at origin country, dated 6 months before owner of the goods’ arrival to Uruguay and authenticated by the Uruguayan Consulate at origin (returning citizens)
• Written evidence of freight and insurance issued by the moving company at origin in case the movement is managed from Uruguay
• Copy of identity card (returning Uruguayan diplomats, returning citizens)
• Employment confirmation from country of origin (returning citizens)
• Confirmation of ownership and usage at origin for a period of more than 12 months (returning citizens)
• Personal sworn statement from owner of the goods (returning citizens)
• Confirmation of residency abroad for a period greater than 2 years (returning citizens)
• Vehicle property document or circulation document issued in owner of the goods’ name (foreign diplomats)
• Declaration seeking protection expressly to the law N º 18.250 and to the Decree #330/2008 (returning citizens)
• Diplomatic franchise authorization issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Uruguay upon request of the Embassy of International Organization (foreign diplomats)

Specific Information

• Foreign citizens cannot import vehicles unless importing under a diplomatic status.
• Private non – citizens and Uruguayan diplomats are not allowed to import vehicles.
• It is strongly recommended that the returning citizens contact the local agent in Uruguay prior to importing a vehicle.
• The owner of the goods must provide documentation that demonstrates permanent and uninterrupted residence in the country of origin for a period of at least 2 years.
• This documentation must be legalized by the Uruguayan Consulate at origin (returning citizens).
• The vehicle cannot be sold or transferred for a period of 4 years and must be registered directly by the owner of the goods with the appropriate local authorities (returning citizens).
• The owner of the goods must meet with Customs each year for the 4 years following the date of import.
• Uruguayan citizens returning home are only allowed one authorized automobile or motorbike with a minimum of 12 months of use and must be in the owner of the goods’ name.

Pets

Documents Required

• Vaccination record
• Veterinary health certificate issued by competent authorities at origin
• Photographs of the pet (2 copies)
• Certificate of anti-hydrofolic inoculation

Specific Information

• The certificate of anti-hydrofolic inoculation must be at least 30 days old but no older than 12 months after the date on the application.
• The certificate itself must be less than 10 working days old when the animal arrives to the country.

Wedding Trousseau / Gifts

• Wedding gifts (require a separate packing list and a visa marriage certificate) (customs duties may apply)
• Inherited goods (require a tax payment and appraisal, which takes approximately 30 days) (customs duties may apply)

Restricted/Dutiable Items

• Weapons and ammunition
• Works of art and antiques
• Alcohol and tobacco products
• Food
• Jewelry and coins
• Bicycles (allowed only as part of a household goods shipment)
• New household goods subject to duties and value added tax.
• If new goods are in reasonable amount and as part of the shipment, may be imported duty free.
• Domestic appliances, devices, and/or machines (not classified as “household goods” by Uruguayan Customs)
• Contact the local agent in Uruguay for specific regulations and requirements to avoid Customs issues, delays, and extra costs.
• Televisions, refrigerators, and other domestic appliances (must be in proportion to the size of the shipment and the members of the family)
• Medicines, drugs / narcotics
• Specialized tools / instruments will be duty free only if provided with a professional degree legalized by Uruguayan Consulate
• Car appliances
• Fumigation is required in Uruguay
• Firearms and Weapons:
• Weapons imported into Uruguay are kept under custody by the Uruguayan Armed Forces.
• Only sport guns may be imported and require a permit from Ministry of Defense.
• All firearms must be declared in the packing list.
• This includes the listing of all specifications of the weapon and all property documents must accompany it for Customs.
• At the moment of loading the container, weapons must be placed at the door of container to enable easy access for the Customs Officer.
• Customs will take possession of the weapon at the moment of shipment arrival and take them for safekeeping to the Service of Material and Armament.
• The weapon will be kept there until the owner of the goods obtains permission to import the weapon.
• Foreign citizens must obtain legal residence and an Uruguayan identity card before obtaining permission to import a weapon.

Prohibited Items

• New domestic appliances if not in reasonable amounts
• Contact the local agent in Uruguay for specific regulations and requirements to avoid Customs issues, delays, and extra costs.
• Medicines, narcotics, or drugs
• Pornographic or subversive materials
• Live plants

Consignment Instructions

Recommended: Contact the destination agent to ensure all requirements for the customs regulations in Uruguay have been met prior to import, especially for differences regarding air/sea shipments.

Helpful Websites:

Travel.State.Gov – Uruguay Country Info
USembassy.Gov – Uruguay

Cultural and Other Information:

CIA World Factbook Entry for Uruguay
Wikipedia Entry for Uruguay

The preceding conditions for the customs regulations in Uruguay are provided by the International Association of Movers – IAM. For more information please visit: http://www.iamovers.org/

* Depending on your personal situation, the following documents for the customs regulations in Uruguay may be relevant. For individual cases or specific information, click here –  we and our agents are at your disposal. 

All specifications are without guarantee and based on our own research. We do not take any claim of completeness as well as correctness. We cannot guarantee that the content is updated and accurate and suggest to the concerned people that it is urgently required to obtain the current information from official authorities and involved service providers like customs agents in the respective importing countries before the individual removal project starts.