our filternot a guide “for everyone”Piriápolis · Uruguay
Straight answer: in Uruguay for residency you need a source of income — if not, open a unipersonal and that’s enough. To a passport: ~3 years if married, ~5 years if single. Uruguay’s main minus:kids under 18 don’t get citizenship. We dropped the other countries on our own stop (disease, instability, seismics, geopolitics).
our pick
🇺🇾Uruguay
Residency
You need a source of income. None — open a unipersonal (sole trader) and that’s enough
To a passport
≈ 3 years if married · ≈ 5 years if single
KIDS UNDER 18 DO NOT GET CITIZENSHIP
Residency for us: prove income or open a unipersonal — no “golden visa” and no millions in the bank
No endemic malaria
No dengue as a background
Calmer overall: house, school, daily life
we didn’t pick it
🇵🇾Paraguay
Residency
People often praise a “fast” entry — we looked at the papers
To a passport
There is a path, but for a family it didn’t cover the risks
Main minus:MalariaDengue
We looked at residency, but the family’s health mattered more than “easy on paper”
Because of the diseases the option dropped
we didn’t pick it
🇦🇷Argentina
Residency
Paths exist (work, family, rentista and others)
To a passport
There is a timeline — we didn’t want to live “on sand”
Main minus:Instability — the main stop
Economy and rules jump — residency/passport didn’t cover the minuses
Dengue — including the Córdoba region
Malaria — sometimes locally; extra risk in the sum
There is a temporary status / paths for work and income — we looked
To a passport
Longer and tougher than Uruguay — for us
Main minus:Seismic zone — the main stop
Earthquakes and tsunami risk on the coast — not what you build a house and school on
Malaria on the mainland: not endemic (as a background of life — not comparable to Paraguay/Brazil)
Dengue: on the continent mostly imported; locally Easter Island (Rapa Nui), not all of Chile
We didn’t drop it for disease — we dropped it for seismics
we didn’t pick it
🇷🇸Serbia
Residency
Residency is possible — we didn’t refuse because of “hard papers”
To a passport
A long European track — not our focus
Main minus:Geopolitics and tension on the borders
The situation is unstable — “like it was heating up before the war in Ukraine”
Even with a normal residency we didn’t want that background for a family
Fear after our own experience, not an analyst forecast
we didn’t pick it
🇬🇪🇦🇲Georgia, Armenia and the region around
Residency
Permanent residency is hard to get
To a passport
A passport is hard too
Main minus:You don’t renew your own passport — you become illegal
Conflict places nearby
There are conflicts in the country and on the borders too
We already went through that — we didn’t want to go there again
we didn’t pick it
🇧🇷Brazil
Residency
Residency exists, but heavier and messier than Uruguay
To a passport
Longer path / tougher conditions
Main minus:Malaria and dengue — a serious background
Safety is not what you want for kids
In the regions disease is not “rare”, it’s a background of life
In the sum: legalisation + health + the street = no
we didn’t pick it
🇪🇺EU and NATO countries
Residency
Easier here, harder there — not the main stop
To a passport
Long / quotas / each country’s own rules
Main minus:Conflicts heating up, especially in Europe
After our experience we need maximum calm, not an alliance “frontier”
Even with normal residency, geopolitics matters more for a family
EU/NATO as a direction — one line: no
📎
This is our experience and our opinion — how we looked at countries and why we chose Uruguay. Yours may be different: other goals, budget, family, timeline. Before you decide, check the current rules yourself.
FAQ
Why did you choose Uruguay?
Residency: you need a source of income — no income, open a unipersonal and that’s enough. Time to a passport: ~3 years if married, ~5 if single. Minus: kids under 18 don’t get citizenship. Paraguay/Brazil — malaria and dengue; Argentina — instability; Chile — seismic zone; Georgia/Armenia and the region — without renewing your own passport you become illegal, conflicts nearby, residency and passport are hard; Serbia and EU/NATO — geopolitics.
Is this advice on where to go?
No. This is our experience and opinion. Yours may be different — check what is current for your situation.