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Many people find the pace of life in Nicaragua very attractive,
and decide to live here for a myriad reasons: warm year-round
weather, a more tranquilo pace of life, the cost of living, starting


over, tax benefits, affordable healthcare, hiding from Johnny Law
(not endorsed), or looking for new love.
Whatever your motives may be for wanting to move to
Nicaragua, there are a number of ways to remain in the country
on a long-term basis.
Tourists from North America and many countries in Europe may
now remain legally in the country for three months (90 days)
without having to apply for permanent residency. You can get
extensions on your tourist visa at Immigration offices, or you
must leave the country every three months to renew your visa
again upon reentry. If you remain here over your 90-day tourist
visa, you will have to pay a nominal fee of several dollars for each
day you stay over your expiration date. This can add up quickly
if you lose track of time.
Foreign residents have to visit the Imigration Department in Managua.


Unlike Costa Rica, Nicaragua does not appear to be cracking
down on so-called "perpetual tourists" (people who live here by
habitually renewing their tourist visa).
You don't have to be a resident in Nicaragua to purchase
property here or start a business. In many cases, being an
investor here actually helps you to get residency status later on.
However, there are limitations to being a tourist. You are not
technically allowed to open a bank account here as a tourist
(some people do anyway) and buying a cell phone line (as
opposed to "renting" a phone that functions on pre-paid cards)
is more difficult, requiring creative solutions, such as buying a
line in the name of a Nicaragua friend.
If you are a tourist, your status in the country is also at the whim
of immigration authorities, who can deny your reentry into the
country, even if you are already living here as a perpetual tourist.
If you plan to reside for an extended period of time in Nicaragua,
applying for residency is a good idea.
NOTE: Once you are a resident of Nicaragua, you must get the
government's permission to leave the country. This is usually not
difficult (you don't have to come up with an elaborate tale for
why you want to leave the country for a week), but it is
something to consider before applying for residency. Foreign
residents can also get a yearlong permission slip from the
government that allows you to leave and enter as much as you
like during that period. The yearlong permission slip costs $80,
and is purchased at the Immigration Office in Managua. A one-
time permission slip costs about $6, but the yearlong permission
slip is highly recommended in case you need to leave the country
quickly to attend to a family emergency or a health matter.


Steps to Applying for Residency
Foreigners can apply for Nicaraguan residency under several
categories:
1. Pensionado (retired, 45 or older)
2. Rentista (45 or older, with steady monthly income
from abroad)
3. Investor
4. Through marriage to a Nicaraguan
After purchasing the 10-córdoba (less than $1) Residency
Solicitation Form from the Dirección General de Migración y
Extranjería in Managua, applicants are asked to submit a letter
of intent explaining ­ in Spanish ­ their motives for applying for
Nicaraguan residency.
Applicants then must provide a certificate of income, whether
it is from retirement checks, investments or business in
Nicaragua or elsewhere. If the source of income is from a
Nicaraguan business, a notarized letter must be provided
demonstrating that the business is listed in the National Business
Registry.
Applicants must be able to prove they have a steady monthly
income of $400 for a single person, or $500 for a couple. Each
additional dependent is $100.
Applicants over the age of 16 must provide their hometown
police records ­ or place of residence for last 6 months. Must be
authenticated by a Nicaraguan Consulate nearest the applicant's
hometown, and by the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry.
Applicants must then provide (in original copy, plus 2
photocopies):


-
A valid birth certificate, authenticated by the Nicaraguan
Consulate in their home country and the Foreign Ministry
-
A valid marriage certificate. If the applicant was married in
a country other than Nicaragua, the certificate must be
authenticated by the Nicaraguan Consulate and Foreign
Ministry.
-
Birth certificates for children born in Nicaragua.
-
Photocopies of all pages of their passport. The passport has
to be valid for at least 6 months.
-
A clean bill of health with a home doctor's medical
certificate, authenticated by the Nicaraguan Consulate and
Foreign Ministry
-
Two passport photos
Procedure: All above-mentioned documentation should be
presented to either the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute's
(INTUR's) Office of Judicial Affairs, in the main downtown
Managua office (one block west of "Lips" strip club), or the main
Immigration Office in Managua.
The documentation and approve residency in no less than 3 days.
Applicants coming to invest in Nicaragua must register with the
MIFIC.
Applicants forming their own companies must provide a
business license or proof of business registration.
If approved, a new resident must pay about $81 in processing
fees (not including lawyer's fees), and an annual residency tax of
$32, plus a monthly social security tax of $20. Approved
applicants must also deposit into an Immigration bank account
the amount equivalent to a one-way plane ticket back to their
native country, according to Law 240.


Once approved, new residents are allowed to import household
goods or a car up to the value of $10,000 duty free.
Nicaraguan residents have to get the Nicaraguan government's
permission to leave the country, usually just a stamp with a minor
fee.
Note: You'll need an attorney to help you with your residency.
We have provided a partial list of lawyers in this chapter. It is also
a good idea to talk to other foreigners who have gone through
the process of obtaining residency. They can usually recommend
a good attorney. Lawyers usually charge around $1000 for
helping you obtain your residency.
The country's main immigration office is located in Managua.
Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería Tel: (505) 244-
3989 can be reached by giving a taxi driver the following
directions in Spanish: " De los semáforos de la Tendrí 3 al lago or
frente al Catastro
or Antigua Instalaciones de INSS." However, any
lawyer you hire should do all of your legwork. If you speak
Spanish you'll be pleased to know that there are lawyers, notaries
and photographers who have small offices directly across from
the immigration office. If you are in a jam any of these business
can help you with your paper work.
For more information on immigration procedures and
requirements, contact INTUR at jurintur@intur.gob.ni
Below is the complete version of 1974 Nicaragua's Residency
Law 628


RESIDENT PENSIONERS OR INDIVIDUALS LIVING
ON INVESTMENTS ACT DECREE NO. 628
NATIONALCONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA
Article 1. Entry into the country is authorized for persons under
the category of "RESIDENT PENSIONERS" or
"INDIVIDUALS LIVING ON INVESTMENTS".
Article 2. For the purpose of this Act, "RESIDENT
PENSIONER" shall be understood to be any person who has
received a pension or retirement from the government, from
official agencies or from private enterprise, in his respective
country, and "INDIVIDUAL LIVING ON INVESTMENTS"
shall be any person who has a stable, permanent income
generated abroad. The categories of Resident Pensioner or
Individual Living on Investments, for immigration purposes,
include the spouse, children and other dependents of anyone
who obtains the status of Resident Pensioner or Individual
Living on Investments.
Article 3. In order to obtain residency in the category
mentioned in the previous article, the interested party must
verify that he is more than forty-five years of age, and prove that
he belongs to either of the two categories referred to in Article 1,
and has stable and permanent monthly income, generated
abroad, of no less than FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS, in U.S.
currency, or its equivalent in any other foreign currency, plus
ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS per month for each member of
his family who depends on him for subsistence in this country.
Article 4. Any Nicaraguans who have lived abroad permanently
for more than TEN YEARS, and who can prove they have an
income generated abroad, in accordance with the conditions


stipulated in the preceding article, may obtain the benefits
established in this Act. Also, any citizen of this country who has
received a pension from other governments or foreign
businesses, established in this country, may be included in the
status of "Resident Pensioner" provided the income is generated
abroad.
Article 5. Persons protected under this law will have a one-time
customs exemption, and exemption from other current or future
import taxes, of TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS( $10,000.00
U.S.) for importing their household goods. They may also apply
to obtain immigration benefits for their dependents.
Furthermore, they shall have an exemption from income taxes
levied on income declared as earned abroad, when eligible for the
rights granted under this Act.
In case they transfer the property mentioned in this article,
within three years after entering this country, they must pay the
taxes from which they were exempted.
Article 6. Beneficiaries may also import an automobile for
personal or general use, free from import taxes, customs duty,
sales taxes and financial stability taxes. Any vehicle so brought
into this country may be sold, assigned or transferred to another
person, exempt from said taxes after five years have elapsed from
the time it was imported.
Once the previously mentioned period has elapsed, the
beneficiary is automatically given the right to import another
vehicle, and so forth, successively, every five years.
In the event that a vehicle is lost due to theft or total loss due to
fire, a collision or an accident occurring in any five year period,
beneficiaries may acquire another vehicle, without being subject
to said taxes.


In either case, the corresponding amount shall not be taken into
account for the exemption established in the previous article.
Article 7. If the beneficiary waives his status as "Resident
Pensioner" or "Individual Living on Investments", within the
time periods indicated in Article 5 and 6, he must pay any taxes
he was exempted from.
Article 8. Any person who enters the country as "Resident
Pensioners" or "individuals Living on Investments", in
compliance with the requirements established in this Act, may
remain in the country for an indefinite period of time; however,
he may not engage in any type of industrial or commercial
activity, nor hold any paid job paid by domestic funds, except for
public office, as established in Article 30 C. Exempted from this
restriction are "Resident Pensioners or "Individuals Living on
Investments" who have real property in Nicaragua that has been
publicly recorded, for a minimum amount of one hundred
thousand dollars in foreign currency, and who make investments
which generate profit for this country, according to the criteria of
the Secretary of Economics, Industry and Commerce. In the case
of married couples, the restriction in this article applies to both
spouses.
Nicaraguan beneficiaries engaging in any of the activities
contemplated in this article may not continue receiving the
benefits they have been granted by this Act.
Article 9. The secretary of Economy, Industry, and Commerce,
through the General Office of Tourism, shall be the agency in
charge of reviewing and deciding on applications for obtaining
benefits under this Act.
Article 10. All persons interested in obtaining the benefits of
this Act must apply with the Secretary of Economy, Industry and


Commerce at the General Office of Tourism, or with authorized
Nicaraguan Consular offices abroad. They must submit the
documentation that provides evidence of the conditions
established in Article 2 of this Act, of their nationality, their good
standing and a certificate of health, certifying that the applicant
does not suffer from mental illness or any infectious or
contagious disease. The General Office of Tourism will issue a
Resolution within fifteen days after the receipt of the application,
and shall make to the Secretary of Foreign affairs, at the
Department of Immigration in order to issue the Residency
Identification for a " Resident Pensioner" or "Individual Living
on Investments".
Once the application has been accepted, the Secretary of
Economy, Industry and Commerce, through the general office of
Tourism, will officially notify the Secretary of the Treasury and
Public Credit and the General Customs Office, will recommend
that the exemptions and dispensation from import duties be
granted to the applicant.
Article 11. All interested parties may process their applications,
in the country where they reside, with the authorized Nicaraguan
consul officials, in compliance with the provisions established
herein.
Once the process has been completed, said official shall send the
respective file to the Secretary of Economy, Industry and
Commerce, for its review and decision. The results shall be
reported to the entity, which sent said file.
Article 12. All applications must be filed on paper with a seal for
fifty cents of a Códova, and the signature of the certificate shall
be duly certified by a Notary or official in the Foreign Service, in


keeping with the previous article, and shall provide the following
documents:
a) Certificate of the pension, retirement or income stated on the
application, issued by the respective agencies, expressly stating
the monthly amount, and that it is permanent, and state any
condition it is subject to.
When the party issuing said certificate is a private entity with an
unknown or dubious financial solvency, there must be also a
certificate from a Certified Public Accountant attesting that, after
a review of the accounting records of the private entity in
question, he can sign that said entity is in the financial position
to pay out the corresponding pension or income, for a minimum
of five years.
b) A certificate of nationality or passport from the applicant and
his dependents.
c) A passport or a valid travel document in order to provide
proper evidence of his status as a foreigner.
d) A certified issued by an entity such as The National Registry
or Hall of Records, from the place where he has resided for the
last six months, regarding the personal record of the applicant
and spouse. This certification may be substituted, in proper
cases, according to the criteria of the Secretary of Economy,
Industry and Commerce, the General Office of Tourism, by a
sworn statement from three Nicaraguan nationals, with
recognized standing, who attest that they know the applicant,
and guarantee that he has been a person of good conduct in the
past.
e) A list of items to be imported by the interested party.


Two copies of all documents must be submitted. passports must
be issued along with two photocopies. The Office of the General
Division of Tourism handling the processing of applications,
shall immediately proceed to compare the accompanying
photocopies to see whether they correspond to the original, and,
if so, shall return the passport to the interested party in the same
process.
Article 13. Probative documents that must be submitted, in
accordance with this Act, must be issued in compliance with the
legal requirements, provided for in the respective legislation, and
written in the Spanish language.
Any document in foreign languages must be translated into
Spanish in a legal manner. For such documents to be valid in
Nicaragua, it is essential for them to be properly authenticated.
Article 14. If the documents or reports provided for granting
the benefits offered by this act prove to be false, sanctions shall
be applied ordering immediate payment of the exempted taxes
plus 10% fine, and the credential issued by the pertinent agencies
will be cancelled, in accordance with this act.
Article 15. Foreigners entering the country with the status of
"Resident Pensioner" or "Individual Living on Investments", for
industrial purposes, involving an amount of no less than one
hundred thousand dollars, may receive the benefits provided on
Article 19, paragraph 1) of the Political Constitution.
Article 16. This act repeals any other previous provisions that
are inconsistent with it, and will go into effect upon its
publication in La Gaceta, the official government daily
newspaper.


Nicaraguan Citizenship
Nicaragua only recognizes duel citizenship with other Central
American countries, and a few select others. It does not
recognize duel citizenship with the United States. Applying for
Nicaraguan citizenship is not necessary, nor recommended.
Getting Married
Getting married in Nicaraguan is really quite simple. All you
have to do is complete the required paperwork. You will need an
authenticated copy of your birth certificate. Lawyers can marry
people in Nicaragua much like a justice of the peace in the States.
This type of marriage is called por civil and is usually quicker
than a traditional church wedding or por la iglesia. In Nicaragua
people get married either way.
If you do choose to have a lawyer marry you, you will need to
have a couple of witnesses for the ceremony. Your lawyer will be
able to round up a couple of people if you can't find anyone.