Private jet to Uruguay

Squeezed between Argentina and Brazil on the River Plate, Uruguay receives almost every private flight from Europe at one of two airports: Carrasco for Montevideo, the financial centre, or Laguna del Sauce for Punta del Este, the beach resort where visitors from Buenos Aires, São Paulo and Europe spend the southern summer. From the European hubs it is 9,900-11,700 km; a Global 7500 flies it without landing, a heavy jet stops once.

The two airports are about 85 km apart in a straight line, so the choice follows the address. As a broker, we compare a one-stop heavy jet with a non-stop crossing, reserve parking for the season and arrange the short hops to Buenos Aires or southern Brazil.

Name the airport, the dates and the number of passengers; a consultant comes back with aircraft and a price.

Why fly there privately

Prices and flight times

The figures are one-way prices for the whole aircraft, positioned from a base near the departure airport; handling, airport and parking fees, the fuel stop and passenger taxes appear separately in the quote. The time in each row is that of the aircraft in the first price column.

From the European hubs

A Challenger 650 with one stop, usually in Cape Verde or north-east Brazil, costs EUR 125,000 from Madrid and EUR 135,000 from London, Paris, Geneva, Zurich or Milan. The non-stop Global 7500 costs EUR 160,000 from Madrid and EUR 175,000-185,000 from most other hubs; it saves about two hours. With 13-16 hours on the way, the operator plans an extra pilot or a crew rest at the stop.

From Lisbon and the United States

From Lisbon a Gulfstream G550 reaches Punta del Este without a stop for EUR 140,000; from Miami even a Falcon 900EX flies through, in 9:02 h.

Within the region

These legs are international and can be flown by any operator with permits. Montevideo - Punta del Este is a domestic hop that a foreign aircraft normally may not sell, so it is flown by a local aircraft or done by car in about 1:30 h:

Buenos Aires - Punta del Este takes under an hour and costs from EUR 8,500 in a light jet. On the European side, the French tax on a business jet leaving France rises with the distance flown, and Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on flights from or to the country beyond 1,500 km. The UK applies the higher Air Passenger Duty rate to aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, which includes all three jets in the first table. Uruguayan charges are listed in the quote.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Two trips worked out

The aircraft costs the same however many seats are filled, so the share per passenger falls with every guest:

Calculator

Enter the route for a first estimate by e-mail; a consultant then confirms aircraft and parking for your dates.

Carrasco, Laguna del Sauce and the small fields

Every long-range jet in our tables fits the 2,130 m runway at Laguna del Sauce. For the flight back to Europe with full tanks the operator works out the permitted take-off weight from temperature and wind, and on a hot day that can mean a planned fuel stop.

Want the one-stop and non-stop plans compared for your dates? Leave a number and a consultant will call back.

When to go

The private season at Punta del Este runs from Christmas to the end of February, with the hardest dates around New Year; Montevideo works all year, and May to October is quiet on the coast. Long-range Empty Legs to Europe are most frequent at the end of February and in early March, when the season closes.

Empty Legs between Europe and Uruguay

Long-range jets fly south empty before Christmas to collect clients and return empty when the season ends. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and a window of dates, and we send the legs that match.

Pets: entry and the way home

A dog or cat travelling with its owner needs no import permit from the Uruguayan ministry of agriculture, MGAP, and the border check is free. In the jet the animal stays in the cabin, and the operator must approve it before booking.

• A health certificate from the government vet of the departure country, or a pet passport endorsed by one, after an examination no more than 10 days before departure.
• Rabies vaccination valid on arrival, given at least 21 days before if it is the first.
• Parasite treatment, internal and external, in the 15 days before the certificate is issued; for dogs with praziquantel.
• Dogs: a microchip and a negative leishmaniasis test no more than 60 days old when coming from a country not recognised as free of the disease.
• Back to the EU or the UK: Uruguay is not on the EU list, so a rabies antibody test is needed; if the blood sample is drawn in Europe before the trip, the three-month wait does not apply. Dogs entering the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway need a tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival, and the UK admits pets on a private jet only through approved routes and handlers.

Entry, permits and customs

Booking

1. Tell us Montevideo or Punta del Este, the dates and the number of passengers.
2. We price a one-stop heavy jet against the non-stop Global 7500.
3. Contract and payment; the handler files the flight with DINACIA and books parking if the jet waits.
4. For January we book cars and any hop to Buenos Aires together with the flight.
5. On arrival the handler takes you through passport control and customs to the car.

The contract is signed with the operator of the aircraft, payment is by bank transfer or card, cancellation terms depend on the operator and the time to departure, and every extra is listed in writing. For the coast across the river, see Argentina; for the north, Paraguay.

Questions about private flights to Uruguay

• • How much does a private jet from Europe to Uruguay cost?

  • From EUR 125,000 one way from Madrid in a Challenger 650 with one stop, and EUR 135,000 from London or Paris. A non-stop Global 7500 costs from EUR 160,000.

• • Montevideo or Punta del Este?

  • Carrasco for meetings in the capital, about 20 km from the centre; Laguna del Sauce for the coast, which saves about 1:30 h by car. Both clear international flights.

• • Can we fly to Uruguay without a stop?

  • Yes, in a Global 7500 from all the European hubs in our table, about 11:30 h from Madrid and 12:40 h from London. From Lisbon a Gulfstream G550 also flies through.

• • Can the aircraft wait for us in January?

  • Yes, if parking is booked weeks ahead. For a stay of more than a few days, two empty crossings often cost less than parking and crew hotels; we price both.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • No, EU and UK citizens can stay up to 90 days. The passport must be valid for the whole stay.

• • Can we combine Uruguay with Buenos Aires?

  • Yes. Punta del Este - Buenos Aires costs from EUR 8,500 in a light jet and takes under an hour.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Uruguay is 3 hours behind London in the British winter and 4 hours in summer; it does not change its clocks.

• • Can we bring our dog?

  • Yes, with a government vet certificate, rabies vaccination, parasite treatment and for dogs a leishmaniasis test. The antibody test for the return should be done before leaving Europe.