Traveling to this Location
Description:
Passport and visa requirements
To enter and leave the country, a passport is required that is valid for the duration of your travel to Uruguay. Visitors must also be able to verify that they have a roundtrip ticket or a ticket to their next destination. Americans are not required to obtain a travel visa if they plan to stay ninety days or less. It is the passenger's responsibility to check with local immigration offices or the Uruguayan consulate prior to departure for current entrance requirements. For more information see www.americanpassport.com or www.uriwashi.org.
Immunizations
Visitors should have routine vaccinations up to date. The following vaccinations are also recommended:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B*
- Typhoid
The Centers for Disease Control provides immunization information for travel in Latin America. www.cdc.gov
* If also traveling to countries where infection prevalence is intermediate or high. The prevalence of Hepatitis B in Uruguay is low at this time.
Other itinerary-based considerations: A Yellow Fever vaccination is required for some visitors who enter Uruguay from a country where Yellow Fever is present. For certain travelers whose itineraries put them at risk, a Rabies vaccination may also be recommended. The Centers for Disease Control provides immunization information for travel in Latin America. www.cdc.gov
Customs
Entry During the flight to Uruguay, a flight attendant will distribute Uruguayan entrance forms to all passengers. At Customs, travelers show their documents and are asked how many days they plan to be in Uruguay. Normally, the passport will be stamped indicating a permissible stay of 90 days, and a copy of the Customs form will be returned to the traveler.
Exit Travelers departing Uruguay by air must pay a departure tax of $17US if flying to Buenos Aires and $31US if departing for any other international destination. The tax is payable in US dollars or Uruguayan pesos. Your Customs document must be presented when exiting Uruguay.
Exchanging currency
The Uruguayan Peso (UYU) is the country’s official currency. Current exchange rate information is available on our website under "Traveler Information." Major credit cards are widely accepted at hotels and restaurants in large cities and in some smaller towns throughout Uruguay. Rates fluctuate and tend to be better at banks and currency exchange establishments (casas de cambio). Traveler’s Checks are accepted at fewer locations and consequently are not worth the hassle. ATM machines, with instructions in English, are widely available in all major cities and most towns though not necessarily 24 hours a day. Nonetheless, ATM machines are the most convenient and economical way to obtain Uruguayan pesos without having to carry around excess cash. We recommend carrying only US cash in $20US denominations to exchange as needed if a visitor’s travel to Uruguay will be two weeks or less. As in other Latin American countries, obtaining change from large-denomination bills in Uruguay can be problematic. Hotels exchange money, and most offer safekeeping for valuables. Before departure, we send booked passengers a packet of trip information that contains money tips.
Using electricity
The current in Uruguay is 220V; 50 hertz. It is best to bring adapters to fit the three plugs you may encounter: European-style with two round pins; Italian style with three round pins; or Australian/Chinese-style three rectangular prongs.
Weather
Description:
Uruguay has a temperate climate with little seasonal variation. Summers are hot from December to March and winters mild, June to August. The most pleasant time to travel to Uruguay is late spring/early summer and late summer/early autumn, when the weather is still warm but less humid.
Summer
Hot, humid weather makes December through March the most popular time for Uruguay tours to the beaches of Punta del Este. Rainfall occurs as tropical downpours, heavy and brief. Almost every day is sunny.
Autumn
April and May are warm with cool nights. The hours of sunshine decrease with fog commonplace, coming inland from the sea and rivers. Rainfall becomes less dramatic as the season progresses, shifting from tropical storms to longer, lighter showers.
Winter
June through August is mild and damp with sunshine lasting five or six hours a day. Precipitation usually takes the form of drizzle from overcast skies. Temperatures tend to stay above freezing so frosts are unlikely and snow very rare. The season experiences a cold, sometimes strong, pampero wind from the south.
Spring
From September through November the days are warm, though the nighttime temperatures remain cool. The clouds begin to clear away, providing longer periods of sun, but fog develops quite regularly. Spring is still subject to the pampero wind which can suddenly force temperatures down.
Uruguay Weather Data
MONTEVIDEO | Min-Max Air Temp | Avg Rainfall |
JAN | 62-83 | 2.9 |
FEB | 61-82 | 2.6 |
MAR | 59-78 | 3.9 |
APR | 53-71 | 3.9 |
MAY | 48-64 | 3.3 |
JUN | 43-59 | 3.2 |
JUL | 43-58 | 2.9 |
AUG | 43-59 | 3.1 |
SEP | 46-63 | 3.0 |
OCT | 49-68 | 2.6 |
NOV | 54-74 | 2.9 |
DEC | 59-79 | 3.1 |
*Year Round Temperatures in °F, Rainfall in Inches
PUNTA DEL ESTE | Min-Max Air Temp | Avg Rainfall |
JAN | 65-77 | 3.0 |
FEB | 65-77 | 3.4 |
MAR | 64-75 | 3.1 |
APR | 59-70 | 3.3 |
MAY | 54-65 | 3.6 |
JUN | 49-59 | 3.5 |
JUL | 48-58 | 3.5 |
AUG | 48-58 | 3.7 |
SEP | 50-61 | 3.7 |
OCT | 53-65 | 3.4 |
NOV | 57-70 | 3.4 |
DEC | 62-75 | 2.6 |
*Year Round Temperatures in °F, Rainfall in Inches
COLONIA | Min-Max Air Temp | Avg Rainfall |
JAN | 68-81 | 3.6 |
FEB | 68-79 | 4.6 |
MAR | 63-75 | 4.9 |
APR | 59-70 | 3.6 |
MAY | 54-63 | 3.1 |
JUN | 46-55 | 2.7 |
JUL | 46-55 | 2.7 |
AUG | 48-59 | 3.0 |
SEP | 52-63 | 3.2 |
OCT | 55-68 | 4.5 |
NOV | 61-72 | 4.3 |
DEC | 61-77 | 3.4 |
*Year Round Temperatures in °F, Rainfall in Inches