Honduras Visa Requirements: Exemptions, Documents, and 90-Day Stays

Honduras visa requirements are simple for most travelers: citizens of many countries can enter visa-free as tourists for up to 90 days, while everyone else must apply through a Honduran embassy or consulate before arrival.¹ The catch that trips people up is that the 90 days are shared across four Central American countries, not counted fresh at each border.

Who Can Enter Honduras Without a Visa

Honduras is part of the Central America-4 (CA-4) agreement with Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. A single entry stamp granted in any one of the four countries starts a shared 90-day tourist clock for the entire region.²

Crossing from Honduras into Guatemala does not reset the counter. Someone who spends 60 days in Guatemala and then enters Honduras has 30 days left, not 90. The clock runs from the first entry stamp into any CA-4 country, and combined time across all four cannot exceed the limit. Overstaying triggers fines and possible re-entry bans enforced by Honduran immigration when you leave.

Documents Required at the Border

Whether or not you need a visa, immigration officers will ask for the following:

A passport valid for at least six months from your date of arrival, with at least two blank pages for stamps.³
Evidence of onward travel, usually a return flight or a ticket to your next destination.¹
Proof of sufficient funds. There is no published minimum, but officers may ask to see bank statements, credit cards, or cash.
An electronic customs declaration form completed before arrival, one per family or one per solo traveler. The same form must be completed again on departure.

Yellow Fever Certificate

Honduras requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from or traveling to Panama or any country in South America. Travelers who cannot show a valid certificate may be denied entry. If your itinerary routes through one of those countries even for a layover, carry your yellow card. COVID-19 vaccination proof and negative test results are no longer required for entry, though airlines may have their own rules.¹

Traveling With Anyone Under 21

Honduran law treats this more strictly than many travelers expect. Anyone under 21 traveling without both parents needs a written, notarized permission letter from the absent parent or parents.¹ The age cutoff of 21 catches people used to 18 being the threshold.

How the letter must be notarized depends on where it is signed:

Signed in Honduras: notarized by a Honduran notary public.
Signed in the United States: notarized by a U.S. notary and then apostilled by the state registrar where that notary is registered.
Signed abroad: Honduran authorities may also accept letters notarized at a Honduran embassy or consulate.

If there is no second parent with legal custody, carry supporting documents instead. A court order granting sole custody, a birth certificate naming only one parent, or a death certificate all serve this purpose.¹ Getting turned away at the immigration desk with a child and no paperwork is a situation with no quick fix.

Applying for a Visa if Your Nationality Is Not Exempt

Travelers whose nationalities are not on the visa-exempt list must apply through a Honduran embassy or consulate before departure. The documents required are:

Completed application form from the consulate.
Passport meeting the six-month validity rule, plus a photocopy of the information page.
One recent front-facing passport-sized photo.
Bank reference or statements showing you can cover the trip.
Confirmed flight and accommodation bookings.li>
If applicable, a letter from your employer stating the company will cover expenses in Honduras.

⁴

A single-entry tourist visa costs $30 and is valid for one entry within 60 days. A multiple-entry visa costs $60 and allows unlimited entries over one year. Payment must be by certified bank draft or money order in U.S. dollars; personal checks and cash are not accepted.⁵ Processing times vary by consulate, so apply well before your travel date.

Staying Longer Than 90 Days

To remain in Honduras past the 90-day CA-4 period, the U.S. Embassy advises applying for a residence permit through the Instituto Nacional de Migración.⁶ This is not a simple airport stamp extension. Start the process while your current authorized stay is still valid.

Overstays are enforced at departure. You will not be allowed to leave until the fine is paid, and longer overstays add a re-entry ban:

1 to 15 days over: fine only, no ban.
16 to 90 days over: fine plus a ban of up to three months.
91 or more days over: fine plus a ban of up to six months.

Exact fine amounts vary by immigration office and depend on how long you overstayed. Anyone fined for overstaying must apply for their next visa at a Honduran immigration office inside the country rather than at an embassy or consulate abroad.⁶

1
U.S. Department of State. Honduras International Travel Information
2
International Organization for Migration. Honduras Visa Requirements and Entry Rules
3
GOV.UK. Honduras Travel Advice – Entry Requirements
4
Embassy of Honduras. Requirements to Apply for a Honduran Visa
5
EMBAJADA DE. Visas
6
U.S. Embassy in Honduras. Important Frequently Asked Questions