Plan on about 8 h 24 min of driving for the 371-mile (597 km) trip from Santana do Livramento to Chuy, Uruguay, before any stops. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 371.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
- Uruguay: “Several of the main highways are particularly accident-ridden.”
| Distance by road | 371 mi (597 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 24 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-158 → BR-293 → BR-392 → BR-471 |
| Border crossing | about mile 371, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 5 |
Getting across the Brazil–Uruguay border
The route crosses at about mile 371, from Rio Grande do Sul into Rocha. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Brazil (U.S. citizens) | Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. |
| Driving in Brazil | If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
Driving Santana do Livramento to Chuy: the shape of the trip
BR-293 (185 mi) and BR-471 (137 mi) carry about 87% of the 371 miles. The first 371 miles are in Brazil; the last 0 are in Uruguay. It runs through 2 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Rocha. Of the 5 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Santana do Livramento to Chuy
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-158 | 1–23 | 22 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-293 | 23–208 | 185 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-392 | 208–233 | 25 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-471 | 233–370 | 137 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 370–371 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
- Mile 371 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Rocha (international border)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Santana do Livramento and Chuy
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Ponte do Império (mile 177)
- Museums and history: Museu da Gravura Brasileira (mile 98), Palacete Pedro Osório (mile 99), Ponte do Império (mile 177), Museu da Baronesa (mile 211), Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo (mile 211)
Museu da Gravura Brasileira
Founded in 1977, the Museu da Gravura Brasileira is an art museum in Bagé that keeps works by local, Brazilian and international artists.
Palacete Pedro Osório
Palacete Pedro Osório is a building in Bagé, in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state, listed as protected heritage by IPHAE.
Ponte do Império
Ponte do Império is a bridge in Piratini, on the boundary with Cerrito in Rio Grande do Sul, built between 1868 and 1870 by contractor Hygino Corrêa Durão.
Museu da Baronesa
Opened in 1982 and run by the Pelotas city culture department, Museu da Baronesa occupies a building listed as municipal heritage in 1985.
Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo
Opened in 1986 on Praça 7 de Julho, across from the Mercado Central in downtown Pelotas, this art museum is part of the Federal University of Pelotas arts center.
More drives to Chuy
- Minas to Chuy
- Montevideo to Chuy
- Durazno to Chuy
- Colonia del Sacramento to Chuy
- Carmelo to Chuy
- Mercedes, Uruguay to Chuy
More drives from Santana do Livramento
- Santana do Livramento to Chuí
- Santana do Livramento to Paysandú, Uruguay
- Santana do Livramento to Durazno, Uruguay
- Santana do Livramento to Minas, Uruguay
- Santana do Livramento to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
- Santana do Livramento to Rocha, Uruguay
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Santana do Livramento to Chuy, Uruguay?
About 8 h 24 min of driving without stops, over 371 miles.
How far is Chuy, Uruguay from Santana do Livramento by car?
About 371 miles (597 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Where does the Santana do Livramento to Chuy drive cross the border?
At about mile 371, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Santana do Livramento into Uruguay?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from Santana do Livramento to Chuy, Uruguay?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Santana do Livramento to Chuy use?
In order: BR-158, BR-293, BR-392 and BR-471. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Santana do Livramento and Chuy?
Closest to the road: Museu da Gravura Brasileira (museum, mile 98, 2 mi from the route); Ponte do Império (historic bridge, mile 177, 0.3 mi from the route); Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo (museum, mile 211, 1 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.