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🇺🇾 Mercado Libre in Uruguay

A small market with the highest purchasing power in the region and the simplest route to operating legally — «the Switzerland of Latin America».

3.4 Mpopulation
the highestpurchasing power
11.5–17%ML fee
1 dayto go legal

Mercado Libre fees and charges

What the marketplace withholds on every sale. Check the exact rate for your category in your seller dashboard.

Sales fee
11.5–17%
Depends on the product category. The exact rate is visible in your seller dashboard.
Listing types
One type
There is no Clásica/Premium split in Uruguay.
Instalments
Up to 12 instalments included
You pay nothing extra — it is already in the fee. A rare case in the region.
Flat fee on cheap items
15 / 25 / 40 UYU (≈ USD 0.4–1)
Charged only on items under UYU 1,000 (≈ USD 25): up to 500 it is 15 pesos, up to 750 it is 25, up to 1,000 it is 40.

Shipping

The biggest cost after the fee — and the main reason cheap products go into the red.

Free-shipping threshold
from UYU 1,000 (≈ USD 25)
Above this price you pay for the buyer's shipping.
If the item is below the threshold
The buyer pays for shipping
You are charged only the flat fee.
Volumetric weight
L×W×H ÷ 5000
Bulky light goods are charged by volume.
Reputation discount
Up to 50% on new items
A meaningful saving — it pays to build reputation quickly here.

Work out the exact cost for your product and price in the free calculator — it has the rates and thresholds of all six countries built in.

Taxes: two routes

The regime you pick determines both your tax burden and whether you can import goods at all.

For an individual or sole trader: Empresa unipersonal + Literal E

A flat IVA mínimo of about UYU 5,910 a month covers both VAT and profit tax. The turnover limit is roughly UYU 1.96 M a year. One payment instead of an accounting department.

For a company: SAS / general regime

IVA 22% on the markup and IRAE 25% on profit. Required for importing and for recovering customs taxes.

Imports and customs

Two import channels with different economics. Picking the wrong channel costs more than picking the wrong product.

Air parcel

A flat 60% of value, minimum USD 20. The regime officially allows commercial shipments — expensive, but legal.

Franquicia

Up to USD 800 a year and no more than three parcels — strictly personal use, not suitable for resale.

Container

Duty + 5% consular fee (3% for Mercosur) + 22% IVA with prepayment + 4% IRAE prepayment.

Broker

A despachante is required by law, and their services start at USD 800 per shipment.

What you need to start

The order of steps specific to Uruguay — it differs from the rest of the region.

  1. Open a unipersonal under Literal E — literally one day and zero state fees
  2. Switch to the general regime to import: an individual is allowed only two imports a year
  3. Find a despachante in advance — a container will not clear without one
  4. For textiles, apply for an import licence
  5. Check the UYU 1,000 threshold against your price

Useful reading

Breakdowns from our blog, with examples and numbers.

All blog posts → (RU)

Frequently asked questions

Why is Uruguay called the Switzerland of Latin America?

A small population — about 3.4 million — but the highest purchasing power in the region, a stable currency and predictable legislation. The market is narrow, but people can pay.

What is Literal E?

A simplified regime for small businesses: a single flat payment of about UYU 5,910 a month covers both VAT and profit tax, on turnover up to roughly UYU 1.96 M a year. For a start-up it is the easiest entry in the region.

Can you bring goods in by parcel to resell?

Yes — the flat 60% tax regime officially allows commercial shipments. Expensive and non-recoverable, but legal. The USD 800 franquicia, however, is strictly for personal use and cannot be used for resale.

Tools for Uruguay

🧮 Profit calculator

Fees, shipping, instalments and taxes in Uruguay — it works out net profit and margin. Free.

Open →

📦 PRO bundle

A unit-economics sheet for the country, a customs calculator, an import guide and a country handbook — 19 files.

View →

🏬 Warehouse in Argentina

Receiving, storage and dispatch into Full. No contract, no minimum volume.

Terms →

Let us look at your case

Tell us what your product is and where you plan to sell — we will run the economics and tell you whether Uruguay makes sense for you.