The Central American country Nicaragua has launched a major reset of its entry rules, scrapping visa‑on‑arrival privileges for many nationalities and withdrawing several long‑standing exemptions.
Issued by the Ministry of the Interior of Nicaragua, through the General Directorate of Migration and Foreign Affairs, the new immigration framework, Provision No. 002-2026, takes effect on 16 February. It formally abolishes Nicaragua’s visa-on-arrival system and expands the list of nationalities to 128 nationalities now subject to a “consulted visa,” known as Category C, which requires prior authorization from immigration authorities in Managua before travel.
Meanwhile, travelers from roughly around 69 countries, including the European Union, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, and Australia will continue to enter Nicaragua without a visa under the updated policy.
Visa-on-arrival schemes typically allow travelers to secure entry permission upon landing, while visa-exempt arrangements permit short-term stays without prior approval. Both mechanisms had made Nicaragua one of the more accessible destinations in the region, particularly for travelers from Africa, Asia, and parts of the Caribbean.
In the official text, the government framed the change as an assertion of its sovereignty. The Ministry stated that Nicaragua “is sovereign in establishing migratory visa categories for the entry of citizens of other nationalities, as well as in regulating their entry, exit, and stay within the national territory in an orderly and secure manner.”
According to the document, exemptions and special conditions will continue to apply to holders of “diplomatic, official, service, or special passports, in accordance with bilateral or multilateral agreements signed by the Republic of Nicaragua,” which makes diplomatic carve-outs remain intact.
To ensure enforcement, the Ministry ordered the policy to be communicated across Nicaragua’s diplomatic and transport network. The General Directorate of Migration and Foreign Affairs was instructed to notify foreign consular missions and Nicaraguan embassies abroad, while the National Civil Aviation Institute must coordinate with airlines for “its immediate application.” Land and maritime transport operators are also required to comply.
Despite the country's claim of sovereignty, the reform comes amid heightened regional migration tensions, with rising claims from the US that Nicaragua’s immigration policies were enabling irregular migration routes into the United States.
Aside from migration‑related politics, this change carries direct implications for global professionals who had relied on Nicaragua’s relatively open entry rules.
For nationals who moved into the Category C “consulted visa” group, travel to Nicaragua will require advance approval from immigration authorities, introducing processing times, documentation requirements, and the possibility of rejection before departure. For globally mobile professionals accustomed to spontaneous or short-notice travel, this adds friction that may redirect talent elsewhere in the region.
The change also alters Nicaragua’s position in the global competition for mobile talent. While the country has not actively marketed itself as a digital nomad or talent destination, its open entry regime has functioned as a quiet advantage. With that door narrowing, professionals seeking flexible regional hubs may increasingly look to alternatives with clearer or more predictable entry pathways.
David Adubiina
