Answer
The reason is due to the distinction between ciudadanía legal and nacionalidad in Uruguayan law. A person of Russian origin can become a legal citizen of Uruguay, but in the previous passport format, the nationality field reflected the original nationality, meaning Russia could remain listed despite the Uruguayan carta de ciudadanía.
This design created difficulties with automatic reading and visa checks. In 2025, the government introduced a single URY code and the field “Nacionalidad/Ciudadanía”, but then returned to the previous version and continued to discuss the final model.
Refer to the details of the specific issued passport, not just the cédula. If the country of destination applies a visa regime to Russian citizens, ask its consulate in advance which rules will apply to your document.