Can I Renew my Passport in Uruguay?
Yes. You can renew your passport at the U.S. Embassy in Uruguay.
For more information please visit our Apply for a Passport page.
What do I Need to Bring to Renew my Passport?
For detailed information about how to renew a U.S. passport, please see our Apply for a Passport page.
What are the Requirements for the Passport Photo?
- Size: 2 x 2 inches (5 x 5 cm)
- In color, with a white background
- Printed on matte or glossy photo quality paper
- Taken facing the camera, such that the size of the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (between 25 and 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head
- Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance
- No glasses
- With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open
For more information, see the Department of State’s passport photo guidelines page.
Which form Should I fill out?
- First-time applicants and first-time adult passports
- Minors (15 years old and younger)
- If your last passport is damaged or over 15 years old
- If you can’t present your last passport (lost or stolen)
- If your name has changed and you do not have documentation from the US
- If you need an emergency passport
- Passport renewal for applicants over the age of 16 who have an undamaged passport less than 10 years old
At what Age can I Sign my Own Passport?
You can sign your passport from the time you turn 16.
Can I Apply for a Minor’s Passport If One Parent is Unavailable to Sign the Application?
If one parent/guardian is unable to physically sign the form, then the DS-11 application brought by the applying parent/guardian to the interview must be accompanied by a signed, notarized Form DS-3053: Statement of Consent from the non-applying parent/guardian.
If the minor only has one parent/guardian, evidence of full custody of the minor must be submitted with form DS-11.
For more information, visit the info page for minor applicants
What is the Process if I Want to Marry a Uruguayan?
U.S. citizens that wish to get married in Uruguay must comply with Uruguayan regulations. The office responsible for registering marriages in Uruguay is Dirección General del Registro de Estado Civil (Civil Registry). The interested parties should register in the Registro Civil within three months of the desired wedding date (e.g., if you wish to get married in December, you can register from September onwards)
Listed below are the documents you will need to register in the Registro Civil:
- The U.S. citizen must present proof of identity with an ID card or a valid passport. You will need to have four witnesses who will also need to present proof of identity.
- If the U.S. citizen has already established residency in Uruguay, he/she must show irrefutable proof of domicile (properties owned, rental contracts, etc.)
- If the U.S. citizen is divorced, he/she must present proof that the divorce is final, that it cannot be appealed or changed in any way, and that it has been filed with the proper authorities in the U.S. In most cases, Uruguayan authorities will not accept a simple divorce certificate without the final decree from the court where the divorce was granted. The document must have the Apostille* of the Hague Convention. It must be translated by a public translator accredited in Uruguay. Finally, the divorce documents must be added to the Alien Registry (Registro de Extranjeros) or to the marriage certificate.
- If the U.S. citizen is a widow(er), he/she must provide the spouse’s death certificate with the corresponding Apostille*.
A U.S. citizen residing in the United States can get married by proxy, as long as the partner and the person representing the U.S. citizen both reside in Uruguay. We recommend talking to a lawyer if this is what you choose to do.
*The Apostille is a way of legalizing documents that is internationally recognized by all countries that participate in the Hague Convention, including the U.S. and Uruguay.
The Apostille is not issued by the Department of State. Visit the Notary Services page for information about how to obtain an Apostille in the different states within the U.S.
Do I Need a Visa to Travel to Uruguay?
U.S. citizens who visit Uruguay for pleasure or business for under 90 days do not require a visa.
For more information, see this Dirección Nacional de Migración webpage.
Can I Purchase Marijuana as a Tourist?
No. The legal purchase of marijuana in Uruguay is only for registered legal residents. Tourists are not eligible.
Do I Need to Pay an Exit Tax as a Tourist?
The exit tax from Uruguay is typically included in your ticket. Check with your travel agent for additional information.
Is Financial Assistance Available from the Embassy for Children Born in the United States?
Not generally. If the child is the beneficiary of, or eligible for federal benefits, please visit our Federal benefits – Social Security page.
How can I get Child Support Payments from a Parent in the U.S.?
If you are the parent of a U.S. citizen child residing in Uruguay and are trying to find a way to receive financial support from the other parent, please contact the child support office in the state where the other parent resides, or in the state where your child was born or previously lived.
A list of state child support offices is available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.
The state child support office may be able to assist you in locating the parent in the United States. In some cases, the office will advise you to travel to that state or hire an attorney in that state to assist you in obtaining a court order for child support.
You may want to contact your own country’s Embassy or Consulate in the United States for a list of attorneys who could represent you.
Does the Embassy Offer Scholarships or Assistance to Learn English?
The Embassy does not provide scholarships. Please visit our Education and Culture page for more information.
Can the Embassy Help Me Import Medicine that is Not Available Locally?
If you would like to import medicine that is not available on the local market, you can work with a local customs broker on the procedure and requirements.
A list of customs brokers can be found here.
How can I Get a Birth Certificate from the U.S.?
The U.S. Embassy in Uruguay cannot issue U.S. birth, marriage, divorce, or death certificates.
You must request the certificates you need from the entity that issued them. Visit the CDC’s Where to Write for Vital Records page for more information.
I Would Like to Become a Resident of Uruguay. What are the Requirements and the Process?
For information about this process, please contact Dirección Nacional de Migración.
How Can I Get a Document Apostilled?
For instructions on how to authenticate/apostille a U.S. public document for use in Uruguay, please see the Department of State’s page on Authentications and Apostilles.
For instructions on how to authenticate/apostille a Uruguayan public document for use in the United States, please contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (phone: 2902-1010) – Office: “Centro de Atención Ciudadana”.
For more information, visit our Notary Services page.
Minor Children Traveling to the United States with Only One Parent or a Relative
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recommends that minor children traveling to the United States with just one parent have a signed statement from the non-traveling parent authorizing travel and a copy of the non-traveling parent’s identification.
Due to increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cases and as possible victims of child pornography, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that unless the child is accompanied by both parents (when traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, friends, or in groups) a notarized note signed by both parents stating “I acknowledge that my wife / husband / etc. is traveling out of the country with my son / daughter / group. He / She / has / They / have my permission to do so.”
While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if they do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without one of his/her parents can be fully assessed. If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (deceased, sole custody, etc.) any other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, death certificate, etc., would be useful.
Please refer to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website for more information.
Airlines may have their own requirements regarding minors travelling without one of their parents, so you should also contact the airline the minor will be using.
Note: All U.S. citizens under the age of 18 traveling with a U.S. passport alone or with only one parent must obtain a “permiso de menor” (minor permit) from Dirección Nacional de Migración.
Child Traveling with Someone Who is Not a Parent or Legal Guardian, or in a Group
If a child (under the age of 18) is traveling with someone who is not a parent or legal guardian, what paperwork should the adult have to indicate legal authority to have that child in their care?
Due to increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cases and as possible victims of child pornography, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that unless the child is accompanied by both parents (when traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, friends, or in groups) a notarized note signed by both parents stating “I acknowledge that Mr. / Mrs. / etc. is traveling out of the country with my son / daughter / group. He / She / They has / have my permission to do so.”
While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if they do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without both parents can be fully assessed. If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (deceased, sole custody, etc.) any other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, death certificate, etc., would be useful.
Airlines may have their own requirements regarding minors travelling without both parents, so you should also contact the airline the minor will be using.
Note: All U.S. citizens under the age of 18 traveling with a U.S. passport alone or with only one parent must obtain a “permiso de menor” (minor permit) from Dirección Nacional de Migración.