Why Expats Can't Resist Uruguay Residency
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- čas přidán 6. 05. 2024
- Uruguay, located in South America, is a country that expats often overlook. However, this country has much to offer, from its incredible food to fantastic weather to a business-friendly regulatory environment, Uruguay is one country that every expat should have on their radar.
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Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed the video. Feel free to grab our new e-book on "How To Get A New Passport Fast" at expatmoney.com/how-to-get-a-new-passport-fast
my wife and I are Canadians and at 65 I bought a beach house in San Antonio Rocha last year and moved down last August 2022. Food no snow weather, cheap not free healthcare we wanted peace and quiet and are in the residence process with a professional company. We lived in New Zealand for 17 years prior to a return to BC's Okanagan Valley in 2007, the best move that I ever made. Great video, but not as simple as we were told, a pro helper is a must and limited Spanish means a professional is essential. Foreign-sourced income in Canada - tax benefits and lifestyle all made a great choice
And no mass immigration. I'm Canadian and looking at Uruguay as well.
HEALTHCARE IS NOT FREE AND NITHER IS PUBLIC EDUCATION NOT IN URUGUAY NOT nEW ZELAND OR CANADA, NOTHING IS FREE LADY
I'm from California, Uruguay has a much better quality of life.
Uruguay's greatest benefit might be it's proximity as a back row and neutral seat in the potential WW3 stage. The same can be said of Chile and Argentina, although perhaps with less neutrality. The other benefits are the icing on the cake. By contrast, there are many great places to locate in SE Asia that also offer great benefits, albeit with a front row seat to the above mentioned show. The same type of proximity also exists in Eastern Europe, where again a few countries with great benefits can be found. So, the first question to answer is, does one wish to have a front row or back row seat to WW3, and the second is, with or without neutrality. Then, the question of sorting out benefits and ease of immigration comes into play, thereby limiting the large list of potential locations one might consider.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment!
Great analysis and way of thinking!
@@MrFooChops There are other major factors too. Such as countries that are net producers of food rather than relying on imported food for the populace. Since, if the shit hits the fan, it's a disadvantage to be located in a country that imports most of its food. Uruguay again fits the bill there.
@@skranz7790 'fits the bill' you mean in a good way, right? It's my understanding they grow lots of food there, much like Argentina does. Sorry I forget if the video mentioned that and can't watch video again now. All in all you sound like you're on the same page and search as I am, at least regarding food aka upcoming food shortages
@@MrFooChops Yes, precisely. Argentina and Uruguay produce far more food than their populations require to survive. Tons of available framland for cheap as well.
Thank you for this informative video. I have followed you for years and I am never disappointed in the quality information you provide. Uruguay is very much on my radar and I am now in the process of applying for residency as I want to retire to a place where I can feel safe and at peace.
Thanks for watching!
Our Uruguayan friends worked in the USA, won a Florida lotto, and used their winnings to buy a nice home in Piriapolis only 2 blocks from the waterfront ! As for US expats, another benefit is that Uruguay will allow import of your vehicle, household goods & appliances, furniture, and personal items DUTY FREE - if you have residency. Most of the population lives in the major cities, so homes in the country are more reasonably priced. The cost-of-living is high compared to lesser developed nations, however.
Thanks for your comment!
Hello marytica 123, we are planning to move to uruguay in the next two years here from New Jersey. We are going to Uruguay this December to start our house search outside Montevideo. Do you think we should apply for the recidency on December or wait before moving in the next two years? Also, do you know if you can bring a used vehicule duty free or that applies only for new vehicles? Thank you very much.
Wow, I didn't know I could bring my car from the United States, I've been in Uruguay for two years, do you know if I can bring it with me?
Uruguay is the Switzerland of South America!
Check out this video we just did on Uruguay czcams.com/video/Xiwsbv9DW1s/video.htmlfeature=shared
I am 61, some of my friends and family, of course, are older than me, still many of us studied English when we were young. There are tons of people who studied your language, not all of them are fluent because they do not have the chance to practice it a lot... but from high school classes to private courses from British Institutes such as Anglo or schools that teach American English, believe me... there are lots of older people who speak not just English... but other languages, my sister for example speaks also French, Italian, Portuguese, and of course Spanish!!!
very informative vid.....Thank You!
I have been there. Lovely country.
What are the residency requirements or special arrangements available for retirees over 65?
An informative video.
😅very informative friend
Does anyone know something about water scarcity in Uruguay?
Montevideo is mixing salt water into the drinking water. They have a serious problem.
@@kengaroo5170 It was due to an intense drought, the most severe in the last 70 years... but now it has recovered.
sorry Paraguay all day long!@@lobonegrononabscondasame6792
That lasted two months, supposedly they have taken measures in case ever happens again
Ive heard recentky that the Uruguayan citizenship can not be revoked. Can you comment if you think that to be true?
Its true
Residency is not the same as citizenship.
Wait, I didn't think a tourist visa was necessary? Now I'm confused
Is there any good business opportunity in Uruguay
What type of business opportunity are you looking for?
@@Daniel-qg4mf a running store .. something I can manage
I am looking for to see if in the near future I can start a food business in Uruguay @@tt-jc7sb
THEY R VERY POOR THERE ...NO BUSINESS THERE JUST BE CAREFULL WHEN IT COMES TO SPEAKING ABOUT $$
thank you for the advice @@mikereut6088
Who has a better banking system in Latin America Uruguay or Panama....
traditionally it was Panama, not sure now though.
For me uruguay
Panama is a sellout after Panama Papers > Uruguay is the better option if you are non-American!
Does Uruguay have a Pensionado, or Retirement Visa program?
Stay tuned, as we'll have more content related to Uruguay coming very soon!
There are different types of visas. 🪻From the information out there - the pension visa is minimum $1500.00 a month lifetime pension.
🌺 There are other types of visas that have other possibilities with savings and income.
Are the residency requirements any different for Europeans? I guess you spoke to the American audience.
Uruguay too good to be true ? Can anyone give a couople quick comparisons to Buenos Aires for instance? Coming from US here so dollar exchange is strong and I work 100% remote (full time employee).
Argentina is suffering HIGH inflation and HIGH prices for everything. They have applied to the BRICS economic group to escape their debt with the IMF and World Bank. Buenos Aires has the highest cost-of-living in South America.
@@marytica123 My understanding is that the American dollar allows your money to go extremely far though. It's an abuse of the system but this is my understanding.
People from Uruguay, Paraguay and even from here (🇧🇷) have been crossing the borders regularly to shop for fuel, groceries and medicines in Argentina, where inflation has gone through the roof long time ago. By March this year, the (real) exchange rate was around 300 pesos per USD, now it is more than 1,000 pesos. Depending on the results of their election's runoff (a week from now) and how successful the next government will be in curbing inflation and unemployment, while dealing with their huge foreign debt, it might get messy (no oral pun intended). I would butter some 🍿 and wait at least some 4 to 6 months...my #20c 😎🧉
Great summary. I am from Southern Brazil (RS state), have historical family ties with "la Banda Oriental" and the most pleasant memories there since childhood.
The main differential of Uruguay IMHO is their high level of civility and the peaceful atmosphere ("boring is beautiful"), people are very kind/helpful and the "asado" is among the best in the world (Angus Premium is the standard, but their wagyu and lamb ribs are also gorgeous...try "El Novillo Alegre", a chain of beef shops / restaurants).
Of course take your security precautions, don't walk at 03 am through some weird neighborhood wearing expensive jewelry and showing off...you don't do it in Paris or NY, so don't do it and Montevideo or Colonia either.
#My20c 😎🧉🇧🇷❤🇺🇾
Unfortunately, appears Uruguay's not much of a bargain and, judging from monthly rental prices in the city of Montevideo as of 12/23, not any cheaper than U.S. ($620/month for a bedroom and shared bathroom? Uh...)
Uhhh, me and my partner are paying almost 800 a month for our little studio apartment.
620/month for a bedroom and shared bathroom is A STEAL!!
WTF are you complaining about?!
Most people in the US -LIVE- in apartments or houses with said bedroom and shared bathroom!
Stop complaining! My god, you are so entitled!!
This kind of selfish, self-centered attitude is exactly WHY me and my partner ARE LEAVING THE US!!!!!
I heard recently that they require proof of vaccination to apply for residency. If this is true then I'll skip Uruguay. This is exactly what Im trying to get away from.
Let me, as an expat at large, tell you why I CAN totally resist Uuruguay. It's expensive as the US. Yes, its expensive. Plus imported items can be even more expensive than the US. Outside of Montevideo, Uruguay doesn't offer any other opportuities for cosmopolitan entertainment other than the ferry to Buenos Aires.
While healthcare in Uruguay is among the best in South America, it is not up to US or Canadian standards. I am retire and have medicare. Regardless of where I settle in South America, I will always want to live in a place where I can easily catch a flight home to see a doctor or get treatment. I've already had to fly home after two visits to a clinic in Lima, Peru yielded poor resultants, actually agravating a simple malady to into one that required serious medication back home in the states.
Thanks for watching and thanks for your comment!
Sounded great until I heard wealth tax, screw that, not going nope, not for me.
Paraguay! 🇵🇾 🥇
drop that gem brother, 100%@@christopherhouse7937
that's the whole reason american blows
and why they're so corrupt!!
If there was a wealth tax on property
we wouldnt be poor!
The rich are getting richer,
The poor are getting poorer,
ayyy Maria, Maria!!
Mi Madre Maria found love in East Uruguay
growing up to the sound of the spanish
guitar played by Carlos Santana!
XD
First comment!
I lived in Uruguay for 3 years. It's a quiet and pleasant country with great beaches, and its crime rate is low, the people are kind and educated. The climate is pleasant. But I think it would be madness for a non Spanish speaker (from a more developed country) to move there, unless they have a Uruguayan partner or family ties. The country has an average income of $1000 per month - this is a borderline Third World developing country, I repeat: the country has an average income of $1000 per month!!! It's poor - there's no getting around that. To call its public schools and hospitals highly developed is simply false - they do their best, they're not terrible - but they do struggle, and are greatly under resourced by developed nation standards. The economy is not vibrant and diverse, there's very little manufacturing and no mineral resources, and the average person on the street does not have any disposable income. If you set up a small business there, your returns will be modest, - if any, because you're going to be trying to sell to people without the means to spend much. Maybe you would do OK with a business in the heart of Montevideo or Punta Del Este - but that's a BIG investment. About 1% of the country speaks conversational English - you NEED Spanish. The Uruguayan countryside is as flat as a pancake and is mostly open grassland - nothing too interesting at all - it has its charms BUT for "amazing landscapes" try any other South American country apart from Uruguay! Night life in Montevideo is moderate - it's not that kind of place. The country is relatively expensive, most consumer goods cost the same as in the USA and housing is not as cheap as you would imagine. There is no indigenous population (the only country on the mainland Americas where this is so), & for better or worse, it's not multicultural - 99% Latino .... so nobody should go there thinking they're going to fall in with an established community of their people (Muslims, Brits, Blacks, Chinese, Americans, Indians - whatever) you'll be stuck with the Uruguayans - they don't bite though (usually) although they might start eating each other if trapped in an aeroplane for too long. And football - they're a great sporting nation too. I love Uruguay, my time there was very positive (great memories) but you have to be honest about these things - it is what it is.
You are not right, the country has changed a lot, it is already developed. and it doesn't stop growing. Many times GDP does not say everything about a country, look at Ireland.
@@catalinafernandez2504 Here in Australia (where ten thousand Uruguayan born people live) the lowest salary somebody gets is about US$2,500 a month - (Canada, Singapore, USA, Japan, Hong Kong, France, UK, UAE, etc. have similar). So, be honest with me .... what is a low salary in Uruguay? You are right, I was last in Uruguay in the 1990's (a long time ago) so you can tell me. what ordinary people earn there nowadays. Google says an average salary there (not lowest) is about $1000.00, - and I know that computers, cars, i-phones, clothing - even some food products, cost the same in Uruguay as here and the US - it's not easy for an ordinary working man there. This video is basically telling people from developed countries to go and live and work there, telling people the countryside is incredible, and everybody speaks English, and its got a European style economy - which is a huge misrepresentation.
I'm going to structure this reply in different parts to talk about some points you mentioned:
1) No mineral resources. False. There are amethysts and agates in the north (one of the biggest geodes is from Artigas, Uruguay), pink and black granite from the ores in the south/centre is exported mainly to Asia, along with marble, dolomite, talc, gold mines in the north, etc. Of course the mining industry is not as big as in Aussie, but still, it is an important part of the economy.
2) Culture is 99% Latino: if by that you mean people of Italian and Spanish descent, let me tell you that's inaccurate. There are also Afro-Uruguayans, British descendants (Britain played a major role in the 19th and part of the 20th Century operating the train, gas, and drinking water companies), there are French and Swiss communities (check out a city named Nueva Helvecia), a Russian village (San Javier), and many expats, so the feeling is pretty diverse once you visit the "interior". Nowadays the country has many professionals from the IT sector (a big industry in Uruguay as well) coming from India to work as expats.
3) Only 1% of the population can speak English. False. Despite English instruction is mandatory in secondary schools, this is still a weakness and a challenge for the public education system, as curriculums need to focus more on conversation skills rather than grammar solely. I'd say all those who attended private schools (since the 1990s) speak at least an intermediate level of English, so it depends a lot on the age group you interacted with during your placement. I'd say that 15/20% of the population in the most important parts of the capital city can interact in English with a foreign person, 40% among the 20-40 year-old age group.
4) Professionals (engineers, architects, lawyers, doctors, etc), business owners, and most of the government employees don't make as little as 1000 dollars/month since let's say 2009. I'd say a mid-career professional currently makes double or triple than that for starters. So, not having potential customers depends again on the target audience of your business and the product/service you offer.
5) Uruguay is not poor. In fact, it is classified by the IMF as a very high income country (again, it's impossible to compare Uruguay's economy with Australia, a country as big as a continent itself).
6) First/Third world is a very old definition. Nowadays, international/multilateral organizations use the term low/medium/high/very high income countries or developed/developing countries.
I'm not Uruguayan but I lived there for many years and part of my family comes from there.
I agree with you that it'll be crazy to try to live/work in the country with no Spanish skills. But this is common sense, I can't imagine a single person getting by in Australia or NZ without knowing any English.
@@dininiy 1- mining. I have been to Artigas three or four times and visited some of their warehouses. The agate/quartz/amethyst export industry is small (its a very niche market anyway) - maybe it employs 200 people at best, and perhaps it gives the government a few million dollars in revenue - but compared to Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil (and others) - truly we can say that by South American standards Uruguay has a huge lack of natural resources - for every cent Uruguay makes on mineral exports, other South Americans make $10. But yes, you are right - Uruguay has natural resources, but hardly anything. Granite and marble it has - but these are common in the world, and it's not economical for it to be exported to other continents via Montevideo port - so its use is local. 2 - Multicultural? No it's not! Who are you trying to kid here? It's 99% Spanish speaking Latino/Mediterranean culture, which isn't a bad thing! Actually the British influence was strong in the 19th century, yes (correct) - most Uruguayans don't know that Lord Ponsonby actually drew the land border between Brazil and Uruguay in his peace mediation between the warring parties (the Brazilians wanted the border further south) - so the very shape of the country was a British creation. Shame he didn't include the southern lagoas. Montevideo was even taken over by the British for a time - and they started the first newspaper. A British expedition camped at what would become Montevideo as early as 1578. But the offspring of those British were absorbed into Uruguayan Hispanic society - just because English place names (like Young) and Surnames linger, doesn't mean its multicultural British. Where are the districts in Montevideo that are predominantly of a foreign (non Latin) culture? There are none. When I lived there, I could go an entire week in Montevideo without seeing an Asian or a black person - so unless there's been a major influx of them in the last 20 years - I can't see that situation having changed much. You seem to think an occasional foreigner makes Uruguay multicultural - but it really doesn't work that way. 3. Language. I am talking about semi-fluent conversational English - not whether they can count to 10 and ask for a cup of tea. We both know that to attain good conversational English, either takes full immersion into an English-speaking environment from childhood, OR 10 years+ of intense study. And you are telling me that 20% of Uruguayans have that nowadays? No - sorry - I don't believe that for one minute. 4. (salaries) If true, I am extremely gratified to hear it, and it gladdens my heart to be called out as wrong. But hey we both know that in South America Uruguay has a rightful reputation for being an expensive country to live in. You must know that in Argentina "precios Uruguayos" is a term they use for over-priced goods. $2000 a month does not go very far in Montevideo, I maintain that most Uruguayans can't frivolously spend $100 a week or non-essential items or on a casual night out. Some can - sure!!! But most ... no. It's a tougher business environment than Europe or North America, Japan, S.Korea or Australia, or NZ - AND THAT'S THE MAIN POINT HERE - this video is telling people that Uruguay is an easy developed place for business, and by comparison it isn't (at all). 6. Yes I agree with you there, "Third World" brings up visions of slums and mud huts - and that isn't Uruguay. & "I can't imagine a single person getting around in Australia or NZ without knowing any English" - you would be surprised. I actually moved to Australia in 1999 from England. When I got here, I thought my Spanish language skills would be irrelevant (nothing that would benefit me). For the first 6 months I spoke mostly Spanish! My Peruvian landlord (who spoke hardly any English) overheard me speaking English one day, and he started telling his friends how excellent my English language skills were!
Entrada mensual de 1000 pesos es una mentira, busque informaciòn veraz
I visited Uruguay in October 2023. I can easily resist the country as Argentina is much better and much less expensive.
With all my respect you are focusing on cost of life only. And therefore the assessment of the second residence decision is biased. I am Uruguayan living in Argentina due to personal reasons. And I don’t see the time to go back to Uruguay. Uruguay as you point out is more expensive, but is much safer than Argentina. Argentinian society is under huge pressure and therefore people are angry and more aggressive than in my country. Besides that Uruguay is a reliable country with a well known stability, less corrupted and famous for its respect to the law compared to our Argentinian brothers. I could follow but I don’t want to bother you. Just let me say it is not easy to live in Argentina despite being in a very well economical position.
You are so wrong jajaja hardly anyone speaks english in Uruguay and i have a question? Do Mexicans that go to the US called EXPATS?
Looks supa boring there...
to start, please learn how to properly pronounce URUGUAY
Uruguay is terribly appealing because it's far from the crumbling Woke madness of western Europe, Canada and the United States.
Be realistic, Uruguay is a way overrated, overpriced country with no fun.
It has a lot of fun, it has nightclubs from the old city to Carrasco (20 km)
yeah and so is the US. It sounds to me like you're making a whole lot of assumptions.
Have you even been there long term?
or did you just go there and get surly because
they wouldnt cater to your whims?
This sounds like a typical,
whiny, entitled american tourist.
Kind of like the tourists who go to Japan
and then come back and whine about
how they didnt have a private Fiber-Optic
Internet provider or a theme park
to blow senseless amounts of money on.
These kinds of childish,
immature, selfish comments from
@wisikahn
are why I hate the US and why me and my partner
are leaving.
By the way… You need to learn how to pronounce the name of the country because you are messing it all up.