Nicaragua entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): At least 6 months after the day you arrive
Visa (FCDO): You can visit Nicaragua without a visa for up to 90 days. Official visa text
Official source: GOV.UK – Nicaragua travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 10 December 2025 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter Nicaragua, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
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Do I need a visa for Nicaragua with a British passport?
In short: You can visit Nicaragua without a visa for up to 90 days.
Our one-line summary of the first FCDO sentence below, which matches a wording we recognise. It applies to British citizen passport holders; read the full official text, which may add conditions.
You can visit Nicaragua for up to 90 days without a visa. You may be refused entry if you do not have an onward ticket.
Check with your travel company or nearest Nicaraguan embassy what the policy is for entry at the Nicaraguan border.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
Travelling between Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras
You can travel between Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador for up to 90 days without a visa. The CA-4 Agreement also includes Honduras, however British Nationals must have a visa to visit Honduras. If you’re entering Honduras, read the entry requirements. Read the travel advice for:
- Guatemala
- El Salvador
The 90-day period starts when you enter any of these countries and does not restart when you cross borders. You’ll have to go through immigration checks at borders. If you’re expelled from one of these countries, you’re also excluded from the other 3.
In Nicaragua, you can extend your stay by up to 30 days by paying a fee before the 90 days expires. If you overstay, you may get a fine.
Official source: GOV.UK – Nicaragua travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 10 December 2025 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
To enter Nicaragua, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive.
Official source: GOV.UK – Nicaragua travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 10 December 2025 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Nicaragua
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 10 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 14 October 2025: “Updated information about travelling between Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 9 January 2025: “Updated information on travel within the C4 region relevant to Honduras and updated information on flying drones (‘Entry requirements’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).”
- 3 August 2023: “Information relating to the removal of all COVID-19 related travel restrictions in Nicaragua (‘Summary’, ‘Coronavirus’, and ‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 20 December 2021: “Update to information on the Central America Border Control Agreement ('Entry requirements' page)”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Nicaragua (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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Same FCDO rule (6 months after arrival)
and 79 more destinations with the same rule: see all
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