Uruguay and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Apostille, Hague Convention in force for Uruguay since 14 October 2012
- Issued by
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, citizen service centre in Montevideo)
- Language
- Spanish, sworn translation
- Register
- National Registry of Commerce (Registro Nacional de Comercio)
- Tax treaty
- Uruguay and the Netherlands exchange tax information under a dedicated agreement. For income, Dutch domestic rules apply: 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax, zero standard withholding on interest and royalties (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- EU-Mercosur interim trade agreement, 1 May 2026
- Moving here
- Residence permit needed
Documents from Uruguay
Passport copy, certified by a notary in Uruguay.
Proof of address in Uruguay, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a Uruguayan escribano público. Take it to the Supreme Court of Justice for the certification of the notary’s signature, then to the ministry for the apostille.
Ownership statement, one page from us.
The apostille. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, citizen service centre in Montevideo). The apostille takes about five working days and can be verified online. Documents signed by a notary (escribano) must first be certified by the Supreme Court of Justice.
Official page: https://www.gub.uy/tramites/apostilla-yo-legalizacion-documentos-publicos-uruguayos-extranjeros-tengan-efecto-exterior-republica
Good to know. People often forget the Supreme Court step before the ministry. A sworn translation is also certified by the Supreme Court first and then apostilled.
If a company from Uruguay becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: National Registry of Commerce (Registro Nacional de Comercio). Order a certificate and a certified copy of the statutes showing directors. For a limited company (in Uruguay an S.R.L.), the partners are listed in the contract. Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Trade between Uruguay and the EU
European Union (EU) trade in goods with Uruguay amounted to €3.7 billion in 2025, with a small EU surplus of €0.1 billion. The EU was Uruguay's third-largest trading partner that year, after China and Brazil, with 10.7% of Uruguayan trade.
Pulp and paper made up 52% of EU imports from Uruguay in 2025, animal products 21% and vegetable products 11%. Chemicals (33%), machinery and appliances (24%) and transport equipment (8%) topped EU exports that year.
The EU is the most important investor in Uruguay, with a foreign direct investment stock of €13.7 billion in 2025, partly in pulp. In 2025 the EU exported services worth €1.9 billion to Uruguay and imported €0.9 billion.
A Framework Co-operation Agreement concluded in 1992 governs EU-Uruguay relations. The EU and Mercosur, which includes Uruguay, signed an Interim Trade Agreement on 17 January 2026, in provisional application since 1 May 2026.
Import duties: Access2Markets.
Your next step from Uruguay
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