The Destination Nica blog — moving to and living in Nicaragua
The questions nobody answers straight.
Most moving-to-Nicaragua advice online is six years old, written by someone who left, or shaped to sell you a course. This is what we actually tell people on WhatsApp — visas, neighborhoods, healthcare, the boring stuff that quietly breaks the move.
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Every guide, in one place
Moving to Nicaragua: the checklist, in the order it has to happen
Twelve months out to your first 30 days: residency paperwork, what to ship and what to sell, pets, money, a phone and internet, a place to live, health cover and driving. Every step in order, with what you can do from home and what has to wait until you land.
Pickleball in Nicaragua: where to play, when to go
Every court we know of, on a clickable map: the clubs around San Juan del Sur, the Tola resorts, Rivas’s free public courts, Managua and the beach courts near León. Plus tournaments, the season and what to pack.
Nicaragua wedding venues and packages: what they cost
Beach, surf coast, colonial courtyard or lake: the venues that publish prices, what “all-inclusive” really covers, the legal side, the season and getting your guests here.
Driving in Nicaragua: licenses, insurance and the rules of the road
How long your foreign license works, getting a Nicaraguan one, the mandatory insurance, checkpoints, what to do after an accident, and whether you really need an SUV.
Dental work in Nicaragua: real 2026 prices
One clear number for implants, sourced 2026 ranges for crowns, veneers and root canals, how the trip works in one visit or two, and what to check before you book.
Nicaragua customs in 2026: duties, shipping and what changed
How duty and 15% IVA actually work, why the old residency exemption no longer applies, the three ways to ship household goods, and the storage costs nobody warns you about.
Is healthcare free in Nicaragua? What expats actually use
Public care is free at the door, but not free in practice. Real 2026 costs for INSS, the private hospital clubs, insurance and Medicare, plus the emergency route from San Juan del Sur.
What it actually costs to live in Nicaragua in 2026
Three real monthly budgets with every price sourced: rent by town, the AC bill, groceries, household help and a córdoba that hasn’t moved since 2024. Plus why there’s no single right number.
The pensionado visa process, every step
Documents, apostilles, filing at Migración and the timeline, from our team’s experience walking families through it.
Rent before you buy in Nicaragua
The vacation-buy is the most expensive mistake foreigners make here — what you don’t know about a place until you’ve lived a full year in it.
Tola or San Juan del Sur — which fits you?
Two coasts, half an hour apart, completely different lifestyles. An honest breakdown of which fits which kind of person — and the hybrid most people miss.
Stuck on something we haven't written about?
Tell us what you're trying to figure out. If we can answer it in a message, we will. If it deserves a post, you've just inspired the next one. Either way, a person on this team writes back.