Here are the Copa Airline Entry Requirements for Nicaragua, as well as some useful links in order to have all three regular carriers listed on here and cross referenced.
If you are looking for the other two, click on one of these links; Avianca or Aeroméxico (Conviasa, the Venezuelan airline are yet to come).
We have clarified a couple of potentially misleading comments in the Copa Airlines information, namely the proper description of the test and the deadline for submission of the test result and personal information to Copa (for onward transmission to the Nicaraguan authorities).
Copa Airline Entry Requirements for Nicaragua
Covid-19 Test
- Required to board and applies to all passengers. Must present the original document of a negative PCR test result (swab) for COVID-19 performed a maximum of 72 hours before entry to Nicaragua.
- No blood tests, antigens or rapid tests for COVID-19 are accepted.
You will notice under this section about the test they do not say RT-PCR, however, in the section below on Entry Forms they do say RT-PCR test. The RT-PCR is the only test accepted by the Nicaraguan authorities.
In compliance with the measures established by the Government of Nicaragua in resolutions Number 358-2020 of the Ministry of Health (MINSA) and Number 017-2020 of the Nicaraguan Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) these authorities must approve the entry of any person to the country and passengers must comply with the following;
- Complete the Immigration Information Form (using the link) for migratory use with their general data.
- Have a negative RT-PCR test result (swab) for COVID-19 of an authorized laboratory, performed in a period of no more than 72 hours prior to entry to Nicaragua.
- Once you have the result of the COVID-19 test, you must send it in PDF format no later than the day before the flight to Managua at 1:00pm (Panama time), to vuelosmanagua@copaair.com
- The information will be sent by Copa Airlines to the authorities, who will review the documents and notify the approval for entry into the country of each passenger.
- Copa Airlines will notify you by e-mail (up to 5 hours before the flight departure) the approval of the authorities for your entry to Nicaragua.
- Boarding will be denied if your body temperature is 38 ° C / 100.4 F or higher.” Masks are mandatory.
Note: “The Day Before” versus “No less than 24 hours before”
The resolution N° 017-2020 from the Nicaraguan Institute of Civil Aeronautics that Copa refers to above makes it clear that the deadline for them (INAC) receiving the passenger information is 24 hours before the flight departs.
On the face of it, how does Copa manage to submit the information on time if they use the same deadline for the passengers?
Remember; you are sending it to Copa Airlines who then have the responsibility of forwarding the information from all of the passengers on the flight to the Nicaraguan authorities.
It is for this reason that both Avianca and Aeroméxico want the information 36 hours prior to the flight departure to give them sufficient time to allow for lateness, organize the passenger manifest and submit it on time.
It would be advisable to submit the information as soon as you have your negative test result.
