Uruguay Blog; Montevideo Living and More July Archive

Renewing your U.S. Passport in Montevideo

By Lee at 07/12/07 07:42

I recently decided to renew my U.S. Passport on July 2nd in factor. Although it has many years left on it, there isn't much space for a stamp and certainly not another visa for Brazil.

The application was quick and easy, a pdf that you can fill in with Adobe, though their tabbing could use some work to make it easier. It beat trying to complete it by hand and have anything legible.

The fee is the same as renewing in the USA, $67, but they have no option for expedited service. It also looked like they got rid of the optional larger, 48 page passport.

It was pretty quick to get into the Embassy and the moment I sat down my number was called (they have a seperate Window for Americans and everyone else in the waiting room was there for a U.S. Visa).

My renewal application was reviewed and I transposed some information in a dsylexia fit and they easily resolved that and then I had to wait for to sign the application in from of the Consul.

They said it would take about 2 weeks and expected it to be an electronic 50 page passport.

After I got home I realized that I messed up my phone number too! That was quickly resolved with an email to the American Citizen Services email address.

I was surprised to receive a call on July 10 just a week later that my passport was ready to be picked up!

Yesterday I made the trek to the Embassy thinking that it would be a really quick trip. I wasn't quite so lucky.

The line to check in at the security office moved very slow. The first security checkpoint was also slow and much more detailed than the week before. Unlike airport security where everything pushes through security here you wait until the person in front of you is compeltely done.

Unlike the week before my winter jacket went through the xray machine and was then checked by hand. They also kept my keys in the security off this time. I had to wait at the second security checkpoint just 50 feet from the first too.

Once inside, I didn't see anyone else that looked American though it can be difficult to tell and no one was at window for Americans. This should be quick I thought. I hope they don't keep statistics on efficiency as I had a good half hour wait.

When my number was finally called it took just a moment to receive my new 27 page passport and have my old one canceled out.

Sales Tax Reduction

With all the talk about the new taxes in Uruguay few talked about the reductions in the sales tax (IVA) basically 23%.

That was reduced 1% to 22% and for food from 14% to 10%.

Since the prices always include the tax (which is sometimes summarized at the bottom of the receipt) I wonder if prices will drop 1 and 4% respectively.

A receipt from Tienda Inglesia on Benito Blanco dated July 3 shows some prices:

25 G Albahaca 17.50 (10%)
Apple Juice 500 ML 23.00 (22%)

From Tienda Inglesia at Montevideo Shopping dated June 28:

25 G Albahaca 16.80 (14%)
Apple Juice 500 ML 22.80 (23%)

So with the decrease in taxes I paid more. This is probably more a result of which store I went to as I noticed the prices seem higher on Benito Blanco.

I need to buy some comparable items at the Montevideo Shopping store to compare the prices.