Nicaragua country guide
Passive income · Last checked 2026-08-08
Residente Rentista
Stable permanent foreign rent of at least USD 1,250 monthly
Nicaragua’s rentier category is a permanent-residence route for a person receiving stable, permanent foreign rent of at least USD 1,250 per month.
- Country
- Nicaragua
- Applicant basis
- Stable permanent foreign rent of at least USD 1,250 monthly
- Responsible authority
- Instituto Nicaragüense de Turismo, followed by Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería
- Official route status
- Current official route
- Information available
- Detailed guide
- Last checked
- 2026-08-08
Supported requirements
What the current source supports
- Document at least USD 1,250 per month in stable, permanent foreign rent generated by profit distributions, leasing, or analogous lawful business.
- Apply through INTUR or a Nicaraguan consulate; INTUR reviews the file, obtains the Technical Committee opinion, approves the category, and sends its certification and original documents to DGME.
- Provide the application, income certificate stating amount, permanence, stability, and ability to transfer for at least five years, birth certificate, passport, health certificate, photographs, and criminal-record certificate.
- Provide marriage, relationship, nationality, identity, and dependent documents where applicable, with required legalization and translation.
- Complete the separate DGME permanent-residence decision and residence-card process after INTUR certification.
Applicant scope
Who this route generally serves
- Generally designed for
- Applicants able to document qualifying foreign distributions, rent, or analogous lawful income and comply with INTUR and DGME requirements.
- Legal basis named by the authority
- Consolidated Law 694 as amended, Decree 83-2009, and the current Law 761 migration framework as amended by Law 1228.
Route lifecycle
What to confirm from application onward
- Financial basis
- At least USD 1,250 monthly in stable, permanent qualifying rent generated abroad, plus USD 150 monthly for each qualifying dependent included in the category.
- Government service fees
- No current complete official INTUR and DGME fee schedule was established from the cited materials, so no filing or card amount is published.
- Initial status
- Permanent residence for an indefinite period after the INTUR certification and separate DGME approval.
- Renewal
- The underlying category is indefinite, but annual INTUR proof that the rent funds entered Nicaragua and current DGME document maintenance remain ongoing duties.
- Dependents
- The law permits qualifying parents, spouse or stable partner, minor children, and exceptionally other dependent relatives through the fourth degree, with an additional USD 150 monthly per included dependent. Inclusion requires evidence and is not automatic.
- Work rights
- Industrial or commercial activity and publicly funded remunerated work are generally prohibited, subject to narrow statutory exceptions including approved direction of an applicant-owned qualifying business. No general work right is inferred.
- Presence considerations
- The holder must remain in Nicaragua at least six months per year, consecutively or cumulatively, unless INTUR accepts a documented exception. A qualifying investment above USD 75,000 or documented health circumstances can support an exception.
- Permanent residence
- This is a permanent-residence application, but INTUR category approval and DGME residence approval are distinct steps; neither is automatic.
- Citizenship relationship
- Citizenship is a separate legal process and is not established by rentier permanent residence.
Official evidence
Sources for this route
Ley 694 consolidada — residentes pensionados y rentistasAsamblea Nacional · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Decreto 83-2009 — Reglamento de la Ley 694Instituto Nicaragüense de Turismo · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Ley 1228 — reforma de la Ley General de Migración y ExtranjeríaAsamblea Nacional · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08Reglamento de la Ley General de Migración y Extranjería — Decreto 31-2012Asamblea Nacional · ES · Last checked 2026-08-08
General planning information only—not legal, tax, or investment advice. A listed route does not determine eligibility. Verify current rules with the responsible authority before acting.