Nicaragua: Information on documentation necessary for a Nicaraguan national to return to Nicaragua

According to an official at the Embassy of Nicaragua in Ottawa, the only document necessary for a Nicaraguan to return to Nicaragua is a valid national passport (22 Nov. 1991).

In the event that a Nicaraguan national is not in possession of a valid national passport, applications can be submitted at a consulate of Nicaragua to renew or re-issue a new passport. An average processing time of three months is needed before the individual receives the passport (Ibid.). Furthermore, exceptions are made on an individual basis when the individual is issued a special temporary travel document directly from the consulate of Nicaragua to return to Nicaragua (Ibid.).

A source from the Consulate of Nicaragua stated that Nicaraguans do not have a "cédula" or I.D. as is common in other Latin American countries, so the only documents accepted for returning to Nicaragua for a temporary or permanent stay are a passport or a travel permit (referred to in the preceding paragraph) (29 Nov. 1991). The travel permit issued when a person does not have a valid passport is good for one trip only, and is retained by authorities upon return to Nicaragua (Ibid.). This permit is issued quickly, both for temporary visits and permanent return to Nicaragua (Ibid.).

If persons using a permit to enter Nicaragua want to travel abroad again, they must obtain a passport. The applications can be submitted at a consulate or embassy abroad, or in Nicaragua, and the individuals can take an application filled out abroad with them to Nicaragua to accelerate the process (Ibid.).

The source pointed out, however, that Nicaragua is currently replacing all passports with a new version of the document, and thus any issuing of passports may take longer than usual. According to the consulate, the process could take one month after arriving in Nicaragua with an application form completed abroad (Ibid.).

Finally, the consulate stated that under the new government there are no penalties for those who left the country without a passport (Ibid.). Furthermore, with the issuing of a new edition of passports it will now be impossible for authorities to tell whether a person left the country with a passport or not, since only a birth certificate is needed to obtain the new passports (Ibid.). The source added that the new government has the policy of encouraging the return of Nicaraguans to their country and has therefore eliminated hurdles and penalties that would have otherwise affected those who left legally or without proper documentation (Ibid.). A UNHCR officer in Honduras stated that many Nicaraguans left their country illegally and have been returning without suffering any penalties (29 Nov. 1991). They are usually advised to obtain proper documentation with Nicaraguan authorities, UNHCR or other organizations before their return for entering the country legally, although many have returned to Nicaragua without fully legalizing their situation first and have chosen to complete the procedure once they are inside Nicaragua (Ibid.).

Additional and/or corroborating information on the requested subject could not be found among the sources currently available to the IRBDC.

 Bibliography

Embassy of Nicaragua, Ottawa. 22 November 1991. Telephone Interview with Official.

Consulate of Nicaragua, Ottawa. 29 November 1991. Telephone Interview with Representative.

United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees, Tegucigalpa. 29 November 1991. Telephone Interview with Project Officer.