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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 MANAGUA 000314 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC,INR/IAA 
DEPT ALSO FOR G/TIP, IO/RHS, DRL AND PRM 
DEPT FOR DS/CR/OCI 
DEPT ALSO FOR CA/FPP 
DEPT PASS TO USOAS AND USAID 
MONTREAL FOR USICAO 
PANAMA FOR REGIONAL ICE REP 
DOJ FOR CBP AND ICE 
TREASURY FOR SENICH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS ASEC PGOV SMIG PREL NU
SUBJECT: VISIT NICARAGUA!  DECREE TEXT AND REVISED COUNTRY 
GROUPINGS 
 
REF: MANAGUA 301 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1.  (U) Late on March 18, 2009, the Government of Nicaragua 
(GON) released the official text of Decree 07-2009 that 
changed Nicaragua's visa policy.  Our unofficial English 
translation appears below.  The decree's fundamental change 
to Nicaragua's visa regime is that citizens from countries in 
"Class B" may now apply for a visa upon reaching a Nicaraguan 
Port of Entry (POE), rather than having to do so from abroad 
prior to travel.  While the decree text did not include a 
list of affected countries, a list published on the Foreign 
Ministry (MINREX) website indicated that country groupings 
also have been changed.  Only India newly appears on the 
"Class-B" list.  Four countries -- Ecuador, Iran, Libya and 
the Palestinian Authority -- have moved from "Class-C" 
directly to "Class-A,"  effectively granting them 
visa-waiver.  As previously reported, Iran and Libya were 
changed by decree in December 2007 (REFTEL).  Five others -- 
Haiti, India, Jordan, Pakistan and Thailand -- have been 
moved from "Class-C" to "Class-A" for non-tourist passport 
holders only.  Visas for tourist passport-holders from these 
countries (except India, which moved to "Class-B") would 
still require prior approval from Central Immigration before 
issuance. 
 
¶2. (SBU) COMMENT.  When we inquired with MINREX for a list of 
countries affected by the new decree, we were directed to the 
list on the MINREX site.  We presume this is authoritative, 
but did discover several errors and inconsistencies in the 
MINREX list.  Most significantly, Palestine, Libya and Iran 
all newly appear under "Class-A," but are still listed the 
"Class-C" grouping.  The MINREX list does not anywhere show 
the Czech Republic, Iceland, Romania or Saint Kitts, which 
are all "Class-A" countries under the original CA-4 
agreement.   Also, Serbia and Montenegro still appear 
together as one country under "Class-B."  Finally, neither 
South Ossetia nor Abkhazia -- to which Nicaragua has granted 
official recognition -- appear on the visa category lists. 
However, there is a new entry under "Class-C" for "Entities 
or Authorities Recognized as States."  Western Sahara still 
appears separately.  We will continue to seek clarification 
on these discrepancies and information about how the new visa 
will be implemented.  END COMMENT. 
 
Decree Text 
- - - - - - 
 
¶3. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF DECREE.  (Unofficial Embassy 
Translation). 
 
Decree No. 07-2009 
 
The president of the Republic of Nicaragua, 
 
CONSIDERING, 
 
¶I. That it is in the interest of the Government of 
 
MANAGUA 00000314  002 OF 007 
 
 
Reconciliation and National Unity to promote investment and 
to attract foreign capital to Nicaragua with the purpose of 
improving the national economy. 
 
II. That the Government has the obligation to prevent 
situations that harm economic growth and tax collection. 
 
III. That the tourism industry has been improving and 
generating greater income for the country, making it 
necessary to promote both tourism and investment. 
 
THEREFORE: 
 
In use of the authorities that the Political Constitution 
confers upon him, 
 
HAS DICTATED, 
 
The following: 
 
DECREE 
 
VISA PROCEDURES TO ENTER THE COUNTRY 
 
Article 1. In accordance with Covenant of Creation of the 
Central American Uniform Visa for Free Movement of 
Foreigners, approved and ratified by the National Assembly on 
December 12, 2006, and published in Gaceta No. 13 on January 
18, 2007, that those citizens who wish to travel to 
Nicaragua, classified in category B (visa without 
consultation), will be granted the corresponding visa, 
without detriment in complying with the requirements of law, 
any time that they are in national territory, maritime, air 
and land border check points, and report to the Office of 
Migration and Foreigners window, where they will pay a fee 
for the visa and tourism card. 
 
Article 2. The Agreements of Visa-Free ("Visa Libre") Status 
signed by the Republic of Nicaragua with other States remain 
in force. As well as the ones subscribed with the United 
Nations Organizations (UN) and with the Organization of 
American States (OAS). 
 
Article 3. The Ministries of Government and Foreign Affairs, 
and the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute, through their 
corresponding branches, are ordered to guarantee the 
compliance of these dispositions. 
 
Article 4. The present decree will be enforced as soon as it 
is published in La Gaceta, Diario Oficial. 
 
Given in the City of Catarina, on the thirteenth day of the 
month of March of the year 
two-thousand-nine. DANIEL ORTEGA SAAVEDRA. President of the 
Republic of Nicaragua. Ana Isabel Morales Mazun, Minister of 
Government. 
 
 
MANAGUA 00000314  003 OF 007 
 
 
END TEXT OF DECREE. 
 
¶4.  (U) Following is the list of visa categories for 
Nicaragua subsequent to the March 13 Presidential Decree. 
This list appears on the Foreign Ministry website.  Since the 
law from 8-31-2005 was passed that specified the three lists, 
the following changes have been made by the Sandinista 
government.  We have previously reported on the change for 
Iran and Libya. 
 
BEGIN REVISED (2009) LIST OF VISA CLASSIFICATIONS (Source: 
Ministry of Foreign Relations) 
 
Classification "A" Category (82 entities) 
 
Andorra 
Antigua and Barbados 
Argentina 
Australia 
Austria 
Bahamas 
Bahrain 
Barbados 
Belgium 
Belize 
Brazil 
Brunei-Darussalam 
Bulgaria 
Canada 
Chile 
Croatia 
Cyprus 
Denmark 
Ecuador 
Estonia 
Finland 
France (For those originating from the other French 
Territories they will be issued exempt status visa (A) 
Germany 
Greece 
Haiti (Only Dip/Official/Service Passports) 
Holy See (Vatican) 
Hong Kong (Only bearers of ordinary British passport 
originating from Hong Kong that read "Nationality British." 
Those which read "overseas" will get treatment for visa (c)) 
Hungary 
India (Only Dip/Official/Service Passports ONLY; tourist 
passports TO B list) 
Iran  (SINCE DEC 2007) 
Ireland 
Israel 
Italy 
Japan 
Jordan (Only Dip/Official/Service Passports) 
Kuwait 
Latvia 
Libya  (SINCE DEC 2007) 
 
MANAGUA 00000314  004 OF 007 
 
 
Liechtenstein 
Lithuania 
Luxembourg 
Macedonia 
Madagascar 
Malaysia 
Malta 
Marshall Islands 
Mexico 
Monaco 
New Zealand 
Norway 
Pakistan (Only Dip/Official/Service Passports) 
Palestinian Authority 
Panama 
Paraguay 
Poland 
Portugal 
Qatar 
Saint Lucia 
Saint Tome and Principe 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 
Salomon Islands 
San Marino 
Singapore 
Slovakia 
Slovenia 
South Africa 
South Korea 
Spain 
Sweden 
Switzerland 
Taiwan 
Thailand (Only Dip/Official/Service Passports) 
The Netherlands including Aruba and the Dutch Antilles 
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turkey 
Tuvalu 
United Kingdom Those originating in the other British 
territories except Hong Kong as noted will be given exempt 
status (A). 
United States of America (Guam Included) 
Uruguay 
Vanuatu 
Venezuela 
International Organization: (OAS, EU, UN) 
 
Classification "B" Category (73 entities) 
 
EMBASSY NOTE: It appears the previous application process and 
fee USD 25 still apply to this grouping, except for the fact 
that an application can now be made at a Nicaraguan port of 
entry. 
 
Azerbiajan 
Belarus 
Benin 
 
MANAGUA 00000314  005 OF 007 
 
 
Bhutan 
Bolivia 
Burkina Faso 
Burma 
Burundi 
Cambodia 
Cameroon 
Cape Verde 
Central African Republic 
Chad 
Colombia 
Comoros Islands 
Costa Rica 
Cote d'Ivoire 
Djibouti 
Dominica 
Dominica Republic 
Egypt 
Equatorial Guinea 
Fiji 
Gabon 
Gambia 
Georgia 
Granada 
Guinea 
Guinea Bissau 
Guyana 
India (tourist Passports; Dip/Official/Service passports now 
"Class-A") 
Jamaica 
Kazakhstan 
Kenya 
Kiribati 
Krgyzstan 
Lesotho 
Malawi 
Maldives 
Mauritania 
Mauritius 
Micronesia 
Moldova 
Morocco 
Namibia 
Nauru 
Niger 
Palau 
Papua New Guinea 
Peru 
Philippines 
Russia 
Rwanda 
Samoa 
Saudi Arabia 
Senegal 
Serbia and Montenegro 
Seychelles 
Suriname 
 
MANAGUA 00000314  006 OF 007 
 
 
Swaziland 
Tajikistan 
Tanzania 
Thailand 
Togo 
Tonga 
Tunisia 
Turkmenistan 
UAE 
Uganda 
Ukraine 
Uzbekistan 
Zambia 
Zimbabwe 
 
Classification "C" Category  (45 Entities) 
 
NOTE: Application requirements, process and fee (USD 25.00) 
remain unchanged for this grouping.  However, several 
countries appear to have been removed from this list. 
Issuance Policy: Visas must be authorized by Central 
Immigration in Managua before the visas are issued abroad; 
however, the government can send an airline a letter 
authorizing boarding without a stamped visas in certain cases 
(which is often abused and has been reported on at length by 
the Embassy) END NOTE. 
 
Afghanistan 
Albania 
Algeria 
Angola 
Armenia 
Bangladesh 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 
Botswana 
China (PRC) (except certain citizens from Hong Kong) 
Congo 
Cuba 
Democratic Republic of Congo 
East Timor 
Eritrea 
Ethiopia 
Ghana 
Haiti (ONLY tourist Passport holders ) Dip/Official/Service 
Passports are now on the A list) 
Indonesia 
Iraq 
Jordan (ONLY tourist Passport holders ) Dip/Official/Service 
Passports are now on the A list) 
Laos 
Lebanon 
Liberia 
Mali 
Mongolia 
Mozambique 
Nepal 
Nigeria 
 
MANAGUA 00000314  007 OF 007 
 
 
North Korea 
Oman 
Other "Entities or Authorities Recognized as States" 
Pakistan (ONLY tourist Passport holders ) 
Dip/Official/Service Passports are now on the A list) 
Sierra Leone 
Somalia 
Sri Lanka 
Sudan 
Syria 
Vietnam 
Western Sahara 
Yemen 
NOTE: the following still appear, probably erroneously, on 
the MINREX list. 
India 
Iran 
Libya 
Palestinian Authority 
 
END REVISED (2009) LIST OF VISA CLASSIFICATIONS. 
SANDERS