Baby Wipes and the Residency Process

I am by no means an expert on the residency process, but having been through a good part of it, I do have a several tips and can recommend a couple of websites that will point you in the right direction. I'll get to the baby wipes in a minute.

This is a brief description of the steps involved and items you will need for permanent residency: (information thanks to Uruguay: The Owner's Manual by International Living):

• Letter of Intent for Immigration
• Several passport photos
• Copies of passport
  
• Criminal background check. (You can obtain this at Interpol in Montevideo)
  
• Evidence of financial means of support
• Legalized birth and marriage certificates
  
• Uruguayan health certificate (requires a simple physical and dental checkup)
  
• Copy of your entry "card" (that slip of paper you receive upon entering the country) We did not receive one and it wasn't a major obstacle.
• All documents and certificates translated into Spanish by a escribano(a).
  
• The above items turned over to immigration with a copy of your passport

Here are a few things you can do before your move to expedite the residency process once you arrive:

1. Obtain official documentation of your monthly income (wage records, mutual fund documents, Social Security statement, pensions information, etc.)
2. Get certified (authenticated) copies (with seal) of your birth and marriage certificates from the county of origin.
   
3. The above certificates must be legalized by the appropriate Uruguayan consulate in the United States. Check the Uruguayan Consular's website for a list of U.S. offices and the zone they represent.
   
4. Women between the ages of 21-65 are required to present results of a current pap smear and mammogram in order to receive a health certificate.
   

It is best to perform numbers 2 and 3 prior to your move. The logistics of these steps would make it extremely difficult to do long distance.

I would recommend hiring an relocation consultant prior to your move. These folks know how to get things done and are very helpful, especially if Spanish is not your first language. They will work with the escribano, set up appointments and serve as translator in addition to following your residency paperwork trail. Your best bet is to do an online search, interview to two or three and check the Uruguay Living forum for references.

Finally, the baby wipes. Right before our immigration "appointment" in Maldonado, our relocation consultant said he had to make a quick stop at the farmacia. He strolled out with a package of baby wipes. I didn't question it, I thought maybe he was doing a favor for a friend.

It became abundantly clear when the immigration official completed my paperwork (on a manual typewriter), ushered me into a back room and proceeded to roll copious amounts of gloppy, gooey, India ink onto my fingers. No inkless fingerprint pads here. Also no soap and water. The Interpol experience was virtually identical.

In the past four months I have learned the importance of research, of the unique nature of Latin bureaucracy and the virtue of patience. But ultimately, the best advice I can impart is to bring a super-size package of baby wipes to your immigration and Interpol appointments. And don't forget to leave the rest of the pack behind for the next messy soul.