Information posted on the Defence Security Service (DSS) Website stipulates that a person is a Nicaraguan citizen by birth in the following scenarios:

Child born within the territory of Nicaragua, regardless of the nationality of the parents. The only exception to this rule is children of foreign officials serving international organizations or their own countries, unless they choose to solicit Nicaraguan citizenship for the child;

Child born to unknown parents, found within the territory, is granted citizenship unless his parentage becomes known;

Child of foreign parents, born on board a Nicaraguan boat or plane, only if the parents apply for naturalization of the child (United States 16 Apr. 2002).

During a 24 February 2005 telephone interview, a consular official at the Embassy of Nicaragua in Washington, DC, stated that, in order to prove that he/she was born within the territory of Nicaragua, a person must provide his/her birth certificate. The official explained that all births are registered at the Civil Registrar in various towns of the country (24 Feb. 2005). She added that birth certificates could be obtained from the office of the Civil Registrar in which the birth was originally recorded or at the Central Registry in the capital, Managua (24 Feb. 2005).

The Consular official said that only the parents may register their child's birth and can do this at any time, even several years later. The parents must have documents such a passport or a birth certificate to prove that they are Nicaraguan (ibid.). The official did not provide any specific information regarding the procedures to follow if the child has not documents to prove that he/she was born in Nicaragua (ibid).

However, with respect to Nicaragua, the Visa Reciprocity and Country Document Finder of the United States State Department stated that "in cases where a birth was never registered, a Civil Judge may, after a lawyer has executed the proper documents and testimony taken from witnesses, issue a birth certificate, which is inscribed in the Civil Registry" (2 July 2002).

For further information on requesting Nicaraguan nationality or citizenship while living in Costa Rica and the recognition of dual nationality, please refer to NIC38232.E of 25 January 2002.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection.

The Embassy of the Republic of Nicaragua [Washington, DC). 24 February 2005. Telephone interview with a consular.

United States (US). 2 July 2002. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. Visa Reciprocity and Country Document Finder. "Nicaragua." < [Accessed 24 Feb. 2005]

_____. 16 April 2002. Defence Security Service (DSS), Department of Defence. n.d. "Cape Verde." http://www.dss.mil/nf/adr/formref/country2.htm [Accessed 24 Feb. 2005]