Uruguay - Money

Currency & Money

Currency information:

Peso Uruguayo (UYU; symbol $U) = 100 centécimos. Notes are in the denominations of $U2,000, 1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50 and 20. Coins are in denominations of $U10, 5, 2 and 1 and 50 centécimos.

Credit cards:

MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Diners Club are the most commonly used credit cards. All are widely accepted in major tourist and business destinations including Montevideo, Punta del Este and Colonia del Sacramento. In rural areas, it's best to carry cash as many businesses will not accept credit cards.

ATM:

ATMs marked with the green Banred or blue RedBROU logo are reliable and available in all cities, as well as some smaller towns. These serve all major international banking networks, including Cirrus, Visa, Link, MasterCard and Maestro.

Travellers cheques:

Traveller's Cheques can still be cashed at some banks and exchange shops in major tourist hubs. US Dollar traveller's cheques are more widely accepted than those issued in Euros or Sterling.

Banking hours:

Mon-Fri 1300-1800.

Currency restriction:

Local currency and foreign currency may be imported and exported up to the equivalent of US$10,000; larger amounts must be declared.

Currency exchange:

Visitors are advised to buy local currency at banks and exchange shops, as hotels tend to give unfavourable rates. Inflation in Uruguay, though less severe than in other Latin American countries, leads to frequent fluctuations in the exchange rate.

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