Uruguay opens path to permanent residency for some asylum seekers — The Rio Times
Uruguay has adopted a decree opening a path to permanent residency for certain foreign nationals through the arraigo procedure — proven ties to the country. It applies to people who legally entered through an official border crossing before January 1, 2026, and have a pending or definitively rejected asylum application. The Rio Times reports.
The decree is dated October 8, 2026, and will take effect 90 days after its official publication. Applications may be submitted within 12 months of its entry into force. The National Directorate of Migration may extend this period once, by up to another 12 months.
Requirements for applicants
Two categories of foreign nationals will be able to use the procedure: those who expressly withdraw their pending asylum application and people whose applications have been definitively rejected. An applicant must not be barred from entering or staying under Uruguay’s migration legislation and must not have another basis for temporary or permanent residency.
The required documents include a valid identity document, a photograph, criminal record certificates from countries where the person stayed for more than 180 days during the five years before arriving in Uruguay, and proof of vaccination. Applicants must demonstrate that they have their own means of subsistence or can support their family in Uruguay, including by submitting social security records or a notarized document confirming a monthly income above the minimum wage.
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The migration service may waive individual documents from the country of origin for humanitarian reasons, due to the absence of a consulate in Uruguay, high processing costs, or a lack of contact with relatives. For children, the decree provides for the protection of their rights and best interests.
Backlog of asylum applications
According to El País, cited by The Rio Times, nearly 30,000 applications for refugee status are awaiting review in Uruguay. Most applicants are Cubans, who often arrive overland from Brazil and seek asylum. At the same time, only 52 Cubans have refugee status in the country.
Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Chucasi explained the accumulation of applications by saying that their number exceeds the capacity of the Refugee Commission to review them. People who decide to withdraw their asylum application must be informed of the consequences of this step. At the same time, the decree does not deprive people who obtain permanent residency through this procedure of the right to apply for asylum again in the future.
In 2024, Uruguay had already launched a residency program through the arraigo mechanism. At the time, the Foreign Ministry said it could regularize the status of about 20,000 people. By February 2025, more than 2,000 migrants had started the procedure, and about half had completed it.
