Mercosur Residency Agreement

A 2002 treaty among Mercosur member states (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay + associates Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) granting each other's nationals simplified two-year temporary residence followed by permanent residence in each signatory country. Eligibility requires only nationality of a signatory state, a clean criminal record from countries of prior residence, and proof of means of subsistence. The residency leads to near-identical rights to local citizens for work, education, and social services. Combined with the shortened naturalisation timelines several South American countries offer to Latin Americans (Argentina 2 years, Uruguay 3 years, Spain 2 years for LatAm), Mercosur creates a viable pathway to a Spanish-language EU or Ibero-American second citizenship.