Retiring in Nicaragua Open Letter to President Ortega

Thank you for posting this letter. My wife and I have been considering retirement in Nicaragua also but we've been considering other alternatives. I will be interested to see your follow up to this if you ever get through the red tape. I am certain what happens to  you will make some determination as to where others of us retire.

Padrino

I can truthfully say I/we have never been mistreated by the Nicaraguan people. However, the way we have been treated by the very government that wants us to come here is a totally different thing. You can make laws but you must also have the people working in the positions to administer the process do their job. I don't think this is happening. You have to make a financial statement from a bank to show you possess enough income to retire here. This is open to all that are in the chain to process your papers. The comment was made that if the gringo wants his papers he can pay for them.
I did not post this inorder to influence anyone's decision to move or retire in Nicaragua. We still have hopes that this situation can be resolved. I hope someone in a position to do something about the situation will read it and take action. You cannot advertise come to Nicaragua to live or visit and rip people off everytime they turn around.
I have brought investors to Nicaragua but after seeing all the action or lack of have decided that depending on how my situation turns out will determine any future response from them. I feel like a starving man in a food store chained to a post. I want to do business but without the security of a residency, it will have to wait. I hope these blogs do not get me deported.

Estes

There are 2 losers to this situation. We, the gringos who are looking for something different than we have at 'home', and the Nicas who lose the long term economic benefit which we can bring to their country. Short term thinking does not produce long term benefits.

I still thank you for your insight from first hand lessons. I lived next door for 3 years in Costa Rica about 15 years ago. I was looking for somewhere new, but I doubt it will be Nicaragua from what I have read. Too bad.

The main problem here is when you ask for answers and start being persistant it pisses them off and then you either pay or go to the back of the line. It seems the person at the window you are doing business with is in charge and if they don't like you or you question them it is going to be a long day.

We just rented a hotel in Las Penitas but I don't know if we wilo ever do business because of not being able to get the required permits due to the lack of a cedula. When we first came to Nicaragua, I had two motor scooters, a boat,and pickup in my name. I now have nothing.

I would not give up on the country just yet but they do need to back up what they say according to the law. From what I understand, once you get everything in order it completely changes. Maybe this is why I havew stuck it out for so long.

Estes

Well !!! I guess the squeaky wheel does gets the grease. I reported to immigration this morning and my residency papers just happened to be ready. I am now entitled to all rights and privledges as any other nicaraguan. I am told, that it makes a world of difference in the way you can get things done here. I certainly hope so because the other way just wasn't working.
The people here are really very good people. No different than the rest of the world. 95% good and 5% not worth a damn. I am not political here so unless you have to get things done by the government I don't care what their politics are.
If you get away from the tourist traps, it is a good place to live. If most retirees think as I do, I didn't come here to die but to live. I don't sit around and drink all day nor do I chase the young girls. I don't think my wife would go for that. lol

Will keep it posted on how things go in the future.

Regards

Estes

Congratulations!

Mean time, I'm now looking at El Salvador. Quality of life is important and not wasting the limited time left in a hassle to set up that life.

Padrino

El Salvador is a very dangerous country. The one thing I will say about Nicaragua, it is second only to Canada to being the safest country in the western hemisphere.
It took us a year. I had a very important person at my house and explained the situation to him and he is going to try to help speed up the process for others.
I am not trying to sell Nicaragua, but after checking out the other central american countries i.e. crime rate, attitude toward gringos and quality of life, Nicaragua is the best. If you can put up with the BS for a little while or contact the minister of the department things will go much smoother. I have learded these thiong in my process and am passing it on. Any questions you may have, please feel free to ask. I think my experience can help make the process much easier.
Estes

Try Mexico.  There is a site called Yolisto and it is very, very informative.

I worked in Mexico for a number of years and as far as I am concerned, Mexico Sucks. Nicaragua is much better after you get through all the bullshit.

Hello,
I am starting off my journey to live in Nicaragua by volunteering for a year with a medical mission organization. I have traveled Central and South America and lived in Panama for a year with my husband before he passed a couple years ago. Coming back to the U.S. was difficult and after a couple years back I still feel like a fish out of water... I am meant to be elsewhere, no doubt. I am hoping that I can network with other expats when in Nicaragua and get info on visas and residency while there... I will have a work permit and longer term visa with my organization but it will be limited to where I work and not sure if I can apply for another type of long term visa when in country.  Any info would be greatly appreciated. Before I lived in Panama I did all my paperwork in the states... not sure if this must be done for Nicaragua.
Thank you,
Anna

Dear Anna,
If you are planning on retiring or working in Nicaragua you should read up on the requirements. There are several different programs that specify what is required of each different law.
Your finacial statements(a statement of your monthly income and where it comes from), police check,(local your hometown) health papers( statement from your Dr. stating you are in good health with no STDS) and all the other required papers must be notarized in the state you live in, then authenicated by the Sec. of State that you live in. Then all this must be taken to the closest Nicaragua Consulate or embassy for authenication prior to leaving for Nicaragua. It is wise to do this just before leaving for Nicaragua. The reason being that if your papers are two months old before you get here it throws their whole system in an uproar. The papers expire after six month. Have a certified copy of your birth certificate. If you submit your original with the paperwork, it is hell getting it back.I would not hire a lawyer. They will try to charge you a large sum when it is something you can do yourself. I know a person here that helped me and it cost around a $ 100. You will need the papers translated into spanish. Another friend will do this for about the same amount. One is a lawyer but he is also a friend of mine. Both are friends of mine and I have known them since I have been here. If I had of met them first, it would have saved me a lot of money and time. They are the ones that did my paperwork after the other lawyer ripped me off. After all of this is done, submit your paper work to Intur and wait. It takes about three weeks(maybe) and when they are finished you take the papers to Immigration and once again wait.
This is the exact procedure we used and it worked. We are here on the law government Retired people.
I hope this has helped you and if you have anymore questions, please feel free to ask

Gene and Patricia

Anyone used to there being only one answer is likely to have trouble in much of Latin America. I don't like it but I also know I can't change it. NicaLiving is full of these kids of stories.

Like you, I picked Nicaragua because I actually want to live here, not because it is inexpensive to live here. Many others I know did the same.

There is an old expression which comes to mind. "You can trade time for money". In Nicaragua, the numbers you plug in are just different. If you have money and not time, I recommend finding someone you can trust (which might be the hard part, particularly if you don't speak Spanish well) to help. Yes, in many cases, it would seem that you don't need help but it is just easier if the helper is the right person.

For example, if I was real estate shopping in the Estelí area, I would recommend finding Omar Rugama. He has been an amazing help for me and some friends. But, if you are shopping in Jinotega, he will be of no help. The same goes for legal things such as residency. Paul Tiffer has proved to be a great help because he knows the system. Someone who doesn't will not be much help.

I found that after we got rid of the lawyers here the process went much smoother.I have never met an honest one in the USA and doubt very seriously if there is one here.

I just love people that think they can't change things and give up with the expression "Thats Nicaragua."
Thats the reason this place is in the shape it is in because you have a bunch of beat down people that accept this. The world changes everyday and it takes people that give a damn to help make the changes better. I am not into politics here but the political structure does effect my living here. I had a person actually blame all the problems in Nicaragua on the USA. He stated that we are a rich country and needed to do more for Nicaragau. Why!, there is a president here that all he does is curse the USA. Let Venazuela help him out. Reason being the USA quit giving money because of the corruption in the government and nothing going to the people.

Yes, I have lots of money and can live anywhere I wish. I speak spanish so that is not a problem. I have found if you want to increase the speed of anything here. Bribery works wonders. The higher up the ladder you go, the bigger the bribe.
I already knew my cedula was ready and had an appointment to pic it up. A person from immigration called and said that if I could come up with $500 dollars I could pick it up in the morning. I picked it up the next morning for nothing.

The reason things never change here is because the people are beat down, poor, ignorant and tired of war.

It is just like the post before me. He sounds as though he is pimping for a lawyer and real estate broker

Your post tells me why you are "having problems". While I am all for helping Nicaraguans, we are not Nicaraguan citizens. Part of our conditions of being a guest here is that we do not get involved in politics. Makes sense just like it would be inappropriate for a Nicaraguan to try to effect political change in the US.

Nicaraguans are tired of war but I think the US needs to do less, not more for Nicaragua. That is, let Nicaragua set its own direction. I feel strongly that if the US had done that in 1979, Nicaragua would have progressed a lot more than it has.

As for "pimping", another big assumption. I have used Omar and recommended him to others. The same with Paul. I have received nothing in return other than thanks from them and people I have sent to them. Word of mouth is king in Nicaragua and I am just offering to do my part.

I am not having problems. I came down here to get away from a bunch of bleeding heart liberals in the USA. I suppose telling the truth is a problem all over the world. No one does it anymore. I could care less about Nicaragua's problems. I can say that kissing ass and bending over for everyone because you are afraid not to be politically correct is not the way to go. If I have residency in this country( which I do) it affords me every privledge that Nica's have except to  vote. When my residency is renewed it will afford me that also. So if stating an opinion in a supposedly democratic country is a problem then there is a much larger underlying problem. Not mine, theirs.

If expecting services for money spent is asking too much in any country no wonder the world is going broke.
I am getting quite wealthy here in Nicaragua and have accomplished this going on my own getting it done. Everything is completely legal, I used no lawyers, paid no bribes and used Nicaraguas laws which they have to follow also. I pay taxes here and employ 10 employees. It pisses many people off because I pay my employees too much according to fellow business people. They are afraid people may get use to making enough money to live on here and expect the same from them. My dogs eat better than many people here.

As far as the USA not helping here, every road you drive on would be dirt if they had not. Plus many other things would be in much worse shape. I do concurr with you on one point. I do not know why the USA gives any of these countries money. I fought for my country and if they want to change it they should do the same. Problem is !! Nothing would change because you just replace one crook with another. It is a loose loose situation for the people.

So I will continue making very good money here. If it stops, then I will go someplace else and make good money. I was born very poor but worked my way out of it and not by crawliong over the backs of others to do it. It is called hard work. These people do not have the opportunity to do that.

I know nothing will change but I will be damned if I will sit here and not voice my opinion becuase of hurting someone's feelings. I have fought in two wars, have several successful businesses and damn sure don't need someone telling me what to say or how to survive.