Answer
Requirements vary by bank and product, so there is no universal timeframe. For a credit card or mortgage, a bank assesses income, local financial history, the length of its relationship with the client, residency status, work history, and documents.
Older guidance mentions requirements such as one or two years of residence or two years of employment, especially for credit cards and mortgages at private banks. However, this is not a general rule for all banks. A new resident often starts with no local history, even if they previously had a high income and high credit limits in another country.
For a mortgage, banks also consider the property, down payment, currency of income, taxes, and stability of employment in Uruguay. Before starting a home search, it is better to request a preliminary assessment from a specific bank and to factor in the associated costs: escribano, valuation, insurance, registration, and taxes.