Many Uruguayans have Galician, Canarian or Italian grandparents, so before choosing a visa it is worth checking whether you already hold an EU passport or have a right to Spanish citizenship. If not, the Uruguayan passport is a good start: visa-free entry, citizenship after 2 years without renouncing Uruguayan nationality, licence exchange and a social security agreement. Here are the most common routes.
Key facts
- Entry: Uruguayan passport holders can stay in the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This does not allow work and does not, on its own, let you settle.
- Citizenship: as a national of an Ibero-American country you can apply for Spanish citizenship after 2 years of legal, continuous residence. There is no dual nationality treaty, but article 24 of the Civil Code exempts you from renouncing Uruguayan nationality.
- Documents: Uruguay is party to the Hague Convention, so an apostille is enough and no translation is needed.
- Driving: there is an exchange agreement. Once resident you can drive for six months on your Uruguayan licence and exchange it without a test for cars and motorcycles.
- Social security: the Spain–Uruguay agreement lets contributions paid in both countries count towards your pension.
How people usually move
- Ancestry and EU passports. If your father or mother is Spanish by origin and born in Spain, you can opt for citizenship with no residence period; the grandchildren route under the Democratic Memory Law closed in October 2025. If you were born outside Spain and your father, mother, grandfather or grandmother was originally Spanish, you can apply for citizenship by residence after just 1 year of legal, continuous residence. If you already have recognised Italian or other EU citizenship, you can live and work in Spain as an EU citizen; Italy restricted citizenship by descent in 2025 for people not yet recognised. Spanish citizenship
- Studies. A master’s, degree or vocational course (FP) with a study authorisation, which allows work up to 30 hours a week. Time as a student does not count towards the 2 years for citizenship. Study permit
- Work in Spain. A contract with a Spanish company, a highly qualified professional profile or an EU Blue Card. Employment permit
- Remote work. The digital nomad visa suits people working remotely for companies or clients outside Spain, with a relationship of at least three months. You can apply at the consulate or from Spain while legally there. Digital nomad
- Family. Marriage or registered partnership with a Spanish or EU citizen. Family member of a Spanish or EU citizen
- Non-lucrative residence. For retirees or people with enough income of their own who will not work in Spain. It requires a consular visa and private health insurance with no co-payments or waiting periods. Non-lucrative residence
Documents and apostille
- Criminal record certificate (certificado de antecedentes judiciales) from the Policía Científica (Ministry of the Interior), apostilled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The consulate requires it for stays of more than 180 days.
- Birth and marriage certificates from the Dirección General del Registro de Estado Civil, recent and apostilled. If you rely on ancestry, also get your parents’ certificates.
- University degrees, apostilled, if you plan to have them recognised or apply for a skilled visa.
- Health insurance with no co-payments or waiting periods where the visa requires it (for example, non-lucrative residence) and a passport valid long enough.
What to keep in mind
- Visas are handled by the Consulate General of Spain in Montevideo, by appointment booked on its website; there is no outsourced visa centre.
- Certificates usually need to be recent: get your appointment date first and request your criminal record and apostilles afterwards.
- If you have dual nationality, always enter and leave Spain on the same passport and use the right one (EU or Uruguayan) for each procedure.
- In Spain: register at the town hall (padrón) and, if you came with a residence visa, apply for your TIE within the first month.
Frequently asked questions
I have an Italian passport. Do I need a visa?
No. As an EU citizen you can live and work in Spain without a visa. If you stay longer than three months, register at the Central Register of Foreign Nationals to get the EU citizen registration certificate.
My grandfather was Galician. Can I still become Spanish?
The grandchildren route under the Democratic Memory Law closed in October 2025. If your father or mother is Spanish by origin and born in Spain, you can opt with no deadline. Otherwise, the route is residence: 1 year of legal, continuous residence if you were born outside Spain and your grandfather was originally Spanish; in other cases, 2 years.
Will I lose Uruguayan nationality if I become Spanish?
Not on the Spanish side. Although there is no dual nationality treaty, article 24 of the Civil Code does not require nationals of Ibero-American countries to renounce. You need the CCSE test of the Instituto Cervantes; the DELE language test is not required because Spanish is an official language of Uruguay.