Uruguay: Information on work permit requirements for Uruguayan citizens in 1986 and 1987
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1992 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | URY11744 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Uruguay: Information on work permit requirements for Uruguayan citizens in 1986 and 1987, 1 September 1992, URY11744, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abf58.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to the Embassy of Uruguay in Ottawa, Uruguayans did not require a work permit in order to work legally in Uruguay in 1986 and 1987 and do not require one today (24 Sept. 1992). The right to work is inherent to citizenship (Ibid.). Uruguayan citizens have a cédula (identification document) that proves their status and, therefore, their right to work in Uruguay (Ibid.). The Embassy stressed, however, that a cédula is not a work permit and that it does not indicate that a person is allowed to work (Ibid.). Businesses, however, normally require a licence and/or other permits in order to operate legally (Ibid.).
The Embassy indicated that there are ciudadanos naturales (natural citizens) and ciudadanos legales (legal citizens) in Uruguay, the natural citizens being those who are Uruguayan by birth or by right, and the legal citizens being those foreigners who have legally resided in Uruguay for three or more years (24 Sept. 1992). Foreigners are entitled to work in Uruguay from the moment they are accepted as residents if they immigrated with the expressed intention of working. They may be required by potential employers to show their immigration documents before being hired (Ibid.). After three years of residing in Uruguay, foreigners become legal citizens, receiving a cédula from the Departamento de Migración (Immigration Department) and a voter registration card (Ibid.).
The Embassy of Uruguay in Washington, D.C. provided the same information as above, adding that foreign residents can obtain an identification document, similar to a North American driver's licence, indicating their legal status in Uruguay (24 Sept. 1992). The Embassy corroborated that foreigners normally become legal citizens and obtain a cédula after residing for three years in the country, but said that there are exceptions. Foreigners who invest more than US$70,000 in Uruguay, for example, could become legal citizens before three years of residence (Ibid.). Foreigners who are only temporary residents (students, for example) have to obtain permission to work from the Immigration Department. These foreigners, however, are not considered legal citizens of Uruguay (Ibid.).
Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB.
References
Embassy of Uruguay, Ottawa. 24 September 1992. Telephone Interview with Staff Member.
Embassy of Uruguay, Washington, D.C. 24 September 1992. Telephone Interview with Consul.
