International Living Community

Hi AD1452, A scouting trip to Portugal sounds like a good plan. A tip: You might try leaving your question under the Portugal category of this Internatillnal Living Community section. A lot of people go straight to the country section they are interested in or know about.

Year after year, Mercer ranks Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, as the city offering the highest quality of life in South America. What makes Montevideo so livable? Contributing factors include its political and social stabilty, with policies that seek to offer opportunity, promote dignity, and provide support for those in need.

Have you considered Uruguay? If so, I'm interested to learn your thoughts. Also, if you have any questions I'm glad to share what I know. (I've lived here since 2006.)

Hi again, this David Hammond. I am writing to let you know they've just added a new Uruguay category to the International Living Communitry page.

Hi Karen3A,
Sorry for the late reply. My name is David Hammond. I'm International Living's correspondent in Uruguay; and have been living here since 2006. Have you been to Uruguay? If not, are you planning a visit Uruguay to check things out? What are some of the things that have attracted you to considering Uruguay?

Hi Katherine,

I've got time for all your questions.

Here is a link to an article I wrote that provides a general information summary of the residency process. At the end it includes the names and links of three reputable residency specialists that have been in business for a long time. https://internationalliving.com/countries/uruguay/visa/
(I don't know about Mobility LC. This is the first time I've been made aware of them.)

Most banks in Uruguay will not accept people from the U.S. as customers. (By doing so, it puts them under U.S. regulations and reporting requirements, which adds to their costs.) However, a few banks in Uruguay do. From my experience, the best bank for a newcomer from the U.S. to get a low-cost account is at Banco Republico (known as BROU).

You will likely need the assistance of a residency specialist with specific experience helping people from the U.S. get bank accounts. So, be sure to confirm this when deciding who to work with. (If they recommend another bank besides BROU, be sure to ask what the other bank's fees are for U.S. account holders.)

For accommodations starting out, you might look at extended stay apartments on sites like Booking.com and Airbnb.com. Choosing an apartment with a load of good reviews helps reduce the chance of having a problem.

In regard to Spanish schools, I took classes at La Herradura about 15 years ago, and they were very good. I see they still have good reviews. https://www.spanish-herradura.com/ . Another school that has been around for a long time with good reveiws is Spanish School Academy Uruguay. https://www.academiauruguay.com/

I hope this helps.

Feel free to reach out as new questions come up.

Best regards,
David Hammond

My name is David Hammond, I have been living in Uruguay for several years. You can find medical and psych services here, but they will all be in Spanish.

Hi Katherine,
I am David Hammond, International Living's Uruguay correspondent. I moved from the U.S. to Uruguay in 2006. If you have any specific questions about life in Uruguay, I would be glad to answer them.

Hi Katherine,
I am David Hammond, International Living's Uruguay correspondent. I moved from the U.S. to Uruguay in 2006. If you have any specific questions about life in Uruguay, I would be glad to answer them.

Hi Karen3A, I am David Hammond, International Living's correspondent in Uruguay. I am from Washington State and have been living in Uruguay for 19 years. In my opionion: A few cons: While I find Uruguay more affordable than the U.S., it is one of the more expensive countries in Latin America. And it's also a long flight to the U.S. A few pluses: What I like best about Uruguay is its culture of inclusion. There is a bigger middle class in Uruguay than any other country in Latin America. And its recently been ranked as the country with the least amount of public corruption in the Americas by Transparancy International.

Here are a couple of articles I wrote that yiou may find intereesting:

1. This article specifically lays out some of the pros and cons of living in Uruguay:
   https://internationalliving.com/countries/uruguay/

2. This article explains some of the pluses attracting expats to Uruguay:
   https://internationalliving.com/why-uruguay-is-the-perfect-post-election-haven-for-expats/

Best regards,
David

Hi Karen3A, I am David Hammond, International Living's correspondent in Uruguay. I am from Washington State and have been living in Uruguay for 19 years. In my opionion: A few cons: While I find Uruguay more affordable than the U.S., it is one of the more expensive countries in Latin America. And it's also a long flight to the U.S. A few pluses: What I like best about Uruguay is its culture of inclusion. There is a bigger middle class in Uruguay than any other country in Latin America. And its recently been ranked as the country with the least amount of public corruption in the Americas by Transparancy International.

Here is an article I wrote that specifically lays out some of the pros and cons of living in Uruguay from my experience here:
https://internationalliving.com/countries/uruguay/

Here is another article I wrote more recently that explains some of the pluses for choosing Uruguay:
https://internationalliving.com/why-uruguay-is-the-perfect-post-election-haven-for-expats/

Best regards,
David

Hi Clarksteller,
I live in Uruguay. The immigration requirement, here, is a clean FBI report (from the U.S.) or a clean national police report (if from another country). However, sometimes, a Uruguayan immigration attorney can successfully make a case for why a person should be granted immigration status even if their record isn't spotless. It would probably take an experienced immigration attorney in the country where you want to immigrate to learn the details of your partner's case and give you odds of successfully getting an exception

Hi Clarksteller,
I live in Uruguay. The immigration requirement, here, is a clean FBI report (from the U.S.) or a clean national police report (if from another country). However, sometimes, a Uruguayan immigration attorney can successfully make a case for why a person should be granted immigration status even if their record isn't spotless. It would probably take an experienced immigration attorney in the country where you want to immigrate to learn the details of your partner's case and give you odds of successfully getting an exception

Hi Laura, My name is David Hammond. I moved from the U.S. to Uruguay 19 years ago when I was 46. I had a good net worth, but did not have a regular passive income. I learned that Uruguay and many other countries in Latin America won't consider a residency applicant's net worth--only their monthly income.

However, the regular income does not need to be social security or a pension. In several countries, it can be any form of regular monthly income. What many do (and what I did) is to invest their savings so that it produces a monthly income that can be used as proof of monthly income, such as rent income, dividends, etc.

If that doesn't make sense for you, here are a couple of other strategies to consider:

I've met many people who got a job teaching English in order to move abroad. It provides you with a visa to live in a country without a passive monthly income. It will enable you to earn some money and also to develop a social circle right off the bat. From what I understand, you can get a TEFL certificate at an online school in a matter of months. And in many places native English speakers are in demand.

I've also met several expats who enjoy a roaming life abroad--without needing a foreign residency. In many countries one can stay as a tourist for 90 days. And for a small fee extend one's stay for another 90 days--for a total of 180 days. People who do this might stay in one country for 5.5 months, another for 5.5 months, and then travel for a month.

Good luck to you!

Hi Laura, My name is David Hammond. I moved from the U.S. to Uruguay 19 years ago when I was 46. I had a good net worth, but did not have a regular passive income. I learned that Uruguay and many other countries in Latin America won't consider a residency applicant's net worth--only their monthly income.

However, the regular income does not need to be social security or a pension. In several countries, it can be any form of regular monthly income. What many do (and what I did) is to invest their savings so that it produces a monthly income that can be used as proof of monthly income, such as rent income, dividends, etc.

If that doesn't make sense for you, here are a couple of other strategies to move aborad:

1. I've met many people who got a job teaching English in order to move abroad. It provides you with a visa to live in a country without a passive monthly income. It will enable you to earn some money and also to develop a social circle right off the bat. From what I understand, you can get a TEFL certificate at an online school in a matter of months. And in many places native English speakers are in demand.

2. I've also met several expats who enjoy a roaming life abroad--without needing a foreign residency. In many countries one can stay as a tourist for 90 days. And for a small fee extend one's stay for another 90 days--for a total of 180 days. People who do this might stay in one country for 5.5 months, another for 5.5 months, and then travel for a month.

Good luck to you!