Nicaragua Travel requirements, advice , Coronavirus status and Visa Policy

2023-07-17 20:19:03

Nicaragua is located in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is a developing country. Current Travel Advice to visitors travelling to Nicaragua is Reconsider Travel. Check Nicaragua Travel Advisory, visa Requirements below.



Travel advice and advisories

Published 04.04.2022
1. Passengers arriving from Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Rep., Chad, China (People\'s Rep.), Comoros, Congo, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Cote d\'Ivoire, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Dem. People\'s Rep.), Korea (Rep.), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People\'s Dem. Rep., Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Isl., Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia (Federated States), Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Fed., Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Isl., Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia or Zimbabwe must have a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test taken at most 96 hours before arrival.
2. Passengers must have a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test taken at most 72 hours before arrival.
- This does not apply to passengers arriving from Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Rep., Chad, China (People\'s Rep.), Comoros, Congo, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Cote d\'Ivoire, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Dem. People\'s Rep.), Korea (Rep.), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People\'s Dem. Rep., Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Isl., Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia (Federated States), Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Fed., Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Isl., Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia or Zimbabwe.
3. Airline crew must have a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test taken at most 72 hours before arrival.
4. Passengers with a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test are allowed to transit. They are subject to contact tracing by the Health Authorities for 14 days and must not have respiratory symptoms.


Travel Advisory By USA

Mon, 17 Jul 2023

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.  

Reconsider travel to Nicaragua due to limited healthcare availability and arbitrary enforcement of laws. Exercise increased caution in Nicaragua due to crime, and wrongful detentions.

Country Summary: The government of Nicaragua arbitrarily enforces laws for political purposes. Throughout Nicaragua, government officials and law enforcement continue to target those opposed to the rule of President Ortega. The government and its affiliated groups have been reported to:

  • Systematically target opposition figures (regardless of nationality), including former allies, political activists, business representatives, clergy, human rights advocates, and members of the press.
  • Arbitrarily target pro-democracy advocates.
  • Prevent certain individuals from departing Nicaragua by air or land for political reasons.
  • Arbitrarily seize and/or search private property including personal phones and computers for anti-government content.
  • Arbitrarily charge individuals with terrorism, money laundering, and organized crime offenses for political reasons.

U.S. citizens have reported being subject to this treatment. U.S. citizen residents of Nicaragua also report increased scrutiny of alleged political speech and additional scrutiny by immigration officials.

The Department has determined the risk of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals by the Government of Nicaragua exists.

Travelers should exercise increased caution and be alert to the risks of crime, including violent crimes such as sexual assault and armed robbery.

Poor infrastructure in parts of the country limits the Embassy’s ability to assist U.S. citizens in emergencies. U.S. government personnel may be subject to restrictions on their movements at any time.

Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Nicaragua.

If you decide to travel to Nicaragua:

  • Consider arrangements to depart the country quickly.
  • Ensure your U.S. passport is valid and available for a quick departure from the country, if needed.
  • Avoid demonstrations and restrict unnecessary travel.
  • Do not attempt to drive through crowds, barricades, or roadblocks.
  • Maintain adequate supplies of food, cash, potable water, and fuel in case you need to shelter in place.
  • Use caution when walking or driving at night.
  • Keep a low profile.
  • Do not display signs of wealth such as expensive watches or jewelry.
  • Be aware of your surroundings.
  • Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
  • Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
  • Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Review the Country Security Report for Nicaragua.
  • Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations.  Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
  • Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.


Visa Policy for Visitors travelling to Nicaragua

Visa required

  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Armenia
  • Bangladesh
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Cameroon
  • China
  • Congo [DRC]
  • Congo [Republic]
  • Eritrea
  • Haiti
  • India
  • Iraq
  • Kenya
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Mali
  • Mongolia
  • Nepal
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Sierra Leone
  • Somalia
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Timor-Leste
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Yemen

Visa on arrival

  • Algeria (90 days)
  • Angola (30 days)
  • Azerbaijan (90 days)
  • Benin (90 days)
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia (90 days)
  • Burkina Faso (30 days)
  • Burundi (30 days)
  • Cambodia
  • Cape Verde (30 days)
  • Central African Republic (90 days)
  • Chad (30 days)
  • Colombia (90 days)
  • Comoros (30 days)
  • Côte d'Ivoire (90 days)
  • Djibouti (30 days)
  • Dominica (90 days)
  • Dominican Republic (90 days)
  • Egypt (90 days)
  • Equatorial Guinea (30 days)
  • Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) (30 days)
  • Ethiopia (90 days)
  • Gabon (30 days)
  • Gambia (30 days)
  • Georgia (90 days)
  • Ghana (90 days)
  • Grenada (90 days)
  • Guinea (30 days)
  • Guinea-Bissau (30 days)
  • Guyana (90 days)
  • Indonesia (90 days)
  • Jamaica (90 days)
  • Jordan (90 days)
  • Kazakhstan (90 days)
  • Kiribati (90 days)
  • Kyrgyzstan (90 days)
  • Lesotho (90 days)
  • Malawi (30 days)
  • Maldives (90 days)
  • Mauritania (30 days)
  • Mauritius (90 days)
  • Micronesia (90 days)
  • Moldova (90 days)
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco (30 days)
  • Mozambique (30 days)
  • Myanmar [Burma] (90 days)
  • Namibia
  • Nauru (90 days)
  • Niger (30 days)
  • North Korea (90 days)
  • Oman (90 days)
  • Palau (90 days)
  • Papua New Guinea (90 days)
  • Peru (30 days)
  • Philippines (90 days)
  • Rwanda (30 days)
  • Samoa (90 days)
  • Senegal (30 days)
  • Serbia (90 days)
  • Seychelles (90 days)
  • Suriname (90 days)
  • Tajikistan (90 days)
  • Tanzania (30 days)
  • Thailand (30 days)
  • Togo (30 days)
  • Tonga (90 days)
  • Tunisia (90 days)
  • Turkmenistan (90 days)
  • Uganda (90 days)
  • Uzbekistan (90 days)
  • Zambia (90 days)
  • Zimbabwe (30 days)

Visa not required

  • Andorra (90 days)
  • Argentina (90 days)
  • Australia (90 days)
  • Austria (90 days)
  • Bahamas (90 days)
  • Bahrain (90 days)
  • Barbados (90 days)
  • Belarus (90 days)
  • Belgium (90 days)
  • Belize (90 days)
  • Brazil (90 days)
  • Brunei (90 days)
  • Bulgaria (90 days)
  • Canada (90 days)
  • Chile (90 days)
  • Costa Rica (90 days)
  • Cuba
  • Cyprus (90 days)
  • Czech Republic (90 days)
  • Denmark (90 days)
  • Ecuador (90 days)
  • El Salvador (3 months)
  • Estonia (90 days)
  • Fiji (90 days)
  • Finland (90 days)
  • France (90 days)
  • Germany (90 days)
  • Greece (90 days)
  • Guatemala (3 months)
  • Honduras (3 months)
  • Hong Kong (90 days)
  • Hungary (90 days)
  • Iceland (90 days)
  • Ireland (90 days)
  • Israel (90 days)
  • Italy (90 days)
  • Japan (90 days)
  • Kuwait (90 days)
  • Latvia (90 days)
  • Liechtenstein (90 days)
  • Lithuania (90 days)
  • Luxembourg (90 days)
  • Macau (90 days)
  • Macedonia [FYROM] (90 days)
  • Madagascar (90 days)
  • Malaysia (90 days)
  • Malta (90 days)
  • Marshall Islands (90 days)
  • Mexico (90 days)
  • Monaco (90 days)
  • Netherlands (90 days)
  • New Zealand (90 days)
  • Norway (90 days)
  • Panama (90 days)
  • Paraguay (90 days)
  • Poland (90 days)
  • Portugal (90 days)
  • Qatar (90 days)
  • Romania (90 days)
  • Russia (90 days)
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis (90 days)
  • Saint Lucia (90 days)
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (90 days)
  • San Marino (90 days)
  • São Tomé and Príncipe (90 days)
  • Saudi Arabia (90 days)
  • Singapore (90 days)
  • Slovakia (90 days)
  • Slovenia (90 days)
  • Solomon Islands (90 days)
  • South Africa (90 days)
  • South Korea (90 days)
  • Spain (90 days)
  • Sweden (90 days)
  • Switzerland (90 days)
  • Trinidad and Tobago (90 days)
  • Turkey (90 days)
  • Tuvalu (90 days)
  • Ukraine (90 days)
  • United Arab Emirates (90 days)
  • United Kingdom (90 days)
  • Uruguay (90 days)
  • Vanuatu (90 days)
  • Vatican City (90 days)

Visa free access

  • Croatia

Visa Requirements for Nicaragua Citizens

References