Uruguay Travel Tips

Overview

Officially called the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, it is situated in the South America. The name "Uruguay" comes from the language of the Guarani of Paraguay, its meaning being "River of the Painted Birds". The largest city is Montevido and about half of its people live here. This nations is the second smailles independent country in South America but larger only than Suriname, and it is most politically and economically stable. Uraguay is ranked as the second least corrupt country in Latin America after Chile. Total surface of Urguay is 313,782 km2. Counntrys population and density is 3,151,662 (data 1996) and 17.8 inhabitants per km2 respectively. Montevideo is the capital city of Uruguay and Spanish is the common language.

Currency

Uruguayan peso is the basic unit of money in Uruguay; equal to 100 centesimos. Cambios in Montevideo, Colonia and Atlantic beach resorts change US dollars cash and travelers' checks (the latter at slightly lower rates or modest commissions). Banks are the rule in the interior. Better hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards, and more and more Uruguayan ATMs accept North American or European credit cards. There is no black market.

Religion

The Uruguayan Constitution guarantees the religious freedom, hence, there are many religions in the country. However, the Catholic religion has been present all through the country’s history and is predominant in the population.

Population

The population of Uruguay is of European origin, basically Spanish and Italian but there are other nationalities, due to the country’s open doors policy. There is also a small presence of the black race which arrived to the country from the coasts of Africa at the times of the Spanish domination. Regarding the indigenous population, the last remaining Indians disappeared from the national territory more than one century ago, this means a great difference between the Uruguayan population and the population of the rest of the Latin American countries.

However, even if Uruguay is an agricultural country, its population is essentially urban (80%) and 43% is concentrated in Montevideo. Its birth rate is low, the lowest in Latin America but the life expectation is very high: 72 years for men and 74 for women, showing the high sanity and nutrition standards.

Weather

First of all, it NEVER snows in Uruguay!  The summers on the coast are quite hot which is conducive to the beach and water sport component of vacations; inland hills can be cooler, especially at night.  Because of the open land, the weather can change quite rapidly.  Sunscreen is a must, especially in the summer (December thru March.)

Dress

Urban Uruguayans favor European dress, the younger set prefers jeans and tee shirts.  We recommend that you bring some sort of small backpack to carry with you.  A sweater may be necessary sometimes at night, and it does rain in Uruguay so bring appropriate weather gear.

Shopping 

Uruguay's best buys include suede jackets, amethyst jewelry, antiques and paintings.

Business Hours Usually, stores and private businesses are open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Stores also open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. There are several shopping centers, which open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday to Sunday. Banking hours are from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (certain banks open from 11:00 a.m.) but a vast ATM network is available around the clock. The public offices are open from 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm in winter and 7:00 am to 2.30 pm in summer. Kisses and Hugs Be prepared to give and receive a kiss on the right cheek and a hug; it is Uruguayan tradition

VISAS

Required by all except the following for stays of up to three months:

(a) nationals of countries referred to in the chart above, except 1. nationals of Estonia who do need a visa;
(b) nationals of Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Seychelles, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey and Venezuela.

PASSPORTS REQUIRED

Valid passport required by all except:

(a) nationals of Uruguay who arrive from Argentina, Brazil, Chile or Paraguay with a national identity card;
(b) nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay and Peru with a national identity card for stays of up to 90 days.

Types of visa

• Tourist
• Business
• Tourist
  
  Enquire at Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy) for cost as it may vary with the exchange rate.

Validity

Visas are for stays of up to three months, except for visas issued to Malaysian nationals which are valid for one month. Extensions for a further three months are possible; apply at the Immigration Office in Uruguay.