Frequent inquiries from non-resident tourists
REGARDING HOTELS
Is it true that by renting through a real estate agency I get a discount of 9 VAT points in its mediation service in the leasing of real estate for tourist destination? (valid 30/4/24)
Yes, whether you pay through debit or credit cards or by electronic money and prepaid cards accepted by the Central Bank of Uruguay. In the event that the service is provided by companies included in literal E) of article 52 of Title 4 of the Orderly Text 1996, the discount corresponds to 7.38% on the total amount of the operation of the service provided by the intermediary.
Did you know that there is a 10.5% discount on the rental of real estate for tourism purposes through real estate agencies, when paying by credit or debit card. If the real estate agency does not accept credit or debit cards, how can I make use of the benefit?
The discount is only given through credit or debit cards, so it is not feasible to make use of it by paying in cash.
REGARDING RESTAURANTS
How do I know if the discount was applied in a restaurant? The VAT benefit can be expressed in two ways: a) The issuing card will include the discount shown on the ticket issued by the POS (Point of Sale Terminal) at the time of purchase on the account statement. Each card has its own procedure; for inquiries, you must contact the financial operator. b) The establishment’s voucher may show the discount immediately.
What if the restaurant is a small or medium-sized company that does not itemize VAT? In that case, the discount is 18.03% of the total bill.
Should I ask the POS staff to apply the discount? It is not mandatory, but highly recommended. If the POS operator does not enter it at that moment, it will later cause the user the inconvenience of filing a claim.
REGARDING REAL ESTATE
Is it true that by renting through a real estate agency I get a discount of 9 VAT points in its mediation service in the leasing of real estate for tourist destination? (valid 30/4/24)
Yes, whether you pay through debit or credit cards or by electronic money and prepaid cards accepted by the Central Bank of Uruguay. In the event that the service is provided by companies included in literal E) of article 52 of Title 4 of the Orderly Text 1996, the discount corresponds to 7.38% on the total amount of the operation of the service provided by the intermediary.
Did you know that there is a 10.5% discount on the rental of real estate for tourism purposes through real estate agencies, when paying by credit or debit card. If the real estate agency does not accept credit or debit cards, how can I make use of the benefit?
The discount is only given through credit or debit cards, so it is not feasible to make use of it by paying in cash.
REGARDING FUEL
Which are the gas stations that apply the 24% or 30% discount on the price of gasoline? Where can I find them?
They are all stations located within 20 kilometers of a border crossing with Brazil or Argentina respectively. The discount is only applicable when paying by credit or debit card.
+ info Decreto 398-007
REGARDING TAX-FREE
What does it consist of and how to access the Tax-Free benefit?
The Tax-Free regime is a specific incentive that promotes shopping tourism in Uruguay. It consists of the application of up to a 14.4% discount on duly identified products (clothing, leather or knitwear, food, beverages or handicrafts) to be used or consumed abroad in Uruguay.
The discount applies only to products included in the regime, made in stores adhered to the system, and as long as the corresponding procedure is completed at the time of purchase and as long as the exit from the country takes place through any of the following border crossings: Carrasco International Airport, Laguna del Sauce Airport, Port of Montevideo, Port of Colonia, Punta del Este Cruise Arrivals Terminal, Salto-Concordia Bridge, Paysandú-Colón Bridge, Fray Bentos-Puerto Unzué Bridge and Chuy.
At the moment of leaving the country, the corresponding procedure for the reimbursement must be completed at the duly identified posts.
We recommend you to visit the Global Blue Uruguay website, where you will find a list of shops and products, as well as Customs points where you can complete the procedure.
In case of doubts and queries, we recommend visiting the official website of Global Blue Uruguay.
