Entering by boat: Uruguay
What to do to enter Uruguay by sea: the procedures, the papers to present and the ports where you can clear in.
Based on official sources, checked on 28 October 2026.
The steps
- Announce arrival to the Prefectura (VHF 16).
- Report to the Prefectura.
- Customs (boat temporary admission) and immigration.
- Departure: Hydrography letter and zarpe.
Papers to have on board
- Passports for the whole crew
- Crew list
- Boat papers (registration certificate)
- Outward clearance from the previous country
Good to know
- Call 'Control Marítimo' (Prefectura) on VHF 16 at least 30 minutes before entering any port.
- On departure, a letter from Hydrography confirming fees are paid.
- Extra tax reported after a 9-month stay (2022).
Ports of entry
The ports where you can clear in, and the services available there.
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- aduanas.gub.uy/innovaportal/v/22708/1/innova.front/vehiculos-de-turistas.html
- cruiserswiki.org/wiki/Uruguay
- noonsite.com/place/uruguay/
This information is gathered from public sources and sailors’ experience. It does not replace the country’s authorities, whose word is final: check before you leave.