Nicaraguan cédula certification for passport renewal abroad

Nicaragua’s Supreme Electoral Council (Consejo Supremo Electoral, CSE) issues a cédula (national ID) certification «para tramites de Renovaciones de Pasaporte en el Exterior» (for passport renewal procedures abroad). You do not request it yourself from the United States: a relative in Nicaragua (parents, children, siblings or spouse) requests it at a CSE office, and powers of attorney are not accepted. The published cost is C$ 750.00 (seven hundred fifty córdobas net), paid at Banpro (CSE page, undated, consulted October 3, 2026). The CSE does not say a consulate requires it, and the passport Regulation does not name it. This page explains what the CSE publishes and what it does not.

Versión en español

Key facts

ItemWhat the CSE publishes (consulted October 3, 2026)
Issued byDirectorate General of Cedulation, Supreme Electoral Council
Purpose«Certificaciones para tramites de Renovaciones de Pasaporte en el Exterior» (one of two types)
Who can request itParents (mother/father), children, siblings, spouse (with an updated marriage or stable de facto union certificate)
Powers of attorney«NO SE ADMITEN PODERES NOTARIALES» (not accepted)
CostC$ 750.00
Where to payBanpro branches or Banpro agents
Where to request itRegional, departmental and municipal CSE offices, in Nicaragua
DocumentsA cédula that identifies the holder and shows the relationship; payment receipt
Status checkOnline lookup with print code or person code
Processing time and validityNot published

The CSE pages carry no dates. Confirm the cost and requirements with the CSE before your relative goes to the office.

What it is

According to the CSE, «Las Certificaciones de Cédulas de Identidad son Documentos Oficiales emitidos por la Dirección General de Cedulación del Consejo Supremo Electoral de la República de Nicaragua, en los que se certifica que la persona que aparece en la Certificación es el titular de esa Cédula de Identidad» (official documents issued by the CSE’s Directorate General of Cedulation certifying that the person named is the holder of that cédula).

There are two types:

  1. For updating personal data. Only «ÚNICAMENTE LAS Y LOS TITULARES DE LA CÉDULA DE IDENTIDAD» (the cédula holders themselves) can request it.
  2. For passport renewal procedures abroad. The relatives on the list can request it. This is the type this page covers.

Who can request it

The CSE page lists who can request it «para tramites de Pasaporte en el exterior» (for passport procedures abroad):

  • Parents (mother/father).
  • Sons and daughters.
  • Brothers and sisters.
  • Spouse, «Presentando Certificado de Matrimonio o Unión de Hecho Estable actualizado» (presenting an updated marriage or stable de facto union certificate).

It adds: «NOTA: NO SE ADMITEN PODERES NOTARIALES.» (Note: powers of attorney are not accepted.) A friend, a lawyer or a relative outside that list does not appear as a possible requester, even with a power of attorney.

This is an exception to the general rule. The CSE says: «A excepción de las Certificaciones de Cédulas de Identidad para renovación de pasaportes en el exterior, de conformidad al Artículo 20 de la Ley de Identificación Ciudadana los demás trámites SON ESTRICTAMENTE PERSONALES» (apart from cédula certifications for passport renewals abroad, all other cédula procedures are strictly personal under Article 20 of the Citizen Identification Law).

Documents and payment

The CSE page asks for:

  • «Presentación de Cédula de Identidad que identifique al titular y para demostrar el vínculo» (a cédula that identifies the holder and shows the relationship).
  • «Comprobante de pago» (payment receipt).

The published cost is «C$ 750.00. (SETECIENTOS CINCUENTA CÓRDOBAS NETOS)». Payment can be made at Banpro branches or through a Banpro agent. A receipt is issued on payment, and the CSE says «es obligatorio su presentación» (presenting it is mandatory). The price is published in córdobas; the page gives no price in dollars.

Step by step

  1. Choose the relative who will file in Nicaragua: a father or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister, or a spouse with an updated marriage or stable de facto union certificate.
  2. The relative pays C$ 750.00 at a Banpro branch or agent and keeps the receipt.
  3. The relative goes to a CSE office (regional, departmental or municipal) with a cédula that identifies the holder and shows the relationship (the CSE’s wording; a spouse also brings the updated marriage or union certificate) and the payment receipt.
  4. Check the status on the CSE cédula certification lookup page, using the print code or the person code.
  5. Confirm with the consulate how to present the certification in your passport procedure. The CSE does not say how the document reaches you abroad or whether it needs legalization.

How it relates to passport renewal

The CSE offers this certification «para tramites de Renovaciones de Pasaporte en el Exterior». Separately, the Law 761 Regulation (Decree 31-2012), Article 20, lists the requirements to renew an adult’s passport:

  1. «Pasaporte anterior» (previous passport).
  2. «Formulario de Trámite Migratorios» (migration procedure form).
  3. «Comprobante de Pago de Libreta de pasaporte» (proof of payment for the booklet).
  4. «Carnet o Certificación Consular y/o Cédula de Residencia vigente. Aplicable únicamente a los Nicaragüenses Residentes en el Exterior que no tienen Cédula de Identidad. Cuando la Cédula haya sido renovada debe entregar fotocopia ampliada de la misma» (consular card or certification and/or a valid residence card, only for Nicaraguans residing abroad who have no cédula; if the cédula was renewed, an enlarged photocopy of it).

The Regulation dates from 2012 and does not name the CSE certification. No official source says the consulate requires it, or in which cases. For the renewal procedure, see renewing a Nicaraguan passport in the US.

What you cannot do from the US

  • Request it yourself from abroad: the CSE page only describes requests at its offices in Nicaragua, by the listed relatives.
  • Send someone with a power of attorney: powers of attorney are not accepted for this certification.
  • Have a relative update your cédula data: the data-update certification is for the holder only.

The CSE page does not publish the processing time, how long the certification is valid, or whether it must be authenticated or apostilled to be used outside Nicaragua. For documents going from Nicaragua to the US, see apostille of Nicaraguan documents.

If you never had a cédula

Law No. 152, the Citizen Identification Law (back in force under Law No. 1254 of June 2025), Article 27, says Nicaraguans over sixteen residing abroad who have not obtained their cédula «podrán solicitarla personalmente en cualquier tiempo ante el Cónsul General de la jurisdicción correspondiente a su domicilio en el extranjero» (may request it in person at any time before the Consul General for their place of residence abroad). That is what the law says; we did not confirm that consulates in the US accept those applications today.

Your US immigration status

The requirements the CSE publishes are Nicaraguan documents (a cédula that identifies the holder and shows the relationship and, for a spouse, the marriage or union certificate) and the payment receipt. They do not ask for US immigration documents, and the procedure takes place in Nicaragua. If you have questions about your US immigration situation, see find pro bono legal help.

Official sources

Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. The Supreme Electoral Council’s pages are undated and the cost or requirements may have changed. Verify directly with the Supreme Electoral Council and with the Nicaraguan consulate for your area. Not legal advice.