According to a representative at the consular section of the embassy of Uruguay in Ottawa, persons applying for a Uruguayan passport in Uruguay must present a Certificado de Buena Conducta (certificate of good conduct), which is issued by the police and indicates whether the individual has a recent criminal record (30 Nov. 1993). In addition to the certificate of good conduct, the applicant must present his or her previous passport, or if none is available, a birth certificate or Cédula de Identidad (identity card) (Ibid.).

The Servicio Paz y Justicia (SERPAJ) of Uruguay, a non-government human rights organization, states in its 1992 report that the certificate of good conduct is indispensable for obtaining a passport in Uruguay (SERPAJ 1992, 15). The report adds that prostitutes are not issued certificates of good conduct even if they are no longer working as prostitutes, and despite the fact that prostitution is legal in Uruguay (Ibid.).

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Embassy of Uruguay, Consular Section, Ottawa. 30 November 1993. Telephone interview with representative.

Servicio Paz y Justicia (SERPAJ). 1992. Informe 1992: Derechos Humanos en Uruguay. Montevideo: SERPAJ.