For months there has been a discussion regarding rules on bringing household goods into Uruguay duty-free. As usual, there are many conflicting sources–even among the various websites hosted by the Uruguayan government and its consulates in various countries.
Attorney Mark Teuten graciously volunteered to do the legal research for us and provide us with a definitive answer:
… article 2 of Decree No. 119/004, which regulates Law No. 16.340 states that household goods, in reasonable quantities according to the opinion of the Custom’s authorities, can be brought in free of tax within 6 months of the grant of permanent residence.
Please note, a vehicle is NOT INCLUDED in the definition of “household goods” and cannot be imported duty-free!
If the law changes, or when the application of the law changes, I will write about it here as quickly as possible.
Mark is the first lawyer to be simultaneously qualified in the UK and in Uruguay. This background means he is uniquely placed to advise clients coming from countries with different legal systems. He is a British-born attorney and moved to Uruguay in 1990. His law firm is small, but that means you get hands-on personal service (with which I have been perfectly satisfied). Mark concentrates on residency, real estate, intellectual property and general business matters. I highly recommend him. Mark is also the secretary of the British Society, and can sometimes be seen at our Thursday night open house meetings. http://www.teutenabogados.com
