Uruguay
Make employment in Uruguay easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in Uruguay, all in one easy-to-use platform.
- Capital City
Montevideo
- Currency
Uruguayan peso ($U, UYU)
- Languages
Spanish
- Population size
3,518,552
Facts & Stats
- Capital City
Montevideo
- Currency
Uruguayan peso ($U, UYU)
- Languages
Spanish
- Population size
3,518,552
- Ease of doing business
Medium
- Cost of living index
51.09 (2021)
- Payroll frequency
Bi-Monthly/Monthly
- VAT - standard rate
22%
- GDP - real growth rate
0.2% (2019)
The Oriental Republic of Uruguay (Spanish: República Oriental del Uruguay) is a democratic constitutional republic that boasts the 12th largest GDP in the Latin Americas, unrivalled levels of democratic freedom, press freedom, political stability, economic equality, and per capita income in South America.
With economic equality and poverty declining while GDP continues to rise, Uruguay is home to a developed workforce where enterprising businesses can expand to, with a positive economic outlook for the foreseeable future.
Grow your team in Uruguay with Remote
Looking to employ workers in Uruguay? Companies hiring in Uruguay must either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider, usually one that provides employer of record services.
Remote can employ your team in Uruguay on your behalf through our local legal entity in the country and handle payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for your Uruguay team. You can also pay contractors now in Uruguay with Remote.
Risks of misclassification
Uruguay, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Uruguay may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.
Employing in Uruguay
Uruguay adheres to labour standards spelled out in the Constitution, several government edicts, and International Labour Organisation statutes that are designed to provide employee protections and secure workers’ rights for Uruguay’s workforce of 1.6 million.
Common questions that could come up during the hiring process include minimum wage, overtime rates, and guaranteed paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in Uruguay.
Minimum Wage
The minimum wage is fixed at 19,364 Uruguayan Pesos ($466.27) per month.
Payroll Cycle
For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly instalments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.
Onboarding Time
We can help you get a new employee started in Uruguay fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 10 working days.
13th Salary
In Uruguay, 13th month salary (or just 13th salary) is a bonus payment made to employees that is equivalent to 1/12 of the employee's annual salary, paid by the employer in two instalments during a period that runs from December 1 of one year to November 30 of the following year.
The 13th month salary in Uruguay is to be paid in two instalments:
June: Corresponding to the amount earned from December 1 through May 30.
December (between the 14th and 23rd): Corresponding to the amount earned from June 1 through November 30.
5 Public holidays
Competitive benefits package in Uruguay
At Remote, we’re obsessed with helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in practising “fair equity,” which means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive (and that will allow you to attract the best local talent).
Our benefits packages in Uruguay are tailored to fulfil the local needs of your employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Support
Pension or 401(K)
Life and Disability Insurance
Taxes in Uruguay
Learn how employment taxes and statutory fees affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in Uruguay.
5%
Health Insurance contribution
0.1%
Labour Re-conversion Fund
7.5%
Pension Fund contribution
0.025%
Labour Credit Guarantee Fund
Types of leave
Employees are entitled to 20 days’ holiday annually, used in the year following the holiday accrual. After the fifth year of employment, an extra day off is acquired, with a day added every four years until it maxes out at 25 days’ holiday annually.
During their annual holiday, employees are entitled to their full wages, as well as holiday benefits equivalent to 100% of their normal wages.
Employment termination
Termination process
Employers have the right to terminate employees, provided prior notice is provided, along with a severance package.
Notice period
There is no officially stipulated notice period in Uruguay.
Severance pay
The figure varies based on whether the workers' payment cycle is monthly or daily (except for dismissal with cause, which in the Uruguayan system implies misbehaviour by the employee). The length of employment agreement also impacts severance:
Fixed-Term Contracts: When employees work until the end of the term agreed in their labour contract, they won't be entitled to severance compensation. In case they are terminated earlier, salaries until the end of the term agreed must be paid.
Indefinite Term Contracts: Employees are entitled to severance payments which includes one months salary for every year employed up to six months of salary.
Fair Pricing in Uruguay
Employer of Record
Hire and pay your global team
Starting at US$599/month
for annual plans
Top features
Satisfaction guaranteed
No deposits or hidden fees
Zero onboarding or offboarding fees
Compliant equity incentives support including withholding and reporting
Built-in security and compliance
Fast onboarding (average 2-3 days)
Flexible, localised benefits
Contractor Management
Compliantly onboard and pay contractors
US$29
per contractor/month
Start free trialTop features
Only pay for contractors you actively work with
Work with contractors in 200+ countries
Create, edit, and sign tailored, localised contracts
Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay
Transparent payments with complete visibility
Global Payroll
Consolidate your multi-country payroll
US$50
per employee/month
Top features
Reduce costs by centralising payroll management
Ensure local compliance for every country
Direct support from in-house local payroll experts
Accurate, on-time, compliant payroll to level-up your employee experience
Tax and labour authority reporting handled for you
Top features
Guided onboarding and offboarding
Employee profile and document management
Time and attendance (time off and tracking)
Expense management and reimbursement
Employee self-serve on the platform and mobile app