Questions about Legal Paper Work in Nicaragua
1) How long does it take to register a Title?
It really depends on the lawyer you hire, how diligent they are and the registry office attendant this lawyer is dealing with. Most titles take out 4 – 6 month to register. some can take as much as 1 year.
2) As a foreigner, can I buy land in Nicaragua?
Yes, foreigners can buy land in Nicaragua and have the same right o land as locals do with the small exception of a 5 kilometer strip along the boarders of the country with Honduras and Costa Rica. This is known as the “Border Law” which came into effect in 2013.
3) Inheritance of Property in Nicaragua
If I inherit property in Nicaragua, will a legal Will from my home land be sufficient to begin claiming the property in Nicaragua? The Short answer to this is yes. The long answer is, it’s a very long process and we have seen it take years.
In short, our recommendation is to make sure whom ever owns the property, to leave a Nicaraguan Will drawn up with a lawyer, preferably at the same time the property’s paper work is being completed. This kind of paper work must be done in person with the Lawyer.
4) Do I really need to be physically in Nicaragua to Sign a Legal Document?
According to the law, the Law and Notary must be in your presence with his notary book and your physical signature must be recorded in the book by hand. So the simple answer is yes, you must be in Nicaragua in order to be able to sign any legal document created by a lawyer and Notary Public.
In order to ensure all legal requirements are met you have a few options:
- fly your lawyer to where veer you are and pay for all the expenses and their time
- leave a limited or specific kind of POA (Power of Attorney) ready with someone who resides in country and deserves your trust. We usually recommend leaving the power of Attorney with a Lawyer since they can lose the license to Practice Law if something goes wrong Let your Lawyer help you decide which kind of Power of Attorney best suites your needs.