Uruguay Travel Guide
Visa summary
247 passport nationalities researched for entry into Uruguay.
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Guide
Uruguay is easy to enter and easy to get to from Buenos Aires. Most nationalities can stay up to 90 days without a visa, including citizens of the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Israel, South Africa, and most of Europe and Scandinavia, and a passport should be valid for at least six months. Argentines can enter under Mercosur with a valid national ID card or a passport, and guides say some other South American travelers can use an ID card too.
The ferry is the classic way in. Buquebus and Colonia Express run from Buenos Aires to Colonia and Montevideo, and there are international road bridges across the Uruguay River between Argentina and Uruguay for people arriving by land.
Border crossings
- The river bridges to Argentina
Uruguay and Argentina are linked by road bridges over the Uruguay River, including the crossings at Fray Bentos, Paysandú, and Salto, each facing an Argentine town. This site's Argentina guide covers the other side.
- Colonia and Montevideo, the ferry ports
Ferries from Buenos Aires land at Colonia and at Montevideo, so bring a passport, or the ID card if you are eligible to use one.
- Brazil, by land
Uruguay's land crossings with Brazil include Chuí, on the Atlantic coast, and the border towns of Rivera and Río Branco, which sit directly opposite Brazilian cities. This site's Brazil guide covers the Brazilian side and its e-Visa rule.
Transit routes
- Buenos Aires to Colonia by ferry
The short river crossing is the usual first step for visitors combining Argentina and Uruguay.
- Check the Brazilian rule before crossing north
US, Canadian, and Australian citizens need a Brazilian e-Visa, so a Uruguay trip that continues into Brazil needs that arranged in advance.
Entry point notes
- Ninety days without a visa for most
Citizens of most Western countries do not need a visa, and the stay is granted on arrival.
- Argentines use Mercosur rules
A national ID card in good condition is enough for Argentine citizens.