Criteria for Registering a Uruguayan Domain Extension

Uruguay has seen its share of economic turmoil in recent years, with its economy growing by just 0.4% in 2023. The nation just about staved off a recession in that year thanks to a drought wreaking havoc on agricultural production. However, 2024 has seen the country come back with a bang, along with predicted economic growth of 3.2%.

That can only mean one thing for you as a website-operating business owner:

Now is a very good time to expand into Uruguay if you’ve identified a niche for your products or services in the country. Having a .uy domain extension – the official extension of Uruguay – is the best way to do that so let’s explore how to get your hands on this type of domain.

What Are the Requirements for Registering a .uy Extension?

Most of the requirements for registering your Uruguayan domain extension are fairly standard across the industry. You have to register the domain for at least a year – rolling monthly registration isn’t available – and your domain name must have between one and 63 characters. That’s actually a rarity, with most countries requiring a minimum of two characters in their domain names.

Uruguay also allows the use of some internationalized domain name (IDN) characters in registration. These characters are restricted to those characters used in Spanish, such as á, é, í, ó, ú, ü, y, and ñ.

So far, so standard.

The complication arises from the fact that you need to be able to prove that you have a residence (or place of business) in Uruguay to register one of the country’s domain extensions. This restriction is in place for all of the country’s extensions, ranging from the basic .uy and .com.uy choices to .org.uy and .net.uy.

You likely don’t have a home or place of business in Uruguay as somebody who’s only looking into expanding into the country. Thus, a trustee registrar service can help you get around this problem.

What Does a Trustee Registrar Do?

Think of a trustee registrar as your proxy when you try to register a Uruguayan domain extension. Trustees maintain physical addresses in the countries in which they offer these proxy services, allowing them to register your domain in the name of a local representative on your behalf. You still own the domain – per your agreement with the trustee – and you don’t have to own any residential or business property in Uruguay to get your extension. However, the service does come with an additional cost, which your registrar should make clear before moving forward.

Why Get a .uy Domain Extension?

We’ve touched on one of the reasons already – Uruguay’s economy is bouncing back after a tough couple of years, creating the perfect environment for you to enter a market seeing increased consumer spending. But there are other reasons.

Perform Better in Uruguay’s Version of Google

Google is the most popular search engine in Uruguay – it has 94.59% of the market share – but it’s not the Google you know in the U.S. Uruguay has its own version of Google, with results being delivered in Spanish and local search catering to that audience. A generic domain will struggle to perform in that version of Google because it’s competing against a host of domains that are localized and optimized specifically for Uruguayan search engines.

But a .uy extension (or one of its variants)? That’s a different story. With this extension, you gain local credibility. That’s a major trust factor for your audience, but it’s also a signal to Uruguay’s version of Google that your new country-specific website should rank well for whatever you do.

Protecting Your Brand

Uruguay has several laws designed to protect intellectual property and trademarks, but those laws aren’t infallible. There’s really nothing to stop somebody in the country from registering your branded domain name with the .uy extension without your knowledge. Branding confusion is the result. If you have any intention of expanding into Uruguay, snapping up the .uy extension relevant to your brand isn’t just good for marketing – it’s a protective measure for your brand.

Land Your .uy Extension Today

With the need for a place of residence in Uruguay to register, getting a .uy extension can be a hassle unless you have the help of a trustee registrar. Find that registrar – look for one that offers high domain name availability and can provide proof of its Uruguayan address – and you’re on your way to registering a .uy domain extension.