Uruguay

This is a stub/draft, more information to come soon, it's so far based on the collection of procedures and rights for immigrants to Uruguay can be found on Cartografías Migrantes. The original content was done in Spanish due to its focus on regional immigration, other languages are machine translations. Does not (yet) contain dedicated information about trans/gender topics.

Uruguay is a comparatively LGBTQ+-friendly country with some legal protections for trans people.

Why Uruguay?

These bits sum up some information from a very comprehensive Wikipedia article on LGBTQ Rights in Uruguay.

• Legal gender recognition: Since 2009, people can change their name and gender marker, with has been made easier through the 2018 "Comprehensive Law for Trans Persons", which removes requirements for surgeries, hormone therapy or any form of diagnosis and also enables minors to change legal gender with parental consent. No "third-gender marker" for IDs exists as of 2025.
• Anti-discrimination laws: The Comprehensive Law for Trans Persons law also established a framework to revert past discriminatory state actions, including monetary reparations to transgender individuals persecuted during the Uruguayan Dictatorship. It stipulates that transgender people should receive 1 percent of public and private educational scholarships and the "free development of personality according to their chosen gender identity", and calls on the Government to ensure that transgender people are treated respectfully by authorities.
• Public healthcare: The Comprehensive Law for Trans Persons guarantees access health services. Details on trans-specific healthcare TBA
• LGBTQ+ rights and community: TBA
• Immigration pathways: see below

Why not Uruguay?

This also needs effort by people with 1st hand experience!

While progress has been made, trans people still face barriers and discrimination. According to the Medical Union of Uruguay in 2019, the average life expectancy of trans people then was only 35, half of the population average. Furthermore, many trans people struggle to finish their secondary education or find employment.

Political Situation for Trans People

details from people with 1st hand experience needed here

Uruguay's next secretary of human rights is a trans woman.

Access to Trans Healthcare

details from people with 1st hand experience needed here

• Beyond the right to access healthcare broadly, there has been a push to improve trans healthcare

Immigration Policy

US citizens need a visa to move to Uruguay for work, study and other long-term stays. Be aware that most/all of the process is done in Spanish. The most common visa routes are. A lot of the information can be found here in an English translation here. Common types are:

• Student Visa: Available for those studying at an Uruguayan university, granted on a temporary basis
• Family-Route: If you have a partner/family member who is a permanent resident/citizen of Uruguay, you have the right to permanent residency.
• Digital Nomad Visa: Valid for 180 days of temporary residency, can be extended once. Can only be started from within Uruguay from a tourist visa.
• Work Visa: Can be permanent or temporary, depending on the type of work

Medical Inadmissibility

While Uruguay requires a health card to be done within the country when applying for longer-term residency, it does not have any medical inadmissibility criteria and the medical checkout serves for preventative medicine.

Permanent Residency

unclear

Citizenship Pathway

After 5 years of residency one can apply for citizenship.

LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities

Top Trans-Friendly Cities

• please add

Community & Support Resources

National Organizations

• please add

Cost of Living

• The cost of living in Uruguay has increased drastically in recent years due to hyperinflation and devaluation.
• Rent is…
• Public transport …
• Healthcare is universal, with access for immigrants as well
• Grocery prices …
• Education is public and free, including for migrants under some conditions

Housing Access & Cost

• add details on discrimination in rentals if applicable
• Housing costs are broadly unregulated depending heavily on income and "market opportunities.” See here for details on housing

Law Enforcement & Safety

• please add details, especially around safety for trans people

Censorship & Digital Privacy

• please add details

Ease of Travel to Other Countries

• The only airport serving international, long-distance destinations is in Montevideo, which mostly serves flights across Latin America, with Miama & Madrid being the two exceptions.

Animal Policies

• Uruguay is very pet-friendly
• Bringing a pet to Uruguay requires…
• For more information to travel with your pet to Uruguay, see: Traveling with pets