Retire in Uruguay
To retire in Uruguay most people apply for legal permanent residence, with no fixed minimum income, and foreign pensions are not taxed. Prices run at about 73% of the US.
What it takes, what it costs, and where retirees settle, from Uruguay's law and official data. Checked on Oct 7, 2026.
- Retiree visa
- No fixed minimum Migración sets no minimum income: a notary's certificate states your pension or rents, the monthly amount and how it reaches you in Uruguay. Dirección Nacional de Migración; Migration Law 18.250. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
- Price level
- ~73% of the US Household consumption, 2025. World Bank. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
- Tax on a foreign pension
- 0% Foreign pensions are not taxed. IASS Law 18.314; DGI; PwC Tax Summaries. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
- Travel advisory
- Level 2 of 4 Exercise Increased Caution. US State Department. Updated Jul 27, 2026.
- Health spending
- $2,076/person Per year; US $13,473. World Bank. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
- US tax treaty
- None No income tax treaty with the US. IRS. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
Do you qualify?
Retirees and people living on rents apply to the Dirección Nacional de Migración for legal permanent residence, open to any foreigner who intends to settle in Uruguay. Migración sets no fixed minimum: you show a notary's certificate of your pension or rents, the monthly amount and how it reaches you in Uruguay. Residence is permanent from the start and gives the same rights to health care, work and social security as Uruguayans.
Permanent residence visa: documents and feesRetiring in Uruguay, topic by topic
Visa
Permanent residence visa requirements
Documents, government fees and the other routes to residency.
Healthcare
Healthcare for retirees
The hospitals retirees use, what insurance covers, and Medicare abroad.
Money
Banking, pensions and tax
How US, UK and Canadian pensions reach a local bank, and what you report at home.
Budget
Cost of living
Official prices and a budget built from your own rent.
What it costs
Household prices in Uruguay run at about 73% of US levels. Rent is the line nobody publishes officially, so the cost of living page builds your budget from your own rent; food starts from the official basket.
Build your budgetOfficial basic food basket, per person, per month, December 2025
INE. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
Where retirees settle
Montevideo
- Capital, about 1.3 million people (2023)
- On the Río de la Plata, 41 m above sea level
- Hospital Británico and Asociación Española
Punta del Este
- Maldonado department, about 9,300 people (2011)
- On the Atlantic coast, 11 m above sea level
- Hospital Británico clinic; Sanatorio SEMM Mautone in Maldonado
Colonia del Sacramento
- Capital of Colonia department, about 32,000 people (2023)
- On the Río de la Plata, 27 m above sea level
Piriápolis
- Maldonado department, about 12,000 people (2023)
- On the coast, 17 m above sea level
- Sanatorio SEMM Mautone clinic in town
Wikidata; Hospital Británico; Asociación Española; Sanatorio SEMM Mautone. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
Uruguay compared
More guides on Uruguay
Visiting Uruguay first
Most people spend a few weeks in Uruguay before they apply for anything. Two things to sort out for that trip:
Kiwi.com
Flights to Uruguay
Compare routes and dates before a scouting trip.
Airalo
eSIM for Uruguay
Mobile data from the day you land, without a local SIM.
Partner links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. How this works.
Retiring in Uruguay: questions
Is Uruguay safe for retirees?
The US State Department rates Uruguay Level 2, exercise increased caution.
Do I pay tax in Uruguay on my pension?
No. Uruguay's tax on pensions (IASS) by law does not cover pensions from contributions to social security institutions outside Uruguay, even when paid through a Uruguayan entity, and the income tax does not list foreign pensions among the foreign income it taxes. US citizens still file a US return.
Is Uruguay a good country to retire in?
Retirees can get permanent residence from the start with no fixed minimum income, foreign pensions are not taxed, and residents have the same right to health care as Uruguayans. Prices run at about 73% of US levels.
How do I retire in Uruguay as an American?
Apply to Migración for legal permanent residence with a notary's certificate of your pension, an FBI criminal record check, a health card and a vaccination certificate; the fee is 557.30 UI. Social Security can be paid straight into a bank in Uruguay.
Where do retirees live in Uruguay?
Mostly Montevideo, the capital; Punta del Este and Piriápolis on the coast of Maldonado; and Colonia del Sacramento on the Río de la Plata. Montevideo has Hospital Británico and Asociación Española, and Maldonado has Sanatorio SEMM Mautone.
