The Goddess of Immigration
Let me introduce you to Magdalena Lazaneo. We got her name from an expat in Uruguay, and she’s now our go-to immigration specialist. From her very first email back to us, she was warm, kind, and just… easy to connect with. Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about her.
We set up a video call, thinking it would be a quick hour. Nope. Two hours later, we were still talking—laughing, sharing stories, and getting to know each other. This type of interaction, chat first, then business, is part of Uruguayan culture. She asked us why we were moving, reassured us that she’s worked with plenty of gay couples making the same transition, and made the whole process feel less scary.
After the call, she emailed a detailed checklist of everything we’d need to start our residency paperwork. Some things you can gather anytime, some have to be dated within 60 days, and others within 30 days before submitting them to the government. She laid it all out clearly so we knew exactly what to bring on our exploratory trip in June.
Before we even got there, Magdalena scheduled us an appointment with the healthcare system to get our health cards. Meeting her in person was just as much fun as the video call. At one point, she mentioned she had lived in College Station, Texas, while her dad studied at Texas A&M. Small world!
By the end of that meeting, we had already handed over a stack of documents—including our apostilled birth certificates. That felt surreal, like we were officially leaving little pieces of our old life behind to start a new one.
The next morning, Magdalena met us outside the clinic. I was honestly excited to see how Uruguay’s healthcare system worked. The clinic opened, we went in, and within minutes we were getting our vaccines. The staff was so friendly—we laughed a ton, even with the language barrier.
From there, it was a whirlwind: quick blood draw, a dentist check, and finally a doctor who did a basic exam—eyes, weight, height, a few health questions. Boom and all in one building. Cleared for health cards. The whole thing took maybe an hour. Uruguayans are required to have this check-up every two years to see if there is a potential medical situation starting, so maybe it is easier to treat.
Since we got back, Magdalena has been just as responsive as ever. We email her questions, and she always replies within a day. She’s already lining up our bank account appointment, driver’s license, and even helping us look at rental houses.
Honestly, I don’t know how we’d be doing this without her. She’s been such a guide and a comfort through everything.
