Montevideo, Uruguay

General Information

Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and is home to almost a half the country’s population. Located on the banks of the Río de la Plata, about 130 miles east of Buenos Aires, Montevideo developed into a major port city in the mid-18th century and became the capital of Uruguay in 1828.
Montivideans have very strong European origins, with Italian and Spanish descent being the most common.
The city’s architecture is influenced by its many European immigrants, including Spanish, Portuguese, French and British. The richness of this city’s architecture is unrivalled in South America.

Montevideo has a charming, maritime feel to it and water is its abiding feature. The shoreline is devoted to miles of beaches and the port is a thriving hub of activity.

A walk along La Rambla, stretching from the Old City to Carrasco, takes you along the riverfront past fishermen and their catch, to parks, gardens, restaurants and cafes. Many of the city’s historic sites surround Plaza Independencia and can be visited in a few hours. These include museums and theatres.

Click here for a map of Montevideo

Montevideo’s airport is Carrasco International Airport and is located 19km (12 miles) from downtown Montevideo.

There is an departure tax of US$31.00 for all international departures.

A wide variety of leather items are produced in Uruguay, such as leather coats and jackets and clothing in soft antelope, rabbit and more standard skins are also available in many shops. Sweaters made from the fluffy wool of Uruguyan sheep are a good option too. Art is also a popular purchase and there is an abundance of galleries and art dealers around Montevideo. Some of Uruguay’s best buys are amethyst jewellery and antiques. Some markets open in the afternoons and on Saturdays and feature handicrafts, antiques and books among other things.

Stores and private businesses are open from 9am to 7pm, Monday to Friday. Stores are also open on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. Bank hours are from 1pm to 5pm, with some banks open from 11am. Shopping centers are open from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

A Certificate of Attendance will be available for all delegates for collection on the final day of the congress.

Overall visitors to Montevideo will find a very temperate climate. Average highs and lows in summer (January) in Montevideo are 28 and 17 °C, respectively, with an absolute maximum of 43 °C. The average highs and lows in Montevideo in winter (July) are 14 and 6 °C, respectively, although the high humidity makes the temperatures feel colder. Rain falls throughout the year and measures approximately 36 inches of rain annually.

Email and Internet
Reliable Internet access is readily available in hotels and internet centres located throughout Montevideo.

Telephone
The dialling code for Uruguay is +598 and the dialling code for Montevideo is +2. Therefore, when calling Montevideo from abroad, please dial + 598 2 followed by the number you require.

ILAE/IBE Congress Secretariat
7 Priory Hall
Stillorgan
Dublin 18, Ireland

Tel: +353-1-2056720
Fax: +353-1-2056156
Email: montevideo@epilepsycongress.org

The following credit cards are widely accepted in Uruguay: MasterCard, VISA, American Express and Diners Card.

The currency of Uruguay is the Uruguayan Peso (Ur$). You can exchange your currency and travellers cheques at banks, banks’ cash centres at major airports and hotels.

Uruguay's Customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary import or export of items such as precious jewels, gold, firearms, antiquities, medications, business equipment, etc. All baggage is normally X-rayed and may be searched on arrival. It is advisable to contact the Embassy of Uruguay in your country for specific information regarding Customs requirements.
Travelers entering Uruguay with precious jewels or gold worth more than $500 U.S. must declare them to Customs officers at the port of entry or face possible detention or seizure of the goods based upon charges of contraband or evasion of Customs controls. Visitors are expected to comply with local law and regulations by approaching a Customs officer before routine inspection of all incoming baggage conducted on standard security equipment.

The most popular cuisine tradition in Uruguay is the asado: beef slowly grilled over firewood. Restaurants where asado is served are called parrilladas. Chivito is also a characteristic dish from Uruguay, consists primarily of churrasco beef, bacon, mayonnaise, black or green olives, mozzarella and tomatoes.

Uruguay also has a magnificent Italian heritage in cooking Italian dishes, as pasta or pizza. Besides, most restaurants can offer a lot of international dishes. Uruguay lately produces some excellent wines, but wines from Chile and Argentina can also be easily found in restaurants. The Uruguayan typical dessert is the "dulce de leche”. “Mate” is the most popular beverage, a strong herbal infusion.

Delegates with any special dietary requirements should inform the Congress Secretariat.

The power supply is 220 volts, 50 cycles.

Neither vaccines nor medical special cares are requested for entering Uruguay. However, depending on the itinerary/ number of stops, travellers are highly recommended to contact their travel agent and/or Consulate regarding health regulations.

Language

The official language of Uruguay is Spanish. English and Portuguese are also widely spoken in Uruguay. The official congress language is Spanish.

Culture and Customs

Tango is part of the main traditions of Uruguay. The tango has an entire sub-culture centered on movement, music, and lyrics.

Inland, the Gaucho culture, the cowboys of South America, can be found. Nowadays, gauchos wear the same traditional dress as generations ago.

Uruguayans are renowned for creating beautiful handcrafted leather goods such as belts, boots, hats, and purses. Also popular are the handmade woollen items, especially woollen sweaters.

Liability and Insurance

The congress organisers will not accept liability for personal injury or loss/damage to property/belongings of participants or accompanying persons, either before, during or following the congress, tours or their stay in Montevideo. It is therefore recommended that participants arrange their own personal health, accident and travel insurance.

Replacement Badges

Please note that you will be charged a fee of US$20 for a replacement badge. Please ensure that you keep your badge with you at all times.

Tax and Service Charges

There are two different taxes: a general one of 23%, and another one of a 14% applicable for some food, medicines and pharmaceutical specialities, etc.
The EMESI (Impuesto Específico Interno) is taxed on alcohol, tobacco, cosmetics, oil for cars, perfumery items, among others.

Time Zone

Local time in Montevideo is three hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-3).

Tipping

In restaurants it is customary to tip about 10% of the bill. Taxi drivers do not require tips, although you may round off the fare for convenience.

Transport

Montevideo urban transport includes buses (tickets costing 13.50 Uruguayan pesos – $US 0.60 approx. are available on the bus) and taxis. A standard trip within Montevideo costs between $US 4 and $US 8, at daytime, being a bit more expensive if the night-time tariff applies.

The most convenient way to get from Carrasco Airport to Montevideo city centre is by taxi or private transfer, both of which can be found at the airport exit. Private cars have a flat rate ($US 20 – 25 approx., depending on the exchange rate), capacity for up to 4 passengers and will not charge surcharges for various stops. The cost of a taxi from the Airport to the Radisson Victoria Plaza hotel will vary between 350 and 500 Uruguayan pesos approx. ($US 30 approx.) and will be calculated by a taxi meter, based on distance and time. Taxis can also take up to 4 people with standard size luggage.

Bus services from the Airport to Montevideo city centre are also available. COPSA orange buses go from the airport to Terminal Rio Branco, which is located only a few blocks away from the Radisson VictoriaPlaza hotel. Tickets can be purchased on the bus and cost approx. $US 1.

Visa

 

	Passport Required?	Visa Required?	Return Ticket Required?
UK	Yes	No	Yes
Australian	Yes	No	Yes
Canada	Yes	No	Yes
USA	Yes	No	Yes
Other EU	Yes	No	Yes
Japan	Yes	Yes	Yes


Passports

Valid passport required by all except:
(a) nationals of Uruguay who arrive from Argentina, Brazil, Chile or Paraguay with a national identity card;
(b) nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Paraguay with a national identity card for stays of up to 90 days.

Visas
Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of countries referred to in the chart above, except 1. nationals of Estonia who do need a visa (please note that nationals of Canada, Ireland, Malta and the USA are only permitted visa-free stays of up to three months);
(b) nationals of Andorra, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela;
(c) nationals of Dominican Republic, Liechtenstein and Turkey for stays of up to three months;
(d) nationals of Korea (Rep) and Malaysia for up to 30 days;
(e) holders of a re-entry permit issued by Uruguayan officials.

Types of visa and cost
Tourist: US$46 Business and Tourist: Enquire at Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy) for cost as it may vary with the exchange rate.

What to Wear

Although urban Uruguyans favour European dress, certain decorum is still expected. It may be necessary to bring a sweater to wear in the evenings. It also rains in Uruguay so you are advised to bring appropriate clothing for wet weather.

ILAE/IBE Congress Secretariat
7 Priory Hall,
Stillorgan, Dublin 18,
Ireland
Tel : +353 1 2056720
Fax : +353 1 2056156
Email : montevideo@epilepsycongress.org