Sending a package to Uruguay: Customs, VAT and delivery time

Sending a package to Uruguay: What companies should know before shipping

Uruguay is located in southeastern South America between:

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Río de la Plata
• Atlantic Ocean

Due to its location between the two largest economies of MERCOSUR, the country has a special logistical function.

Key economic and logistics locations include:

• Montevideo
• Canelones
• Maldonado
• Punta del Este
• Colonia
• New Palmira

What documents do I need for Uruguay?

The following are typically required for commercial imports:

• Commercial invoice or trade invoice
• Packing List
• Air Waybill or Bill of Lading
• precise product description
• NCM or HS code
• cart value
• Origin of goods
• If applicable, an explanation of the origin
• REX number (if applicable)
• Import permits may be required.
• further product-specific certificates

A commercial invoice should be used for a normal sale of goods.

For:

• free patterns
• Guaranteed deliveries
• Replacement goods free of charge
• Gifts

A pro forma invoice can be useful.

Even free goods require a realistic customs value.

You can find out more at How to correctly use a pro forma invoice at customs.

How does the proof of preferential origin work since May 2026?

The EU-MERCOSUR agreement generally uses the following for exports from the European Union:

An explanation of the origin.

A standard EUR.1 is not available for this preference.

For EU exporters:

For shipments of originating products up to a value of:

EUR 6.000

Even an exporter not registered in the REX system can submit the required declaration of origin.

At a value of:

more than 6.000 Euro

is basically a:

Registered Exporter, REX

are required for operation.

The corresponding REX number is stated in the declaration of origin.

The explanation is basically:

12 months

valid.

Do I need a EUR.1 for Uruguay?

For the EU-MERCOSUR preference that has been in effect since May 2026:

No.

The required proof of preferential origin for exports from the European Union is:

Explanation of origin.

For originating products valued at over 6.000 euros, REX registration is generally required.

Therefore, an EUR.1 should not be requested as a standard proof of preferential origin for Germany → Uruguay.

Not all German goods are immediately duty-free.

The new trade agreement does not mean:

Since May 2026, all exports to Uruguay are duty-free.

A separate tariff reduction plan applies to each tariff item.

The following are possible:

• immediate abolition of customs duties
• Gradual tariff reduction
• special transitional periods
• Odds
• Exclusion from tariff reduction

An example:

Certain products still have a regular tariff because they have not been, or not yet fully, liberalized.

The customs benefit should therefore always be checked based on the specific NCM code.

How long does it take for a package to reach Uruguay?

DHL currently lists the following for standard parcel shipping:

14 to 20 working days.

The storage period is:

30 days.

The actual runtime can also be affected by:

• Customs clearance
• missing documents
• Import permits
• Goods inspections
• destination
• local onward transport

For:

• urgent spare parts
• Production material
• medical equipment
• high-quality technical components

An express service might be more practical.

Which language should I use for the customs declaration?

DHL currently states:

• English
• French
• Spanish

as permitted languages.

Since Spanish is the official language of Uruguay, a precise Spanish description of the goods is particularly useful for local customs clearance.

For international B2B processes, a clear English description is an alternative.

Not:

"Parts"

but for example:

“Stainless steel replacement shaft for industrial filling machine”

or in Spanish:

“Eje de repuesto de acero inoxidable para máquina llenadora industrial”.

Write the address for Uruguay correctly

A business address might look like this, for example:

ABC Industrial Uruguay SA
Av. Italia 4500
11400 MONTEVIDEO
URUGUAY

For addresses outside Montevideo, the following should also be considered:

• Department
• Location
• Postal Code
• Street and house number

must be fully specified.

DHL also recommends:

• Phone number
• Email address

of the recipient.

These contact details facilitate customs inquiries and delivery.

Montevideo is the most important maritime trading hub

The:

Port of Montevideo

is the country's most important seaport.

It lies on the Río de la Plata and has a strategically advantageous location for traffic in southern South America.

The port processes, among other things:

• Containers
• RoRo traffic
• General cargo
• Vehicles
• Refrigerated goods
• Project cargo

In 2026, among other things, a new regular RoRo service was established.

The Uruguayan port authority explicitly aims to further establish Montevideo as:

regional logistics and distribution hub

to position.

Montevideo operates as Puerto Libre

One particularly interesting feature is this:

Puerto Libre regime.

Goods from abroad can generally be stored and processed within the free port area without being treated as a normal import into the Uruguayan domestic market.

Possible options include:

• Storage:
• Repacking
• Mark Irish
• Sort by
• Consolidate
• Deconsolidate
• envelope
• Reexport

As long as the goods remain within the relevant customs territory, they are generally exempt from normal import duties.

Only when the goods are brought into the Uruguayan customs territory does a regular import occur.

This makes Montevideo interesting for regional distribution models.

Uruguay can serve as a hub for Paraguay and the region.

Montevideo's geographical location makes it relevant not only for the national market.

Containers can, for example:

• arrive in Montevideo
• to be temporarily stored in the free port
• be handled
• then transported to another South American market

In 2026, for example, the port authority explicitly highlighted Montevideo's role in transshipment traffic towards:

Paraguay

Hervor.

For Paket International, the primary focus naturally remains direct shipping:

Germany → Uruguay.

However, for freight customers with regional distribution, Montevideo's hub function can also be of interest.

Nueva Palmira is important for bulk goods and regional trade flows.

Besides Montevideo, it also has:

New Palmira

a special role.

The port is strategically located on the waterway system of:

• Paraná
• Paraguay
• Uruguay
• Río de la Plata

and is especially suitable for:

• Bulk goods
• Agricultural products
• Minerals
• regional transit traffic

are important.

Nueva Palmira plays hardly any role in classic parcel shipments.

However, the location can be relevant for larger raw material, industrial and project traffic.

Air freight via Carrasco International Airport

The most important international airport is:

Carrasco International Airport

in the Canelones Department immediately east of Montevideo.

Air freight can be a sensible option for smaller and time-critical goods.

These include, for example:

• urgent spare parts
• Electronics
• Laboratory technology
• Medical Technology
• Machine components
• high-quality goods

Due to its proximity to Montevideo and the densely populated industrial areas of Canelones, inland routes are relatively short.

Uruguay uses the MERCOSUR customs tariff.

Uruguay is part of:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Paraguay

to the core of MERCOSUR.

For goods from MERCOSUR, preferential treatment may generally apply if the rules of origin are met.

For goods from third countries, the common external tariff or the respective national implementation generally applies.

Since May 2026, the EU-MERCOSUR agreement has provided an additional basis for preferential treatment for qualifying goods of European origin.

EU-MERCOSUR makes the origin of goods significantly more important

Prior to May 2026, the regular third-country customs duty was essentially relevant for goods from Germany destined for Uruguay.

Today, the following additional checks are required:

• Does the product comply with the EU rules of origin?
• Which NCM code applies?
• Which liberalization category applies?
• What customs duty rate will apply in 2026?
• Is there an explanation for the origin?
• Does a REX number exist for items costing more than 6.000 euros?

This means that properly maintained source and product data can save money immediately.

Automating recurring customs and origin data

For regular shipments to Uruguay, the following master data should be maintained centrally:

• Product name
• HS or NCM code
• Origin of goods
• Preferential origin
• cart value
• Weight
• Package dimensions

Since the EU-MERCOSUR agreement, the clean separation of:

• Country of origin
• Preferential origin
• shipping country

It has become even more important.

Through shop and ERP connections, relevant data can be directly transferred into shipping processes.

This allows:

• Shipping label
• Commercial invoices
• customs data
• Source information
• Tracking information

Create more consistent results.

You can find out more at Automate shipping documents and reduce errors.