How long you can stay in Nicaragua as a tourist and how to extend

On arrival

• Tourist card: US$10 (Law 1210).
• A passport valid for at least 6 more months.
• You may be asked for an onward ticket; the UK warns you can be refused entry without one.
• If asked, you must show funds equal to 3 times the industrial-sector minimum wage.
• Airlines send your data to Migration before the flight. For land or sea arrivals, Spain recommends sending the migration form 7 days ahead.
• E-cigarettes and vapes are banned, and so are drones (Law 1230 of 2024), according to the FCDO.

The 90 days and the CA-4

According to the UK FCDO, the 90 days start when you enter any of the four CA-4 countries (Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala) and do not restart when you cross between them. We found no official rule on leaving the CA-4 and returning to get a new 90 days; the authorities can refuse entry without appeal.

Extensions

• Apply at the DGME before your stay expires.
• Fee: US$/$CA 25 for each extension of 1 to 30 days, plus US$/$CA 2 for the form.
• Requirements: the form, a copy of a passport valid 6 more months, and the fee.
• Maximum: the regulation allows Category A stays to be extended to 180 days in total; the FCDO mentions up to 30 extra days. Confirm with the DGME.

If you overstay

The fine is US$/$CA 3 per day for non-residents, plus a US$/$CA 10 exit visa. After paying, the regulation gives you 5 days to leave the region.