Uruguay: visa and entry rules

Uruguay's borders: every crossing point

Uruguay's land border crossings, listed by neighbour:

With Brazil: Chuy — Chui, a town split by the border right along the street; Rivera — Santana do Livramento, arranged the same way; Artigas — Quarai.

With Argentina: three bridges over the Uruguay river — Fray Bentos — Gualeguaychu, Paysandu — Colon and Salto — Concordia.

Chuy and Rivera are twin towns. The border runs along a street and you cross it without noticing, but the immigration posts are at the entrance to the town, and getting stamped is compulsory — otherwise there will be questions when you leave the country.

By sea there are ferries to Buenos Aires from Montevideo and Colonia, and the trip takes from an hour.

The ferry is the most convenient way to reach Argentina, and it is also the main visa-run route.

Driving to Uruguay

Land routes work with Brazil and Argentina.

Mercosur insurance is valid across the region, and it is asked for at the crossings.

Check the carnet requirement and the maximum import period for Uruguay before you set off. These two points are what most often turns a car back at the border.

An International Driving Permit is required.

The ferries to Argentina take cars — this is the continuation of the route to Buenos Aires.

Travelling to Uruguay with a pet

An international veterinary certificate is required, endorsed by the state veterinary service of the country you are leaving.

The rabies vaccination must be valid on the date of entry.

A microchip is required for identification.

Parasite treatment is recorded in the documents.

Agree the vaccinations and the quarantine rules for entry into Uruguay with the local veterinary service in advance — before you buy tickets.

Overstaying your visa in Uruguay

The fine is charged for exceeding your permitted stay and is paid on departure.

The fine is calculated as you leave the country, and there is no way to work it out in advance. The rates in Uruguay change and there is no single published scale. Cash at the border is essential.

An extension at the immigration service is cheaper than an overstay.

A missing entry stamp counts as a violation — when crossing in the twin towns you have to go and get the stamp yourself, it is not put in automatically.