Buy property in Uruguay as a foreigner

Yes. Uruguay does not impose restrictions on the purchase of real estate by foreigners. The process is the same as for a Uruguayan citizen.

On average between 30 and 60 days from the offer to the deed, depending on the complexity of the transaction and the availability of documentation.

Yes. Through a notarized power of attorney granted in your country of origin (apostilled), a representative can sign on your behalf before a notary.

The notary conducts a title study and requests certificates from BPS, DGI, local government, and registries to ensure the property is free of encumbrances.

The notary is a public professional who verifies the legality of the transaction, drafts the purchase deed, and registers it in the corresponding registries.

Notary fees (2–3%), ITP (2% of fiscal value), registry fees, real estate commission (3% + VAT), and bank transfer fees.

Yes. You can appoint a local management company to handle tenants, collections, and maintenance. We offer that service.

Transfers are made to notary accounts in Uruguay. We guide you in opening a local bank account if necessary.

If the offer includes withdrawal clauses, you can cancel by forfeiting the deposit. We advise you to include conditions that protect you.

We analyze your profile (housing, investment, lifestyle), show you market data, and guide you with comparative visits.

Yes — it is one of the current qualifying routes: a real-estate investment above 3,500,000 UI (~USD 578,000) plus at least 60 days of physical presence in the year. These criteria did not change in 2026. The famous “USD 2 million” threshold is a myth born of a mix-up: 12,500,000 UI (~USD 2,066,000) is the bar for the Law 20.446 tax holiday — the benefit on foreign income — not for tax residency itself. One important nuance: tax residency (determined by DGI, the tax authority) and legal residency (the immigration permit) are separate processes with different requirements.

More detail in our guide →

A temporary exemption from Uruguayan income tax (IRPF) on foreign-source income — capital and investments held abroad — for new tax residents. It runs for 11 years (the year you obtain tax residency plus the following 10). Since January 1, 2026 you qualify by meeting at least one of these conditions: more than 183 days a year in Uruguay, a real-estate investment above 12,500,000 UI (~USD 2,066,000), or contributions of at least 625,000 UI a year to productive-investment or innovation funds. Those who obtained it before 2026 keep their original terms. Implementing regulations are still pending; this is general information, not tax advice.

More detail in our guide →

There are two routes. One: make the 10.5% withholding on gross accrued rent definitive (residents under IRPF, non-residents under IRNR), with no annual filing. Two: file at 12% on net rental income, deducting the admitted expenses (management fee, lease-contract fees with their VAT, the municipal property tax and the primary-education tax). The break-even is deductible expenses of ≈12.5% of gross rent: below that, the definitive 10.5% wins; above it, the 12% on net income does.

More detail in our guide →

Yes — on Uruguayan assets, with the property assessed at its cadastral value, which is usually well below market price. The rate hinges on a detail almost nobody mentions: if you rent the property out, you pay IRNR on that income, which places you under the general 0.10% rate, charged only on the amount above the non-taxable minimum (UYU 6,653,000 for individuals, 2025). The higher 0.70%–1.50% scale applies only to non-residents who do NOT pay IRNR — for instance, an apartment kept empty or for personal use — and it is assessed from the first peso of taxable wealth, with no such minimum. In Vivienda Promovida projects the wealth tax can be exempt while the benefit lasts. Source: DGI's official rate table and art. 53, Title 14.

More detail in our guide →