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Uruguay
General Information for Uruguay
Geo-political:
Capital City: Montevideo.
Nationality: (noun) Uruguayan, (adjective) Uruguayan.
Population: 3,494,382.
Communications:
International Direct Dial Code: 598.
Number of Internal Airports: 9.
Major Languages Spoken: Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier).
Economy:
Currency: 1 Peso Uruguayo (UYU) of 100 Centesimos.
Exchange Rates:
(as of March 2018)
USD 1.00 = UYU 28.37
UYU 1.00 = USD 0.04
Exchange rates under licence from
XE.com
Main Industries: Food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products,
textiles, chemicals and beverages.
Environment:
Territorial Sea: 12 n.m.
Other Maritime Claims: Contiguous Zone: 24 n.m. Continental Shelf: 200 n.m. or edge of continental margin.
Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 n.m.
Coastline Extent: 660 km.
Climate: Warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown.
Natural Resources: Arable land, hydropower, minor minerals and fisheries.
Natural Hazards: Seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows
north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains,
which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid
changes from weather fronts.
Terrain: Mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland.
Average Temperatures:
| Month | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| January | 29° C | 16° C |
| June | 15° C | 7° C |
| September | 19° C | 8° C |
CHARTS:
National charts and nautical publications published by Servicio de Oceanografia, Hidrografia
y Meteorologia de la Armada (SOHMA). Chart and publication catalogue available at
sohma.armada.mil.uy
DOCUMENTS:
Submission of pre-arrival documentation and notifications can be made through the
national maritime single window. Access is available to registered users at
www.anp.com.uy/es/ventanilla-unica-maritima-vum
APPROACHES:
Uruguay has declared sovereignty over 200 n.m. offshore, reserving all fishing and
undersea exploitation rights (Fishing Zone/EEZ). A number of foreign flag vessels
fishing without permits have been seized and heavily fined, their catch and gear being
confiscated.
Permits are obtainable to operate within 60 n.m. from shore, while all activity in
territorial waters (200 n.m.) is forbidden in the months of May and June. Permits
will not be issued to vessels over 500 g.t. that intend to operate within 60 n.m.
from shore.
PILOTAGE:
Pilotage is mandatory for all vessels navigating in designated pilotage zones as defined
in Article 24 of Decree 1286/017 –
General Regulations for Pilots. Pilot exemptions are possible, as outlined in Article 25.
The following pilotage zones have been established:
- the port of Montevideo, its access channel and its roadsteads
- the Río de la Plata
- the Uruguay River
- coastal waters between Punta del Este and Chuy at the border with Brazil
- commercial ports within zones b), c) and d) and their roadsteads.
Full text (in Spanish) of Decree 1286/017 –
General Regulations for Pilots. Can be found at
www.anp.com.uy
Also see
Regulations.
PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION:
Reference Decree 183/994 –
Regulations on Port Operations and Port Captaincy.
Article 49: Notices for pre-planning of the operation: The Masters-in-command, the
shipowners or their agents shall regularly provide the Port Administration, for the
purpose of pre-planning the port operation and traffic, with the programme of their
vessels, including:
- annual or monthly programmes of liners, when available
- 10 days' notice, with ETA updates 72, 48 and 24 hours before arrival and estimated time of departure.
The 72-hour ETA notification should also include a Cargo Manifest of cargo to be discharged
including, where applicable, the manifest of dangerous and refrigerated cargoes, list
of special containers and stowage plan of the containers to be unloaded, list of general
cargo, bulk, heavy parts or parts that protrude from the contour of the vessel.
At least 24 hours before arrival, details of any cargo to be loaded as well as instructions
from the shipping lines regarding stowage, container reservation list and loading
sequence. The manifest, like any other information, must be transmitted as soon as
possible.
Failure to comply with these pre-planning procedures may result in the loss of berthing
priority.
Also see
Regulations.
VTS/RADAR:
Maritime Movement Control and Information System in operation. It applies to all vessels
entering or leaving Uruguayan waters covering the Atlantic shoreline and Rio de la
Plata; a complementary system (SICOSENARU) applies to all vessels navigating the Rio
Uruguay.
Zonal and port control centres have been established along the Uruguay coastline,
and Uruguayan jurisdiction of the Rio de la Plata and Rio Uruguay.
Vessels should contact the appropriate centre on entering each zone, stating the following:
- vessel's name, flag, call sign and port of origin
- position (lat./long.), bearing and speed
- destination port, ETA, type of vessel and maximum draft
In addition, vessels in all zones should report the following to the relevant centre:
- any important changes to the original bearing, speed, or destination port
- if transporting dangerous goods
- any important changes to loading or unloading forecasts
- requests for anchoring if required
- requests for carrying out manoeuvres in the port operation areas, which expires 20 minutes after being granted
- any incident suffering from the vessel
- any assistance offered to vessels damaged or in difficulty
- any sightings of obstacles and/or dangers to navigation
- any sightings of spillages of contaminating or dangerous substances
- any significant reduction in visibility
- the start and completion of any authorised operation (transshipments, load consignment etc.).
Within zones, vessels should maintain a continuous listening watch on VHF Channel 16.
Communication with the control centres should be in Spanish or English, using the
standardised IMO maritime navigation vocabulary, or the International Code of signals.
POLLUTION:
Responsibility for spill response in Uruguay lies with the Direccion de Proteccion
de Medio Ambiente (DIRMA), part of the Prefectura Nacional Naval (PRENA) which in
turn is a section of the Armada Nacional del Uruguay (Navy). DIRMA is responsible
for, inter alia, maintaining and updating regional and local plans, developing policies
for dispersant use and managing and maintaining equipment.
Notification of spill should be made to T: +598 2915 5500.
MEDICAL:
Medical and dental treatment is expensive in Uruguay. Make sure you have adequate
health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment and
repatriation.
Health risks in Uruguay include chikungunya, dengue, hepatitis A, rabies and typhoid.
REGULATIONS:
Details of in-force laws, decrees, resolutions and regulations (in Spanish) are available
to view in the
Marco Normativo (Regulatory Framework) section of the Administracion Nacional de Puertos website
www.anp.com.uy
HOLIDAYS:
1 January (New Year's Day); 1 May (Labour Day); 18 July (Constitution Day); 25 August
(Independence Day); 25 December (Christmas Day).
WEATHER/TIDES:
Real-time maritime weather conditions and forecasts available online (in Spanish).
Service provided by Servicio de Oceanografia, Hidrografia y Meteorologia de la Armada
(SOHMA).
meteo.armada.mil.uy
Almost all of Uruguay has a humid subtropical climate. It is fairly uniform nationwide,
since the country is located entirely within the temperate zone. Seasonal variations
do exist, but extremes in temperature are rare. High humidity and fog are common.
The absence of mountains and other weather barriers makes all locations vulnerable
to high winds and rapid changes in weather as fronts or storms sweep across the country.
Seasons are fairly well defined, and in most of Uruguay spring is usually damp, cool,
and windy; summers are warm; autumns are mild; and winters are chilly and damp. Northwestern
Uruguay, however, is farther from large bodies of water and therefore has warmer summers
and milder and drier winters than the rest of the country. Average highs and lows
in summer in Montevideo are 28 and 17°C, respectively, with an absolute maximum of
43°C. Winter average highs and lows in Montevideo are 14 and 6°C, respectively, although
the high humidity makes the temperatures feel colder; the lowest temperature registered
in Montevideo is −5°C.
Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, and annual amounts increase
from southeast to northwest. Montevideo averages 950 mm. annually.
Summer thunderstorms are frequent and occasional heavy storms can last 2 to 3 days
and cause severe damage and flooding.
CONSULS:
Embassies, Consulates and Honorary Consuls in Uruguay.
Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China PR of, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,
Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France,
Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holy See, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy,
Jamaica, Japan, Korea Rep of, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia,
Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, San Marino,
Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkiye, UK, Ukraine,
USA, Venezuela, Western Sahara.
Contact details available at
www.gub.uy/ministerio-relaciones-exteriores/politicas-y-gestion/representaciones-extranjeras-uruguay
BANKS:
Normal banking hours are Monday to Friday 1300–1700. Credit cards are widely accepted
in most major towns, but this is not the case everywhere. ATMs may not always accept
international debit cards.
CUSTOMS:
Strict customs controls prohibit visitors from importing animal and dairy products,
fruit and vegetables. All baggage is x-rayed on arrival (at airports) and may be searched.
Customs regulations (in Spanish) available at
www.aduanas.gub.uy/
SHORE LEAVE:
Street crime happens in Montevideo, including bag-snatching and pickpocketing, and
mugging and robbery (sometimes armed). You should:
- keep valuables, spare cash and credit cards in a safe
- take care using ATMs – where possible use machines not on the street (for example, in shopping centres or banks)
- avoid carrying lots of cash or wearing expensive jewellery
- consider carrying cash and bankcards in separate pockets and only carry the money you need.
Keep away from isolated or poorly lit areas at night and avoid walking downtown or
in the port area alone, especially at night and on weekends.
Crime rates are generally lower in other parts of Uruguay, but still take usual precautions.
It is illegal to smoke, including e-cigarettes, in enclosed public places such as
restaurants, shopping centres and cinemas.
Many beaches in Uruguay have lifeguards from December to March, although times vary
across the country. Take care when swimming in rivers or the Atlantic Ocean. There
can be currents, rocks and sandbanks with sudden descents.
REPATRIATION:
Joining crew must hold a valid passport and corresponding valid Seaman's Book. In
order to obtain clearance from Immigration, and the permission for joiners to enter
Uruguay without a visa, agent must be advised of crew member's full name, Seaman's
Book number, date and place of birth, and full flight details, at least 72 working
hours before they leave their respective country.
Crewmembers disembarking are required to have a Seaman's Book and valid airline ticket.
Agents will complete all formalities with Immigration.
Details of foreign nationals that require a visa to enter Uruguay can be found at
www.gub.uy/ministerio-interior/comunicacion/publicaciones/regimen-visas-admision
