The title compound, [Ni(N(3))(2)(C(6)H(6)N(2)O)(2)], was obtained as the first crystalline product from the reaction of Ni(NO(3))(2)·6H(2)O, picolinamide and NaN(3) in aqueous media. After a few days in the mother liquor, crystals of the cis isomer transformed into the trans isomer [Đaković & Popović (2007 ▶). Acta Cryst. C63, m507-m509]. The Ni atom exhibits a distorted octa-hedral environment and contains two azide ions and two planar N,O-chelating picolinamide ligands, all cis related. The dihedral angle between the two chelate rings is 82.43 (7)°. Pairs of mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds into cyclic R(2) (2)(16) dimers, which are further packed into a three-dimensional framework by C(6) and C(8) chains by N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds.