Honduras Passport Required

06/02/2008

Honduras Passport Required

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A U.S. passport valid for at least three months from the date of entry is required to enter Honduras. Though not required by law, some travelers have reported difficulty departing Honduras using a passport with less than three months of validity beyond the date of departure. A visa is not required, but tourists must provide evidence of return or onward travel. Parents should not rely on birth certificates for their children's travel; rather, prior to travel they should obtain U.S. passports for infants and minors born in the United States. U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry a photocopy of their U.S. passports with them at all times, so that if questioned by local officials proof of identity and U.S. citizenship are readily available.

In June 2006, Honduras entered a "Central America-4 (CA-4) Border Control Agreement" with Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Under the terms of the agreement, citizens of the four countries may travel freely across land borders from one of the countries to any of the others without completing entry and exit formalities at Immigration checkpoints. U.S. citizens and other eligible foreign nationals who legally enter any of the four countries may similarly travel among the four without obtaining additional visas or tourist entry permits for the other three countries. Immigration officials at the first port of entry determine the length of stay, up to a maximum period of 90 days. Foreign tourists who wish to remain in the four country region beyond the period initially granted for their visit are required to request a one-time extension of stay from local immigration authorities in the country where the traveler is physically present, or travel outside the CA-4 countries and reapply for admission to the region. Foreigners "expelled" from any of the four countries are excluded from the entire "CA-4" region. In isolated cases, the lack of clarity in the implementing details of the CA-4 Border Control Agreement has caused temporary inconvenience to some travelers and has resulted in others being fined more than one hundred dollars or detained in custody for 72 hours or longer.

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: Honduras is a democracy with a developing economy. The national language is Spanish, although English is often spoken in the Bay Islands. The climate is generally pleasant and temperate, with dry and wet seasons. During the dry season from February into May, widespread forest fires and agricultural burning can lead to severely degraded air quality throughout the country possibly causing respiratory problems and airport closures. The terrain includes mountainous areas, coastal beaches, and jungle lowlands. Facilities that would normally be used by tourists, including hotels and restaurants, are generally adequate in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, in San Pedro Sula, Tela, La Ceiba, the Bay Islands, and near the Copan ruins. Large sections of the country, however, lack basic public services or even a governmental presence. Currency exchange is readily available at banks and hotels in the major cities.

REGISTRATION / EMBASSY LOCATION: American citizens residing or traveling in Honduras are encouraged to register their presence through the State Department's travel registration web site, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Honduras. American citizens without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa. By registering, whether via the Internet or in person at the Embassy, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.

U.S. Embassy location:
Avenida La Paz in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Internet site: http://honduras.usembassy.gov/
Telephone: 011-504-236-9320 or 011-504-238-5114
Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 am.
American Citizens Services Unit Fax: 011-504-238-4357

Consular Agency in San Pedro Sula location:
Banco Atlantida Building – 11th Floor
San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Telephone: 011-504-558-1580
Office hours are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Consular Agent is available during limited hours to perform notarial services, assist U.S. citizens with emergencies, and accept U.S. passport and U.S. Report of Birth applications for adjudication at the Embassy in Tegucigalpa. The Consular Agent does not provide visa information or services. For more details about all U.S. Embassy and consular services in Honduras, please see the Embassy web site at http://honduras.usembassy.gov/ or visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs web site at http://travel.state.gov/.