Sending business payments from the US to Uruguay
A US company pays a Uruguayan supplier, contractor or subsidiary by SWIFT wire, usually in US dollars to a dollar account, and Uruguay applies no exchange controls on the way in. You need the legal name exactly as on the account, the account number in the bank's format, and the bank's SWIFT code.
- Uruguay does not apply foreign exchange controls, according to the US International Trade Administration.
- BROU asks payers abroad for a 14-digit account number made of a 9-digit account and a 5-digit subaccount, and the SWIFT code BROUUYMMXXX in full.
- BROU sets a minimum of USD 100 or equivalent for transfers it receives, with limited exceptions.
- BROU's commission does not include charges taken by the sending, intermediary or correspondent banks.
- All Uruguayan banks have correspondent arrangements with major US banks, according to the International Trade Administration.
Details to collect from a Uruguayan recipient
Uruguayan banks publish their own inbound formats. Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay (BROU), the state-owned commercial bank, publishes what a payer abroad must send for a company to receive a transfer. Other banks are similar, but always ask the supplier for its bank's exact format.
| Detail | What BROU publishes |
|---|---|
| Account number | 14 digits: the 9-digit account and 5-digit subaccount, with leading zeros where needed |
| Beneficiary name | Must match the account holder |
| SWIFT code | BROUUYMMXXX, in full |
| Minimum amount | USD 100 or equivalent, with limited exceptions |
| Currencies with BROU correspondents | US dollars, euros and Swiss francs |
| Charges | BROU's commission excludes sending, intermediary and correspondent bank charges |
Source: BROU, Transferencias con el exterior (empresas). As published on 29 October 2026.
Also ask for the supplier's RUT (Registro Único Tributario), the tax registration number issued by the Dirección General Impositiva, so you can match the bank details to the invoicing company.
Pay in pesos or in US dollars?
Uruguay is one of the simplest corridors in the region on the rules side. The International Trade Administration states that the local currency is the Uruguayan peso and that Uruguay does not apply foreign exchange controls. A Uruguayan company can keep the dollars you send in a dollar account and convert to pesos when it chooses, so most exporters and service firms invoice US clients in dollars.
A peso invoice is possible, but it moves the conversion to you. If the supplier gives you a peso account, sending dollars to it leaves the conversion to its bank on arrival.
| Invoice | Account | Who converts |
|---|---|---|
| USD | USD account | Nobody |
| USD | Peso account | The supplier's bank, on arrival |
| UYU | Peso account | You or your provider, before sending |
Sources: International Trade Administration, Uruguay; BROU. As published on 29 October 2026.
For peso values, see the USD to UYU currency page, and for the Uruguayan side of the account question, USD business accounts in Uruguay.
Rails and arrival times
Payments from the United States reach Uruguay by SWIFT through a US correspondent. The International Trade Administration notes that all local banks have correspondent arrangements with major US banks, and that Citibank is the only US bank operating in Uruguay, serving corporate clients only. For the transit leg, Swift reports that nearly 60% of gpi payments reach end beneficiaries within 30 minutes and almost 100% within 24 hours.
Uruguay's time zone is ahead of US Eastern time, so a wire released late in the US afternoon may reach the Uruguayan bank after its working day and be credited the next business day. Send early, and send the SWIFT confirmation and UETR, the payment's tracking reference, to the supplier the same day.
| Stage | What controls timing |
|---|---|
| Release from the US | Your provider's cut-off |
| SWIFT transit | Correspondent chain; almost 100% of gpi payments within 24 hours |
| Credit at the Uruguayan bank | Uruguayan business day and complete details |
Sources: Swift gpi; International Trade Administration. As published on 29 October 2026.
Documents and checks
Uruguay has no purpose code system for incoming wires. BROU does require an invoice or document showing the reason for outgoing transfers above USD 10,000, which tells you how it approaches large transfers generally: put the invoice number and the goods or service in the reference, and expect the supplier's bank to ask for the invoice on large or unusual receipts.
Paying a Uruguayan subsidiary follows the same route. State in the reference whether the payment is for services, goods, a loan or capital, and keep the intercompany agreement on file, because the subsidiary's bank and auditors will ask what each transfer represents. Uruguay's openness on exchange means no central bank form is filed for your payment, but the bank still needs to understand it.
On the US side, every payment to a Uruguayan company must pass sanctions screening: OFAC states that all US persons, including all US incorporated entities and their foreign branches, must comply with US sanctions, so the payer, the recipient and the recipient's bank are checked before the money moves.
Costs: Helm fees, intermediary deductions, SHA and OUR
BROU does not publish its commission amounts on its transfer page, and states that its commission does not include charges of the sending, intermediary or correspondent banks. Those deductions are what make a SHA wire arrive short. Every SWIFT wire carries a charge code. OUR means the sender pays all charges, so the full amount should arrive. SHA means charges are shared: the sender pays its own provider, and intermediary banks may deduct their fees in transit. BEN means every charge comes out of the amount sent. Remember the USD 100 minimum: very small payments may not be accepted at all. Helm international payments show the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm, and the account manager confirms the route for each corridor.
Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens, and shows the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm each payment. See how Helm pricing works.
Why payments to Uruguay are held or returned
| Cause | Prevention |
|---|---|
| Account number not in the 14-digit format | Pad with leading zeros as BROU specifies |
| SWIFT code shortened | Use BROUUYMMXXX in full for BROU |
| Amount below USD 100 | Combine small invoices |
| Name differs from the account holder | Use the legal name on the account |
| Deductions on SHA | Send OUR |
Source: BROU. As published on 29 October 2026.
If BROU or another Uruguayan bank returns a payment, the amount that comes back can be lower than the amount sent, because correspondent charges apply on the way out and on the way back. Fix the detail that caused the return, confirm it with the supplier by phone, and send a new payment that quotes the original reference so both sides can match them.
Checklist before you send
- Ask for the account number in the bank's full format, for BROU 14 digits with leading zeros.
- Use the full SWIFT code, for BROU BROUUYMMXXX.
- Check the amount is at least USD 100 for BROU.
- Collect the RUT and the legal name on the account.
- Send early in the US day and share the UETR.
Open a Helm account
USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.
Open accountQuestions
What account number format does a Uruguayan bank use?
BROU uses a 14-digit number: a 9-digit account and a 5-digit subaccount, padded with leading zeros. Other banks publish their own format, so ask the supplier for it.
Does Uruguay have exchange controls?
No. The US International Trade Administration states that Uruguay does not apply foreign exchange controls, so a supplier can keep dollars and convert when it chooses.
Is there a minimum for wires to Uruguay?
BROU sets a minimum of USD 100 or equivalent for transfers it receives, with limited exceptions.
Should I pay a Uruguayan supplier in dollars?
Usually yes, into its dollar account. Dollars sent to a peso account are converted by the bank on arrival.
Who pays the fees on a wire to Uruguay?
It depends on the charge code. BROU's own commission excludes sending, intermediary and correspondent charges, which fall on the recipient under SHA.
References
- Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay: Transferencias con el exterior (empresas)
- International Trade Administration: Uruguay Country Commercial Guide, Trade Financing
- Swift: Fast, transparent and trackable payments (gpi)
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, OFAC: Who must comply with OFAC sanctions? (FAQ 11)
This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.