Forming A Company In Uruguay

There are two ways of setting up a business operation in Uruguay: Opening a branch of a company which already exists abroad, or opening a new business entity in Uruguay.

1. From a legal point of view, opening a branch of a company that exists abroad is quite straight forward. All one has to do is show the company is duly established abroad and intends to open a branch in Uruguay, with the requisite VAT (value added tax) and social security numbers.
2. A new business can be created or acquired. The most popular company form for operating within Uruguay is a Sociedad Anonima. It's equivalent to a joint stock company or limited liability company, with a holding company as the owner of the shares.