Register a US-born child with Nicaragua: CSE rules and Ley 710 fees
Nicaragua’s migration law (Ley No. 761, Article 45) lists among its nationals “Los hijos de padre o madre nicaragüense”. To put a US-born child on Nicaragua’s civil registry, the birth is registered through the procedure the Consejo Supremo Electoral (CSE) calls Inscripción de Nacimiento en el Extranjero: “la ocurrencia del nacimiento de un niño o niña en otro país, hijo o hija de padre o madre nicaragüense.”
Two points to note: Nicaragua’s Constitution no longer says nationality survives acquiring another one (see below), and the US$20 that circulates is a statutory fee for sending the record to Nicaragua, not a passport surcharge.
What this costs
All amounts are from Ley No. 710, Ley de Tasas por Servicios Consulares (La Gaceta No. 67, 13 April 2010), listed as in force by Nicaragua’s legislative database when we read it on 3 October 2026. Its Article 2 says consular officials “cobrarán únicamente las tasas por servicios establecidas en la presente Ley”, payable in US dollars or the local-currency equivalent.
| Item | Ley 710 | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Registering the birth (inscripción de hechos vitales) | Art. 4 a | Free |
| Sending the certification to Nicaragua for registration and returning it to the consulate | Table I.2 | US$20 |
| First birth certificate, if the birth was registered in its first year | Art. 4 b | Free |
| Consular birth certificate — certificación conducente | Table I.1.1 | US$10 |
| Consular birth certificate — certificación literal | Table I.1.2 | US$15 |
The free first certificate is limited: the exemption covers only the “Primera certificación de nacimiento emitida en ocasión de haberse inscrito ésta en el primer año de ocurrencia.” US-side costs — the certified US birth certificate and the state apostille — are set by your state and are separate.
The US$20 is not an expedited-passport surcharge. Ley 710 Article 6 did list expedite surcharges, but they were transitory: “tendrán una validez de cinco años, a partir de la vigencia de esta Ley.”
Nicaragua’s 2026 nationality rule
Ley No. 1268 (La Gaceta No. 09, 16 January 2026) rewrote Article 25 of the Constitution to read:
La nacionalidad nicaragüense se perderá al momento de adquirir otra nacionalidad.
It took effect on publication. The text it replaced (Constitution as published 18 February 2025) said: “La calidad de nacional no se pierde por el hecho de adquirir otra nacionalidad.”
No official text we found addresses children who hold US citizenship from birth, and the texts do not say whether holding another nationality from birth counts as «adquirir» (acquiring) one. This page therefore does not say how Article 25 applies to them. The full text, the earlier wording and the open questions are on Nicaragua dual nationality.
On the US side, the US Department of State says: “Dual nationality means you are a national of 2 countries. A dual national generally has legal rights and obligations in both countries.”
What the law says registration gives the child
- A Nicaraguan birth record. Ley 761, Article 46 (as reformed by Ley No. 1228, 2024) says children of a Nicaraguan father or mother “nacidos en el exterior e inscrito en el respectivo consulado de Nicaragua, deben ser inscritos en el Registro Civil de las personas de la localidad de su elección y gozan de los mismos derechos y prerrogativas establecidos en la Constitución Política, sin perjuicio de los derechos que adquiere en el país de nacimiento o de su domicilio habitual.”
- A document that proves nationality. Ley 761, Article 51 lists among proof of Nicaraguan nationality a “Certificado de inscripción de nacimiento expedido por las representaciones diplomáticas u oficinas consulares nicaragüenses en el exterior, debidamente autenticado por el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.”
- A route to a passport. Ley 761, Article 63: “Los consulados nicaragüenses, podrán expedir pasaporte provisional a los menores de edad nacidos en el exterior, hijos o hijas de padre o madre nicaragüense”. Passports for children under 16 are valid five years (Article 76).
Required documents (CSE list)
The CSE page for registering a birth abroad lists, read on 3 October 2026:
- “Certificado de Nacimiento original Apostillado o Legalizado del país donde ocurrió.”
- If the certificate is in another language, “la traducción por un notario de la República de Nicaragua con más de diez años de estar incorporado ante Corte Suprema Justicia”; or
- “Certificado de Nacimiento emitida por el Consulado de Nicaragua en el extranjero, debidamente legalizada por Cancillería de Nicaragua, independientemente de la edad.”
- “Cédula de Identidad o Pasaporte del padre o madre Nicaragüense.”
- “Cédula de identidad del compareciente.”
The page adds: “Todos los requisitos anteriormente mencionados, según el caso, son de carácter obligatorio presentarlos.” It does not list the parents’ marriage certificate.
The apostille
Nicaragua acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention; the HCCH status table shows it in force for Nicaragua since 14 May 2013. A US birth certificate is apostilled by the issuing state (see the apostille process). Documents issued by a Nicaraguan consulate are a different case: the CSE asks for the consular birth certificate “debidamente legalizada por Cancillería de Nicaragua.”
Step-by-step process
- Order a certified copy of the child’s US birth certificate (see US vital records by state).
- Apostille it through the issuing state.
- Translate it through a Nicaraguan notary with 10+ years of incorporation, if it is not in Spanish.
- Contact the consulate that serves your area. Nicaragua’s foreign-ministry website does not resolve and its appointment portal rejected our requests on 3 October 2026, so we cannot describe an official booking channel.
- Register the birth at the consulate (free) and obtain the consular birth certificate.
- Send it to Nicaragua. The consular certificate is legalized by Cancillería and registered in the municipal civil registry the family chooses (Ley 761, Art. 46). Ley 710 sets US$20 for the consulate to remit the certification and return it.
Age limits
- Consular route: no age limit (“independientemente de la edad”).
- Inside Nicaragua, if the birth was never reported to the consulate: “podrá inscribirse en el Registro Municipal en Nicaragua hasta los 7 años de edad inclusive.”
Related information
- All Nicaragua consulates in the US
- Nicaragua dual nationality
- Nicaragua passport renewal
- Apostille process for US documents
- US vital records by state
- Find pro bono immigration legal help
Authoritative sources
- CSE Registro Civil — Inscripción de Nacimiento en el Extranjero: cse.gob.ni
- Ley No. 710, Ley de Tasas por Servicios Consulares: legislacion.asamblea.gob.ni
- Ley No. 1268 (reform of Constitution Arts. 23 and 25), La Gaceta No. 09, 16 January 2026: lagaceta.gob.ni
- Ley No. 1228 (reform of Ley 761, 2024): legislacion.asamblea.gob.ni
- Ley No. 761, Ley General de Migración y Extranjería (consolidated text): legislacion.asamblea.gob.ni
- Hague Conference — Apostille Convention status table: hcch.net
- US Department of State on dual nationality: travel.state.gov
Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Nicaragua’s nationality rules changed in January 2026. Verify directly with the Nicaragua consulate and the CSE. Not legal advice.