🇺🇾 This is the brand hub for BROU (Banco Republica). For the bigger picture on the peso, the casa-de-cambio trap and the 22% IVA card perk, see the Uruguay Money Guide. For exact ATM districts, see the Montevideo ATM Guide. For card acceptance and transport, see the Montevideo Money Guide. Flying in? Carrasco (MVD) guide.
🧾 Order Uruguayan Pesos
Land with a small peso float for ferias, tips and buses. Restaurant and hotel bills are cheaper on a card (IVA-exempt).
Order Pesos → CEI Currency ExchangeWhat BROU is, in one paragraph
BROU, the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay, is Uruguay's state-owned bank, founded in 1896, and the country's largest bank and ATM network, from Montevideo's Ciudad Vieja and 18 de Julio to Punta del Este and the interior towns. Its machines accept foreign Visa and Mastercard, dispense pesos at the interbank rate, and mostly add no operator fee of their own. Uruguay has no Bank of America Alliance partner, so a BROU withdrawal pairs best with a no-foreign-transaction-fee card. The bigger Uruguay money lever, though, is not the ATM at all but the 22% IVA exemption on foreign-card restaurant and hotel payments.
What BROU charges foreign cards
| Fee component | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| BROU operator fee (foreign card) | Usually none | BROU |
| Exchange rate | Mid-market (interbank) | Visa or Mastercard network |
| Per-transaction cap | ~UYU 8,000-15,000 (varies by machine) | BROU |
| Your home bank's foreign ATM fee | $0 with Wise or Schwab | Your home bank, unless waived |
| Bank of America non-network fee | 3% (no Alliance partner in Uruguay) | BoA, use a no-FX card instead |
| DCC markup (if accepted) | +5-10% | Always decline. Choose Uruguayan pesos, not US dollars. |
BROU mostly adds no operator fee and gives the interbank peso rate. Uruguay has no Bank of America Alliance partner. The larger saving in Uruguay is the 22% IVA exemption on foreign-card restaurant and hotel payments, so keep ATM withdrawals small.
How to use BROU cheaply, and why to pay meals by card instead
BROU adds no operator fee, so the cost is your card. Because Uruguay has no Bank of America Alliance partner, a BoA card pays 3 percent here; carry a Wise card for the interbank rate with no markup or a Charles Schwab card that adds no FX fee and refunds any fee. When the screen offers to charge in US dollars, decline it and take Uruguayan pesos.
But the bigger Uruguay move is to pay restaurants and hotels by foreign card, not cash, because a tourism law makes those payments exempt from the 22% IVA, applied automatically at the till. So use a BROU ATM only for the small peso float you need at ferias, markets, tips and intercity buses, and put meals and lodging on a no-FX card.
Where to find BROU in Uruguay
Ciudad Vieja & Centro
BROU's densest coverage is in Montevideo's old town and along 18 de Julio, plus branches citywide. See the Montevideo ATM Guide.
Nationwide reach
As the state bank, BROU has the widest footprint in Uruguay, including small interior towns where private banks are thin.
The coast
BROU ATMs along Avenida Gorlero and around Punta del Este, where the same 22% IVA card exemption applies to restaurants and hotels.
Airport arrivals
BROU machines in the Carrasco arrivals hall, your first pesos off the plane, away from the exchange counters. See the MVD guide.
Any BROU machine
BROU mostly adds no operator fee, so a Wise or Schwab card lands at the interbank rate.
The 22% IVA perk
The bigger saving is not the ATM: put restaurants and hotels on a foreign card to dodge the 22% IVA, and keep BROU withdrawals small.
Best card pairing with BROU
Wise for the IVA perk, Schwab for the peso float
A Wise or any no-foreign-transaction-fee card is the key to Uruguay because paying restaurants and hotels by foreign card automatically dodges the 22% IVA, so the card beats cash on those bills. A Charles Schwab card adds no FX fee and refunds any BROU operator fee for the small peso float you need at ferias and buses. Take pesos not dollars at the machine, and decline DCC.
Get the Wise Card →Pay meals and hotels by card, not BROU cash
Uruguay's standout perk is that foreign-card payments at restaurants and hotels are exempt from the 22% IVA, applied automatically. So deliberately put those bills on a no-FX card and use BROU only for the small peso float you need at ferias, markets, tips and buses.
BROU for the widest reach, no operator fee
As the state bank, BROU has the largest network in Uruguay, including interior towns where private banks are scarce, and it mostly charges no operator fee. Pair it with a Wise or Schwab card since there is no BoA Alliance partner, decline DCC, and take pesos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does BROU charge foreign cards at ATMs?
Usually no operator fee, interbank rate. You pay only your home-bank fee (zero with Wise or Schwab). No BoA partner, so a BoA card pays 3%. Limits ~UYU 8,000-15,000.
Should I use a BROU ATM or pay by card in Uruguay?
Pay restaurants and hotels by card (22% IVA exempt). Use BROU only for the small peso float for ferias, tips and buses.
What is BROU?
Uruguay's state bank (Banco Republica, founded 1896) and largest ATM network, Montevideo to Punta del Este. Interbank rate, usually no operator fee.
Is BROU a Bank of America Alliance partner?
No BoA Alliance partner in Uruguay. Use a Wise or Schwab card at BROU, and pay meals and hotels by card for the 22% IVA exemption.
Will my US card work at BROU ATMs?
Yes, with a Visa, Mastercard, Plus or Cirrus logo. Use a no-FX card, decline DCC, take pesos, and keep withdrawals small (pay meals by card for the IVA perk).
Wise for the 22% IVA perk
BROU: interbank rate, usually no operator fee. Pay restaurants and hotels by foreign card to dodge the 22% IVA; use BROU for the small peso float. No BoA partner; decline DCC.
Get the Wise Card →