Do UAE passport holders need a visa to visit NI?

United Arab Emirates ordinary passport holders need a visa for Nicaragua. As of 16 February 2026 (Regulation 002-2026), the UAE was moved into Nicaragua's Category C "consulted visa" (visa consultada), which requires prior authorization from immigration authorities in Managua before travel and stamping at a Nicaraguan consulate. There is no visa-free entry, visa-on-arrival, or simple e-visa channel for UAE ordinary passports. Until early 2026, several Gulf nationalities could enter Nicaragua without a prior visa. That changed with Ministry of the Interior Regulation No. 002-2026 ("Change of Migratory Visa Categories for Entering Nicaragua"), published 13 February 2026 and effective 16 February 2026. The regulation eliminated the old Category B and expanded Category C ("visa consultada" / consulted visa) to roughly 128 nationalities. For a defined group of countries the consulted-visa requirement applies only to ORDINARY passport holders, and the United Arab Emirates is explicitly named in that group (alongside China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Peru, Serbia, Syria, Venezuela and Vietnam). Among Gulf states, only Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia kept visa-exempt (Category A) status, while the UAE and Oman did not. The consulted visa requires prior authorization issued by the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners (DGME) in Managua before departure: the applicant submits a form and a scan of the passport biodata page (valid at least 6 months) to the immigration authority, waits for written authorization (typically around 30 days), and then has the visa stamped at a Nicaraguan consulate or embassy. Travelers should apply roughly 45-60 days ahead. A consular fee in the region of USD 30-50 applies, and a USD 10 tourist card is issued on arrival. Allowed tourist stays are generally up to 90 days. Because this is a prior-authorization process rather than a quick online e-visa or visa-on-arrival, the correct planning posture is "visa required." Sources conflicted slightly (some still list UAE as visa-free or as a generic "electronic visa"), but the authoritative legal analyses of Regulation 002-2026 confirm the consulted-visa requirement for UAE ordinary passports, so we take the conservative, verified position.