Name of country: the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, República Oriental del Uruguay

Establishment of diplomatic relations:

• 9 January 1952 (Federal Republic of Germany)
• 24 December 1972 (German Democratic Republic)

System of government: presidential democracy with a directly elected president; a bicameral legislature consisting of 30 senators and 99 representatives; constitution of 1967, amended in 1989, 1994, 1997 and 2004.

Germany (Prussia) and Uruguay have enjoyed almost continuous bilateral relations for 170 years. Uruguay is home to over 10,000 Germans. Montevideo boasts a large German school, a Protestant church community, a Goethe-Institut, an active German-Uruguayan Chamber of Industry and Commerce and various German clubs. Political relations are good, characterised by shared values particularly with regard to human rights and rules-based trade. On 1 and 2 March 2025, Federal President Steinmeier visited the country on the occasion of President Orsi’s assumption of office.

In 2025, Uruguay imported goods from Germany to the tune of 382 million euro, especially pharmaceutical products, machinery, electronic goods, vehicles and chemical products. During the same period, Germany’s imports from Uruguay, primarily agricultural and forestry products, were worth around 320 million euro. Germany played a key role in the successful conversion of Uruguay’s energy matrix to renewable energy sources, which nowadays provides over 90% of the country’s electricity. Cooperation is being further intensified today through the energy partnership. As a result of generous tax regulations in free-trade zones and for service providers active in the region, several German enterprises have invested in Uruguay. An investment protection agreement has been in place since 1990.

Uruguay and Germany were strongly committed to bringing about the EU‑Mercosur Trade Agreement, negotiations on which were successfully concluded at the end of 2024 and parts of which are being provisionally applied since 1 May 2026.

Germany and Uruguay continue to cooperate closely in the areas of agriculture and forestry, as well as in the sphere of dual vocational training.

The Goethe-Institut reports a rising demand for German courses. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung both have offices in Montevideo. The representative of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) promotes academic exchange. The German School in Montevideo was founded in 1857 and has borne the “Excellent German School Abroad” quality seal since 2019.