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Today, March 18, 2025, we celebrate our first five years living in Uruguay and want to share our most recent achievement: obtaining legal Uruguayan citizenship. How was this process? What are the requirements? What role did Press Start Evolution play? What rights and obligations did we acquire? What are the advantages and disadvantages? These are some of the questions we will answer below.

To begin, it is important to clarify that Uruguay recognizes two types of citizens:

1. Natural citizens: These are individuals considered Uruguayan by birth. The Constitution states that all individuals born anywhere within Uruguayan territory are natural citizens. Additionally, children of Uruguayan parents born abroad are also considered natural citizens, provided they reside in Uruguay and register with the Civic Registry (i.e., establish residence and complete official registration).

Subsequent legislation has expanded this concept. For example, Laws No. 16.021 (1989) and No. 19.362 (2015) recognize the right to Uruguayan nationality for children and grandchildren of Uruguayan citizens born abroad, provided they meet the registration requirements. In summary, natural citizenship is acquired through ius soli (birth in Uruguay) and, in certain cases, through ius sanguinis (descent from Uruguayans under specific conditions).

2. Legal citizens: These are foreign-born individuals who acquire Uruguayan citizenship through naturalization, obtaining the Citizenship Charter. The Constitution defines “legal citizens” as foreigners who, after meeting certain good conduct and residency requirements, apply for and obtain citizenship.

In other words, legal citizens are individuals who were not born Uruguayan but acquire citizenship through a legal act (naturalization). This distinction is found in Article 73 of the Constitution, which classifies citizens as natural or legal.

In this blog, we will focus on legal citizens.

A year ago, we shared a Blog about the advantages and challenges of living in Uruguay, where we mentioned that we had already met the  requirements to apply for legal citizenship. In May 2024, we submitted our application to the Maldonado Departmental Electoral Office, and by the end of the year, we received our Citizenship Charter, which certifies our status as legal citizens after fulfilling all requirements.

It is important to highlight that this process in Uruguay is free, unlike in countries such as Australia, the United States, and Canada, where it involves fees.

Our experience with the residency and citizenship processes was quite fast, despite processing residency during the pandemic and citizenship during a presidential election campaign.

While gathering the necessary requirements is not an immediate task and can take years, the process was made easier because, from the beginning, we legalized all our documents in Uruguay. We registered our birth certificates and marriage certificate in the Civil Registry – Foreigners’ Book. As many know, Press Start Evolution is a family business where we, as a couple, are the owners.

Additionally, we opened bank accounts in Uruguay, which took nine months, even longer than the six months it took to obtain legal residency. Uruguay is a bureaucratic country with a highly regulated banking system, limited competition, and strict financial controls due to its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing policies. As a result, accessing the banking system can be more difficult for foreigners and entrepreneurs compared to other countries.

The Role of Press Start Evolution in Our Citizenship Process

Press Start Evolution played a fundamental role in this process, as we had to demonstrate our source of income before registering the company in Uruguay. Our business has been legally established in Colombia for 15 years, and two years ago, we formalized Press Start in Uruguay.

One of the requirements to apply for citizenship was proving ties to the country, meaning we had to demonstrate lawful means of income, whether through employment or a business, as in our case. Additionally, having the company established in Uruguay allowed us to fulfill another key requirement: obtaining Consultation Certificates of Activities per Person and Employment History, issued by the Social Security Bank (BPS), which is similar to social security in Colombia.

Rights and Obligations After Obtaining Legal Citizenship

Acquiring legal Uruguayan citizenship comes with new rights and responsibilities. Legal citizens gain the same political rights as natural citizens, such as the right to vote and run for public office. This aspect is particularly interesting to me, given my 10 years working for the Colombian Government and my Master’s degree in Government and Public Policy. While I am not currently considering this path, life is full of surprises. (Johanna Merchán Ramírez).

One of the first procedures after obtaining citizenship is to renew the Uruguayan ID, changing the status from legal resident to legal citizen.

Key Benefits of Legal Citizenship:

1. Full Political Rights: Legal citizens can vote in all elections (national, departmental, and referendums) and run for public office. As a legal resident, one can only vote in municipal elections after 15 years of residence.

After three years of obtaining Legal Citizenship, one must present the Citizenship Charter to apply for registration in the National Civic Registry and obtain the Civic Credential.

Uruguay is one of the few countries in the world where voting is mandatory, unlike countries such as Colombia, where voting is a right but not an obligation. Citizens who fail to vote may face economic sanctions imposed by the Electoral Court, as well as restrictions on official procedures such as renewing an ID card, passport, or obtaining state-issued certificates.

Valid excuses for not voting include being outside the country, a certified medical condition, or other duly justified force majeure reasons.

2. Greater Legal Security and Stability: Legal citizens cannot be deported for immigration reasons, do not need to renew residency or complete permanent stay procedures, and Uruguayan citizenship is permanent, even if living abroad.

3. Easier Travel and International Benefits: The Uruguayan passport grants visa-free access to over 150 countries, including the European Union and the United Kingdom. Additionally, it provides rights within Mercosur, such as the freedom to live, work, and move between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay without additional paperwork. Legal citizens can also benefit from dual nationality agreements with some countries.

Accessing a Uruguayan passport is a significant advantage, especially when compared to the Colombian passport in terms of international mobility. For instance, in Australia, Uruguayan citizens can apply for a Working Holiday Visa, while Colombians must enroll in educational programs with work-hour limitations. This will be an important benefit for our son, who, having been born in Uruguay, will have access to these opportunities if he chooses to in the future.

Uruguay may also return to the list of countries eligible for U.S. visa exemptions, and some Uruguayan citizens can already apply for the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to Canada without a traditional visa.

4. Social and Economic Benefits: Greater ease in obtaining bank loans and financial assistance, with no restrictions on property rights or employment opportunities based on nationality.

5. Fewer Procedures and Restrictions: The ID card only needs to be renewed every 10 years, and citizens can leave the country without concerns about residency validity.

Conclusion

Ultimately, becoming legal Uruguayan citizens has given us greater stability, expanded political rights, fewer bureaucratic procedures, and better international opportunities, making it a great advantage within Mercosur and helping us move forward with our personal and business plans.

At Press Start Evolution, we are committed to being leaders in  Augmented Reality  experiences and video game development for education, advertising, and entertainment, while also sharing our experiences as digital nomads.What are you waiting for? Contact Us!