Nicaragua has simplified its visa system into two groups. Disposición No. 002-2026 from the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (part of the Ministry of the Interior) took effect on 16 February 2026:

  • 69 nationalities are visa-exempt ("libre visado, exentos de visa"). They pay a US$10 tourist card on arrival.
  • Everyone else needs a "visa consultada" (Category C). Nicaragua's migration authority must approve it before you travel.

The previous Category B has been abolished. For many travelers the result is simple: if your country is not on the exempt list, you cannot just turn up at the border.

Surprises on the list

Several countries whose citizens can travel visa-free almost everywhere are not on Nicaragua's exempt list. Under the disposition, their citizens need a consulted visa:

That includes five EU members (Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia), while most other EU countries are exempt. Don't assume that an EU passport covers Nicaragua.

It works the other way too. Many visa lists, including the dataset Wandava started from, don't show these nationalities as visa-free for Nicaragua. All of them are on the exempt list:

The full exempt list

The disposition names 69 exempt nationalities. Two of them, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, are not passports Wandava covers. The other 67 are:

The disposition does not state how long exempt visitors may stay. Check your permitted stay with the Nicaraguan embassy before a long trip.

Not on either list

A few passports appear on neither list: Taiwan, Macau, South Sudan and Kosovo. The disposition doesn't say what applies to them. Nicaragua recognises the People's Republic of China, not Taiwan. Until an official source confirms otherwise, Wandava shows a visa requirement for all four. If you hold one of these passports, ask a Nicaraguan embassy before you plan a trip.

If you need a consulted visa

A consulted visa is not something you can get at the airport. Nicaragua's migration authority reviews each application and approves or refuses it before you travel. Ask the nearest Nicaraguan embassy or consulate how to apply and how long it takes, and don't book non-refundable flights or tours until the visa is approved.

Check your passport

Every country above links to its Wandava passport page, which shows Nicaragua next to every other destination. If your passport needs a consulted visa for Nicaragua, the passport page also shows the nearby countries you can visit more easily.