S/C/N/857  
20 January 2016  
(16-0405)  Page: 1/3  
Council for Trade in Services  Original: Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION OF URUGUAY'S PREFER ENTIAL TREATMENT TO SERVICES 
AND SUPPLIERS OF LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES1 
The following notification from the delegation of Uruguay, dated 12 January 2016, is being 
circulated to the Members of the Council for Trade in Services. 
 
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 The Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the World Trade Organization and other International Economic Agencies with headquarters in Geneva has the honour to notify to the 
World Trade Organization's Council for Trade in Se rvices the preferential treatment that Uruguay 
is making available to services and service suppliers of least developed countries
1 in accordance 
with the decision adopted by Ministers at the WTO's Eighth Ministerial Conference entitled 
Preferential Treatment to Services and Se rvice Suppliers of Least Developed Countries  (WT/L/847) 
of 17 December 2011, and the decision adopted by Ministers at the WTO's Ninth Ministerial Conference entitled Operationalization of the Waiver concerni ng Preferential Treatment to Services 
and Service Suppliers of Least Developed Countries  (WT/L/918). 
 The preferential treatment is given in various se ctors and modes of supply, particularly in areas 
that are of particular export interest to least developed countries, as set out in the Collective 
Request Pursuant to the Bali Decision on the Operationalization of the Waiver concerning 
Preferential Treatment to Services and Se rvice Suppliers of Least Developed Countries  
(S/C/W/356), and will take effect on 1 January 2016. 
 
Uruguay proposes to maintain these preferences for the period of the waiver.  
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1 This notification is not subject to Annex 2 to the WTO Agreement: Understanding on Rules and 
Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes . S/C/N/857 
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  1  HORIZONTAL MEASURES 
1.1  Movement of natural persons 
The following categories have been added to those included in the horizontal section of Uruguay's 
current schedule of commitments (GATS/SC/91): 
 
a. Contractual service suppliers - Employees of juridical persons 
Employees of a company based in the territory of  an LDC Member, who enter Uruguayan territory 
temporarily in order to supply a service under one or more contracts concluded between their 
employers and one or more consumers of  the service in Uruguayan territory: 
 (1) restricted to employees of foreign-based companies with no commercial presence in 
Uruguay; 
(2) the juridical person has obtained a contract for the provision of a service in Uruguayan 
territory; 
(3) the employees of such foreign-based comp anies receive their remuneration from their 
employer; 
(4) the employees have appropriate educational and professional qualifications relevant to the 
service to be provided. 
Duration of stay: Persons having obtained a contract  or an invitation specifying the nature of the 
activity to be carried out and, where appropri ate, the remuneration to be received abroad, 
may enter and remain in Uruguayan territory for a 15-day period, extendable for a further 
15 days. Persons having obtained a service contract or providing remunerated services, who enter 
to provide services to a natural or juridical person established in Uruguay, may enter and remain in Uruguayan territory for a one-year period, extend able for a further year as long as the person 
retains the status of contracted employee. 
 b. Professionals and specialists: 
 
Natural persons from least developed countries entering Uruguay for limited periods to carry out activities linked to their profession or specialization, under a contract between them and a client located in the country: scientists, researchers, teac hing staff, professionals, academics, technical 
personnel, journalists, sportsmen and women, and artists: 
 (1) the natural person supplies the service as a self-employed person; 
 
(2) the natural person has obtained a service contract in Uruguay;  
(3) any remuneration for the contract is to be paid solely to the natural person; 
 (4) the natural person possesses appropriate educational and other qualifications relevant to the 
service to be provided. 
 
Duration of stay: Persons having obtained a contract or providing remunerated services, who enter to provide services to a natural or juridical person established in Uruguay, may remain in the 
country for a period of up to two years, extendable for a further two-year period. 
 S/C/N/857 
- 3 - 
  2  SECTORAL MEASURES 
The following preferential treatment is made av ailable with respect to the application of the 
measures described in Article XVI of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, subject to the 
limitations set out in the "Horizontal commitments" section of Uruguay's Schedule of Specific 
Commitments (GATS/SC/91) and any future amen dments which may affect these limitations. 
 
1. BUSINESS SERVICES  
A. Professional services Natural persons seeking to provide professional services must 
have a qualification that is recognized in Uruguay and establish 
legal domicile in the country. The Uruguayan authorities will 
regulate the practice of these professions in the future. Legal domicile does not imply residence in Uruguay. 
b. Accounting, auditing and 
bookkeeping services 
(862) (1) Unbound 
(2) None 
(3) None 
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal section and 
the note on professional services. 
d. Architectural services 
(8671) (1) Unbound 
(2) None 
(3) None 
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal section and 
the note on professional services. 
e. Engineering services 
(8672) (1) Unbound 
(2) None 
(3) None 
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal section and 
the note on professional services. 
F. Other business services  
o. Building-cleaning 
services 
 (874) (1) None 
(2) None 
(3) None 
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal section. 
s. Convention services  (87909*) (1) None 
(2) None (3) None 
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal section. 
3. CONSTRUCTION SERVICES  
B. General construction work 
for civil engineering (513) (1) Unbound* 
(2) None 
(3) None 
(4) Unbound, except as indicated in the horizontal section. 
 
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