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This is an information resource mainly written for trans US citizens considering emigrating to another country, although we hope it is useful beyond that.

Please treat this wiki as a starting point for your own research, not as an authoritative source of truth or as legal advice.

Many of the authors have gone through the process themselves and want to share what they have learned.

Uruguay

From Trans World Express

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.

Uruguay is very expensive compared to other Latin American and even many European countries.

Political Situation for Trans People

details from people with 1st hand experience needed here

Uruguay's comprehensive law protecting trans people was passed in 2018 with more than two thirds of senators voting in favor. A referendum to repeal it shortly afterwards did not get enough signatures to make it to a vote. Trans people are entitled to 1% of government jobs, and reparations were set up for trans people harmed under the dictatorship.

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

Access to Trans Healthcare

details from people with 1st hand experience needed here

Healthcare

While public healthcare is cheap and available, most immigrants prefer to get private healthcare. There are several options:

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

Permanent residency can be applied for directly; although it may be convenient to apply for a Digital Nomad permit first, so that you can get an ID card (cédula) while waiting for residency to be processed. https://www.gub.uy/tramites/residencia-legal-permanente#contenido-seleccion

Requirements:

  • passport
  • vaccination certificate
    • Required vaccinations: TDAP (tetanus), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
    • You will need proof of vaccination from your country (the easiest route may be to simply get a booster for these shots)
    • on arrival, you will need to verify these vaccinations and get a Uruguayan vaccination certificate
  • Documentation of income
  • FBI background check (with apostille)
    • while this can be obtained in Uruguay, it is highly recommended to get it in the United States
  • Passport-sized photo
  • Minors
    • Birth certificate (with apostille)
    • Permission from the parents to reside in Uruguay
    • Other requirements listed in the link above

Citizenship Pathway

After 5 years of residency one can apply for citizenship.

LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities

Top Trans-Friendly Cities

  • Montevideo
  • Punta Del Este
  • Melo

Community & Support Resources

National Organizations

Cost of Living

  • The cost of living in Uruguay has increased drastically in recent years due to hyperinflation and devaluation.
  • Rent is… ~ 23,000 UYU in Montevideo, one bedroom
  • Public transport … ~60 pesos for an city bus, 470 UYU for a bus from Maldonado to Montevideo
  • Healthcare is universal, with access for immigrants as well
  • Grocery prices … similar to the states, but you'll pay lower prices avoiding American brands and getting your vegetables and meat from fruterias and carnecerias.
  • 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

Censorship & Digital Privacy

Helpful apps once you're here

  • Moovit for city bus travel. Enter the address you're going to and it will plan your bus route. Too many ads but what can you do. Outside of Montevideo it is probably not worth it to pay for bus tracking.
  • Uber is the only option for rideshares, although it is safe to hail a taxi here. May not be available in smaller cities.
  • Waze is essential for driving; speeding tickets are very high and automated; waze will tell you where the radar is.
  • Mercado Libre is the Amazon of Uruguay, you can find places to rent, and things to buy
  • Emergencia 911 is for reporting emergencies
  • Pedidos Ya for ordering food delivery

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.
  • You can reach Brasil and Argentina by bus or boat to Buenos Aires (from Montevideo or Colonía).
  • The Uruguayan ID card (cédula) allows travel to MercoSur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia) and some other South American countries without a passport

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
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