Money, cards and ATMs in Uruguay

The benefit, as the Ministry of Tourism actually states it

There are two different things here and they work differently.

• Hotels and lodging: VAT exempt, all year round, for a foreigner presenting an identity document issued abroad. The tax is never charged, so there is nothing to reclaim and nothing to file.
• A 9 point VAT reduction on: restaurants, bars, canteens, cafeterias, coffee shops and tea rooms; catering for parties and events; other party and event services; hire of vehicles without a driver; mediation in letting property for tourism; and guided tours, wine tastings and local produce tastings at registered wine tourism establishments.
• That reduction runs until 30 September 2026.

The condition that decides whether you get it

• You must pay by card or electronic money. Debit, credit or e-money - not cash.
• The discount shows on the POS ticket, and the card issuer has to show it on your statement.
• Cash gets you nothing. This is the single most useful thing to know before your first dinner.

And the 22 per cent you may have read about

• Nine points, not twenty-two. Uruguay ran a much larger refund as a pandemic-era support measure and it has since been reset. Anything promising 22 per cent off a restaurant bill is out of date.

Tax Free on goods

• A separate Tax Free regime covers goods bought in participating shops, with the paperwork done at the moment of purchase.
• You claim it on the way out, at listed crossings including Carrasco International Airport and the Port of Montevideo.

Cash, cards and ATMs

• The Uruguayan peso (UYU). Some businesses also take US dollars and Argentine pesos, particularly in Punta del Este.
• Use ATMs inside banks and shopping centres rather than on the street. The FCDO says this specifically.
• Cards are widely accepted, which for once is also the cheaper option because of the tax rules above.