File for permanent residence or perpetual 90-day visa?

Our friend Eddie just posted in the Southron forum an interesting take on the issue of whether or not to apply for residence papers. There may be other matters of a material nature to support his reasoning (such as the right to bring a container with household goods if you become a resident) but basically, Eddie's article is spot on. Without further ado...

I have been asked this question lately. I reviewed the comments under Visa, Permanent Residency and Citizenship threads and there do not appear to be a full treatment of this question. I am, therefore, posting my take on this subject. It may be helpful to someone.

I think there are good reasons for filing for permanent residency status, whether one intends or live here for good, or intermittently.

1. Convenience.

The way it works now, is that once you file for permanent residency, you automatically become a de-facto resident while your application is in process. The term here is "en trámite". You are no longer subject to the 90 day visa rule. This gives you some flexibility in your timing of entry and exit. (Note however, that when you are "en trámite" you still have to get an entry and exit document for a nominal fee);

2. Costs Savings.

If you plan on coming and going multiple times during a year, then you have to renew your tourist visa each time. The cost for this is quite negligible, I understand. The cost burden is in the transport in and out of Uruguay, say to Buenos Aires, which is the favorite temporary destination for this purpose (By Buquebus or Plane, around $200 round trip each time), and the accommodation cost while in BA. Depending your comfort level, this could be hefty;

3. Ease of Application.

The application filing fee is minimal. As a complete stranger in a new Country, we get intimidated by horror stories of the application process. This was probably true in the past, and still true in some jurisdiction (Montevideo). Now, you can just drop in and file your application in Maldonado Migraciones office. There is no need for appointment. Of course you still have to meet the same documentation requirements (Extensively expounded in the threads). However, even if your documentation is not complete but meets the basic requirements for filing, then you are immediately an en-trámite de-facto resident. If your application is not approved for lack of complete documentation you will remain in this limbo status in perpetuity. Unless the process changes of course. So, even if you are not sure about your residency intent for now, you enjoy two advantages (a) You get to stay or go whenever you please, and (b) If in the future you decide to stay, your paperwork is already started;

4. Slow but fair and clean process.

As far as I know, the residency process is clean. There is no need for an "insider" to fast-track your application. There is no need to bribe anybody. It does take some time for some kind of decision to be handed out. There is really no compelling reason to use a Facilitator for filing your application. As Newbies we tend to go this route. There are pros and cons on this. But quite often this route will cost you money, delay the process, and cause you aggravation. If you decide to go the Facilitator route for convenience, make sure you engage a good one. Some of the recommendations in the related threads [online] may not be appropriate anymore. Time changes, people changes, performance changes over time.

In summary my answer to this question is this: If you are unsure about your residency intention in Uruguay, you are still better off filing for permanent residency.

Get the basic documents required, file it in Maldonado (There may be other hospitable jurisdictions as well) by yourself or with someone who can speak the language, get your filing number, and let the process take its course. Depending on your intention, you may or may not care about the outcome of your application, but that's okay too.

Eduardo de la Mancha