Language:

Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier) Most Uruguayans in the city have studied English in school but they do not speak it. Outside of Montevideo and Punta Del Este there are few English speakers.

Cost of living:

The costs of living in Uruguay are nearly half of that in the U.S. or in Europe. You can expect to spend about $350 USD on an apartment in downtown Montevideo.

Visa and Work Permits:

Work permits are not particularly difficult to obtain and Uruguay lets you convert a tourist visa to a work visa without leaving the country. The application is made directly with Immigration authorities in Uruguay upon the request of the employee's Uruguayan company.

Job Searching:

There are numerous English language schools which are looking for native speakers as teachers as well as many volunteer opportunities in Uruguay.  Some helpful links are as follows:  http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/jcg_uy.html.

Cultural differences:

The majority of the people are middle class; the extreme of wealth and poverty found in most other South American countries doesn’t exist.

Uruguayans take a pragmatic, utilitarian and materialistic approach to life. They have an inherent trust of people and a strong belief in social justice. A great deal of emphasis is placed on education. Uruguay has the best-educated workforce on the continent. People enjoy easy access to a good education, compulsory for nine years and free through post-graduate studies. The literacy rate is 96%, one of the highest in South America.

Money and Banking:

In July 2002, Uruguay had a major economic crisis and all of the banks closed causing the national currency to lose value. Today, Uruguay has recovered from this fallout, but you may wish to research current financial trends in Uruguay before deciding to open a bank account.

Safety and Security:

Americans should avoid protests. Non-violent street crime is on the rise in Montevideo. For complete safety and security information refer to: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1054.html