With a population of 3.5 million, Uruguay is recognised for being a solid democracy with a well-educated work force and high levels of social spending. Its political stability and tradicional commitment with the law, as well as its free market policies towards trade and investment make the country a great place to live and invest.

Uruguay has an equal treatment for foreign and local investors, as well as free entrance and repatriation of capital and dividends. The legal system includes protection of private property and copyright, favorable tax treatment on imports of capital equipment, freedom of prices and lack of exchange controls. The country also enjoys a solid and independent judicial system together with strict banking secrecy laws and a very low crime rate compared with other latinamerican nations.

Foreigners can purchase property and land in Uruguay in their own names on a 100% freehold basis, as ownership of property is a constitutional right in the country. It is also possible for property to be owned jointly by several legal persons at the same time through a form of co-ownership or condominium. The real estate market offers excellent investment oportunities in farms and ranches in the whole country, historical properties in Montevideo and Colonia, vacation resorts and luxury towers in Punta del Este.

Uruguay has a strategic location and market access to more than 215 million consumers, being MERCOSUR’s natural gateway. The road network, substantially paved and adapted to the current territorial model, is the most dense network of Latin America and the Caribbean, with 45 km paved roads for each 1000 km2 of surface. The main local port of Montevideo is the deepest natural harbor of the River Plate area. It receives sea lines from all over the world and concentrates the export, import and transit trade. It is the first and only terminal in the Atlantic coast of South America that operates under the free port system.

Traditionally, the main economic activity was the agriculture; however, in the past two decades the service sector has been growing and currently represents almost 60% of GDP. On the other hand, the forest sector has been an international investment target since the forest law was approved in 1987, creating tax breaks and financial subsidies for companies to create forest plantations. The Finnish company Botnia opened a cellulose factory in the year 2008, an investment of $1.2 billion wich added 1.8% to the country’s GDP and produced no evidence of pollution.

The country qualifies as an ideal platform from where business opportunities are launched to the region and the world, based on its economic and political stability, along with an open and cosmopolitan society.