Immigration Laws
Although Nicaragua is a country that has been heavily affected by war and poverty, there are still people that decide to relocate there to become permanent residents. Many of these people are American, Canadian or German retirees who are looking for an inexpensive and warm area to settle. The laws of Nicaraguan immigration are not as strict as the laws of United States immigration, but there are still many rules that must be followed to properly and legally immigrate to Nicaragua.
• One law of Nicaraguan immigration is that one is not allowed to open a bank account nor can they turn on any utilities such as electricity in their homes under their own names. These things are limited to residents of Nicaragua only. Extending a tourist visa is not the proper way to go about getting naturalized in Nicaragua. To follow the law, a person’s residency has to be made official before getting any privileges.
• Anyone who expects to stay for over 90 days in Nicaragua must apply for permanent residency by law. A tourist visa can only last for 90 days. If an individual plans on trying to become a permanent resident of Nicaragua, applying for permanent resident status will go much smoother if they already have a tourist visa. The Immigration Office is the place to start. Nicaraguan laws requires the individual applying for residency to request an extension of their stay in Nicaragua. The must also have a valid passport and a Nicaraguan exit/entry stamp to show to officials at that time. This can be obtained at the Immigration Office. One should have the required fees on hand as well.
• There are many types of subcategories under the two main statuses of Nicaraguan immigration. By law, a person must fall into one of these two main categories which are resident and non-resident. The documents that are required to request this residency is a passport, the exit/entry stamp, passport photos, a certificate of good health, proof of available funds, a criminal background check and birth certificate. Nicaraguan laws state that all this information must be up to date or else the application for residency may be denied. Law requires that every document presented must authentic and some must be notarized.
• Depending on what sub-category of residency status that one is applying for, the laws on what must be presented may vary. There are many different types of sub categories for residency, ranging from journalist to resident leasing property to investor to student. Different documentation is required by law; for instance, a student requesting residency will be required to show school paperwork while one requesting investor residency will have to show proof of the investment being made and any financial records related to that.
Although not as difficult as well as rarer than being an immigrant in the United States, it is becoming more popular to immigrate to Nicaragua. As the country slowly rebuilds itself, people are beginning to move there to take advantage of the cheap living and tropical climate. Following immigration laws will help a person be granted residency with greater ease.
