The secrets of exchanging money in Uruguay

The secrets of exchanging money in Uruguay

Exchanging money at the airport, an awful idea

 

                     Special thanks to Banfield who uploaded this file to Wikipedia

 

 I know that when you first come to a country exchanging money at the airport it is a big temptation, but when in Uruguay it is also a big mistake. Their exchange rate it's outrageous, so unless you want to be robbed DO NOT even think about it.

How do I know where to exchange my money?

 It is important to underline that in the country it does not exist a black market as in Argentina, so you must go to a currency exchange office.

 In Uruguay the reference exchange rate it is the one from Banco Republica, the state owned bank, (www.brou.com.uy) and it is usually the best. 

 If you have more than fifty dollars or euros to exchange you can ask for a better rate by asking “How much can you give me for X?” (“Cuanto me podes dar por X?”). Please note that this would not be acceptable in a bank.

 Please be aware that by normative of the Central Bank (Circular number 1978) if you want to exchange more than 3000 dollars or its equivalent in any other currency you will be required to identify yourself.

 After comparing exchange rates I can recommend the following places, you can check rates at their websites.

http://www.indumex.com

http://www.gales.com.uy

http://www.varlix.com.uy

http://www.cambiosir.com.uy

 However if you are interested in exploring other options in this link you will find a list with ALL the currency exchanges (called casas de cambio here) in Uruguay.

 In the next post I will answer all your doubts about ATMs and the best way to use them here.

The importance of immigration in Uruguay

The importance of immigration in Uruguay

A multicultural country

 

       This is Casapueblo, the house of the artist Carlos Páez Vilaró in Punta Ballena

 Uruguay has always been a very diverse country from the cultural and ethnical point of view.   

 Our country has always embraced immigrants, especially those who were exiled from their own countries. They found in Uruguay a place to build their lifes away from the horrors of the past.

 We have a strong Armenian community that started to came in 1915 running away from the genocide that Turkey was perpetrating against them, they were immediately accepted for our people. The Jewish community is indubitably robust and with firm ties to the country. Jewish were warmly welcome in Uruguay after the nazis took power in Germany, they told stories about a horror never seen in the country.

 The amount of Europeans immigrants was so great that almost every Uruguayan has only European ascendancy. This has driven historians to say that Uruguayans got down of the ships. This is true to the point that it is common that Uruguayans hold a European passport besides the national one.

  
The cultural influence of immigrants is enormous. There even is a colloquial language called lunfardo that has a lot of Italian expressions in it.  Almost each immigrant’s collectivity has associations that teach their language and spread their culture.

 In honour to that hospitable tradition of our country I feel in need to create this blog to help people who want to immigrate to my country or who just want to visit as a tourist.

In the next posts I will tell you about the best way to remain in the country and get your national ID and work. I will also tell you how customs works.

 Something you may find interesting is taxes, and especially how taxes work for foreigners, I will tell you all about it.

 Do you have doubts about where to exchange money or how ATMs works here? I will answer them all.

 I will also recommend you the best places to eat, party and shop. 

 If you are a saver I have the best advices!

 And of course I will tell you all about the finest undiscovered natural jewels of Uruguay and the top places to vacation.

If you have any doubts don’t hesitate to write a comment, I will reply as soon as possible. 

Thank you for reading!