Visitors to Nicaragua must obtain a visa online, unless they are citizens of one of the visa exempt countries.
All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
Holders of passports of the following 69 jurisdictions can visit Nicaragua without a visa for up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted). All visitors must hold proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay and documents required for next destination. Extension of stay is possible for additional 30 days for a fee.
Citizens of all other countries are eligible to obtain an electronic visa in advance.
The country launched the electronic visa portal in March 2026.
Transit without a visa is generally allowed for travelers who normally require a visa but are transiting within 24 hours and hold onward tickets.<br/>
Nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Cameroon, China, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Haiti, India, Iraq, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and Yemen are required to obtain a transit visa.
Nationals from all visa-exempt countries are required to obtain a tourist card (US$10) on arrival. Exempt are the citizens of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, as well as holders of diplomatic, official, service or special passports issued to any country.
The Central America-4 Border Control Agreement is a treaty between Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. A visa issued by one of the four countries is honored by all four of the countries.<br/> The time period for the visa, however, applies to the total time spent in any of the four countries without leaving the CA-4 area.
Most visitors arriving to Nicaragua were from the following countries of nationality: