Uruguay approves permanent residence by arraigo for Cubans who entered before 2026

On 8 October 2026, the Government of Uruguay adopted a decree, signed by President Yamandu Orsi, which creates a permanent way of residence by way of arraigo for foreigners who entered the country before 1 January 2026 and are in situations linked to requests for refuge.

Uruguayan Decree for Permanent Residence by Arraigo

The text provides for two groups: (i) persons with pending applications for refuge who express their willingness to waive them to benefit from the new regime, and (ii) persons whose application has been refused by a final decision.

Conditions and time limits for the application

The persons concerned must have entered Uruguay regularly for an authorized migration control point, not present legal impediments under the Migration Act and not have other ways of regularizing as permanent or temporary residents.

The time limit for submitting the application is 12 months from the entry into force of the legislation; the National Migration Directorate may extend it only once for a maximum of 12 months. The decree will enter into force 90 days after its official publication and, at the start of the procedure, a certificate will be issued to manage a provisional identity document as a resident in the process.

The procedure includes guarantees for children and adolescents, whose best interests will be assessed during the process.

Reactions of Mr Leydis Aguilera

The Cuban deputy Leydis Aguilera welcomed the approval of the measure and stressed its importance in advancing the migration regularization and integration of those living in the country.

Aguilera stated that the continuity of this policy between the administrations of Luis Lacalle Pou and Yamandú Orsi demonstrates the strength of the Uruguayan institutions.

He added that a bill on migration regularization was still being processed in the Uruguayan Parliament, with the aim of making these solutions permanent and legal.

Cuban migration record figures in 2025

According to data from the National Migration Directorate published by the El Observante newspaper, more than 22,000 Cubans entered Uruguay in 2025, while about 7,000 left Uruguayan territory.

In the same year, 13,852 Cuban citizens obtained the Uruguayan cédula for the first time, according to a request for access to public information.

Cuban transit from Brazil to Uruguay

A previous report by the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN), prepared in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), identified an increase in the transit of Cuban citizens from Brazil to Uruguay.

Between January and October 2025, more than 11,000 Cubans crossed the border between Santana do Livramento (Brazil) and Rivera (Uruguay), with an average of approximately 30 people per day, according to the weekly Search.

Profile of journalist Yaima Pardo

Yaima Pardo, a multimedia journalist at La Red (Camagüey, Cuba), is a graduate of Teatral Art and has a master’s degree in Cultural Processes from the University of the Arts of Havana. She has worked as a host and producer on MegaTV (SBS) in Miami and was a multimedia director of the ADNCUBA publication.

As a film maker, he directed the documentaries “At the end of the road,” “OFF _ LINE,” “Antigona,” “Pinero Pinero” and “Causes and Azares.”

New media content on Cuban migration

The documentary series “Caminos de libertad,” by Martí Noticias, was released in Uruguay.

Organizations warn that the regime could be behind the return of Cuban doctors to Jamaica.

In the face of the closure of US borders, a new exodus route leads Cubans to look to Brazil as an alternative.