Visa-free countries with a Uruguayan passport in 2026
156 destinations without a prior visa, including Schengen, China, Japan and the UAE. The USA and Canada need a visa, and naturalized citizens face a quirk with nationality in the passport.
In short
With a Uruguayan passport you can enter 156 of 227 countries and territories without a prior visa: the Schengen area, China, Japan, the UAE, Russia and all of Latin America, and the UK with an electronic travel authorisation. The USA, Canada and Australia require a visa.
| Without a prior visa | 156 of 227: 115 visa-free, 31 on arrival, 10 with an electronic travel authorisation |
|---|---|
| Visa needed in advance | 70, of which 34 by e-visa |
| Schengen and the UK | Schengen area - visa-free, United Kingdom - electronic travel authorisation |
| USA and Canada | USA - visa required, Canada - visa required |
| How to get it | legal citizenship after 3 years of living with family or 5 years without |
| Checked | October 2026 |
The Uruguayan passport opens 156 of 227 destinations without a prior visa: 115 fully visa-free, 31 with a visa on arrival and 10 with an electronic travel authorisation. That is 42 more than the Russian passport, and a combination rare in Latin America: both the Schengen area and China are visa-free.
For a Russian citizen the Uruguayan passport has two more advantages. The country does not require giving up previous citizenship, and new tax residents can choose an 11-year exemption from tax on foreign dividends and interest. The downside is a feature of legal citizenship: a naturalized citizen's passport shows nationality by origin.
We will work out online when you can apply and what fees and documents will cost for your family.
Where you can go visa-free with a Uruguayan passport
Entry regimes differ in how much preparation the trip needs. Visa-free means the passport is enough and the permitted stay is set at the border. A visa on arrival means a fee and a stamp at the airport or checkpoint. An electronic travel authorisation is a short online form and fee before departure. An e-visa is also online but involves a check and a consular decision. A regular visa means a form, documents, often a personal visit to the consulate and waiting for a decision.
| Region | Visa-free or with an electronic authorisation | Visa on arrival or e-visa | Visa needed in advance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | Schengen area, United Kingdom (online authorisation), Ireland, Cyprus, Russia (online authorisation), Belarus, Moldova, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia | - | - |
| Caucasus and Central Asia | Georgia, Armenia | Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan | Azerbaijan |
| Asia | China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea (online authorisation), Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines | Vietnam, India, Maldives | Indonesia |
| Middle East and Africa | UAE, Israel (online authorisation), Oman, South Africa, Kenya (online authorisation) | Jordan, Egypt, Tanzania | Saudi Arabia, Morocco |
| Americas | Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Dominican Republic, Paraguay | - | USA, Canada |
| Oceania | New Zealand (online authorisation) | - | Australia |
The strengths of the Uruguayan passport are Europe, Latin America and China: Schengen, Ireland, Cyprus, the Balkans, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, the UAE, South Africa and all of Latin America including Mexico are visa-free, while the UK, South Korea, Israel and New Zealand need an electronic authorisation. The weak spots are the USA, Canada, Australia and Saudi Arabia, which require a visa in advance.
The table shows the main destinations for travel, living and business, not all 227 countries and territories. An electronic travel authorisation is issued online within minutes or days; an e-visa is also applied for online, but it is a separate consular decision. Entry rules change several times a year: check with an expert for your trip.
Schengen, the UK, the USA and Canada
Schengen. Uruguayan citizens enter the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180, with no right to work. Once the European electronic travel authorisation launches, it will have to be obtained online before the trip.
United Kingdom. No visa is needed, but an electronic travel authorisation is obtained online before the trip.
USA. Uruguay is not in the US Visa Waiver Program, so a tourist or business visa is required.
Canada. A visa is required, but for air travel those holding a valid US visa or a Canadian visa from the last 10 years can use an electronic travel authorisation instead.
Asia. Since June 2025 Uruguayan citizens need no visa for China, and Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines are also visa-free. India and Vietnam require an e-visa.
What else a Uruguayan passport gives
Life in South America. A Uruguayan citizen lives and works in the country without a residence permit, and under the residence agreement of the Southern Common Market can obtain residence in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and other member states through a simplified procedure.
Dual citizenship. Uruguay does not require renouncing previous citizenship; the Russian passport is kept. Legal citizenship is lost only by naturalizing in another country afterwards. A Russian citizen notifies the Interior Ministry of the second passport within 60 days.
Nationality in the passport. Only those born in the country and their children count as natural Uruguayans, so a naturalized citizen's passport shows nationality by origin. At other countries' borders this sometimes prompts extra questions.
Taxes. Uruguay taxes local income, and new tax residents can choose an 11-year exemption from tax on foreign dividends and interest. Residence arises after 183 days in the country in a year or with the centre of interests in Uruguay.
How to get a Uruguayan passport
A Uruguayan passport is not for sale. Under Article 75 of the Constitution a foreigner who has lived in the country for 3 years with family here, or 5 years without, receives legal citizenship. The decision is made not by the migration service but by the Electoral Court; the review is free, but the queue takes time.
First a residence permit is obtained, then permanent residence: the state fee for permanent residence is about $95, for the identity card about $15 and for the passport with a criminal record certificate about $140. All costs on the way to the passport are in how much Uruguayan citizenship costs.
Requirements, timelines and documents are on the page Uruguayan citizenship.
Citizenship is free, a broken count of years costs more
The law does not forbid applying for Uruguayan legal citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fees: long absences the court will not count as years in the country, unproven family for the three-year term, apostilled certificates that expired while the queue moved. We arrange residence and permanent residence, count the years for the court, gather proof of living in the country and handle the application at the Electoral Court.
Our manager in the chat will calculate the cost of support.
This topic in other countries
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- Visa-free countries with a US passport in 2026
- What an Argentine passport gives
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More on this country:
- How much Uruguayan citizenship costs
- Uruguay and Russia dual citizenship
- Uruguay residence permit
- Taxes in Uruguay
- Montevideo guide
Compare passports of different countries in our 2026 passport overview.
FAQ
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