Entry/Exit Requirements

Entry:  To enter Nicaragua, you must have:

• U.S. passport valid for length of stay OR Nicaraguan passport if you are also a Nicaraguan citizen and plan to stay more than 90 days;
• Onward or return ticket;
• Evidence of funds to support yourself while in Nicaragua; AND
• Tourist card purchased for USD$10 at the airport (exact change recommended).

Medical officials conduct a remote body temperature scan of all disembarking passengers at Managua’s airport before allowing them to proceed to immigration.  The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Nicaragua.  If you have been to West Africa or any other region with medical epidemics, Nicaragua may place you under quarantine or not allow you to enter the country.  For specific information, please contact the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health. 

For the latest visa and entry requirements, visit the Embassy of Nicaragua or Nicaraguan Immigration websites (Spanish only).

Immunizations:  See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Nicaragua page. 

Permitted stay:  The entry card/stamp for tourists permits up to 90-day stays in any of the member countries of the Central America-4 Border Control Agreement (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua).  Visitors remaining longer must obtain an extension from Nicaraguan Immigration.  If the card expires while you are in Nicaragua, you are illegally present and risk arrest and detention by Nicaraguan Immigration authorities.  If you are detained, you will remain in custody until you pay for your deportation, resolve your immigration status and/or pay required fines of at least 50 Nicaraguan cordobas (USD$2) per day of illegal presence.  

Identity documents:  If you hold passports from two or more countries, be advised that the Government of Nicaragua has denied entry to travelers who use a passport of a different nationality than they did on prior trips to Nicaragua.  Nicaraguan law requires foreigners to carry at all times a valid identity document that proves their immigration status, such as a passport or a Nicaraguan residence card.  Authorities may request to see it and detain travelers without identity documents.  If you take a domestic flight to Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast, you must show your passport or residency card to an immigration officer.  If your U.S. passport is lost or stolen while in Nicaragua, please contact the U.S. Embassy as soon as possible to replace it.  You will need to get a new entry stamp from Nicaraguan Immigration at the airport or their Managua office before you can depart. 

Exit:  There is a USD$42 departure tax, often included in the ticket, or you can pay the tax at the airline counter when departing.  You must exit Nicaragua with the same passport used for entry.  Minors with a claim to Nicaraguan citizenship must meet departure requirements for Nicaraguan children under 18, even if they have another citizenship.

Other:  Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international parental child abduction can be found on our website.  For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.