Honduras - Bio-Security
With the continual change in protocols due to the pandemic, we outline the last-known situation below for yacht arrivals. Skippers should follow the recommended links in “resources” to confirm the latest protocols. Always check with your intended port of arrival before getting underway to be 100% certain of what is required. Please e-mail editor@noonsite.com if you find protocols have changed.
COVID-19: **OPEN**
Yachting Protocols:
November 2022
- Visitors require either a Covid vaccination certificate, or Negative Covid-PCR results taken within 72 hours of arrival.
- All ports of entry are open.
- The port to check in into The Bay Islands is Coxen Hole, Roatan.
Our thanks to Bill and JoAnne Harris, SSCA Hosts for the region, for information throughout the Pandemic.
Resources:
- Covid19 Roatan and Bay Islands Information – FB page by the Governor of the Bay Islands, Dino Silvestri to provide accurate and up to date information.
- https://covid19honduras.org/
- https://www.facebook.com/gobernacionislas/
- The Honduras Bay Islands Cruisers
- Rio Dulce Cruisers
Reports:
- Stuck in Roatan (Cruising World Magazine – October 08, 2020)
- Honduras Bay Islands, Roatan: Covid19 Field Report (March 22, 2020)
Contacts:
Honduras Government: gobernadorilsas@gmail.com
History:
- 16 March, 2020: Honduras banned all foreign arrivals. No yachts could enter or leave the country.
- 20 March, 2020: A State of Emergency was declared. Honduras went into Lockdown.
Re-supplying was only permitted once very 2 weeks based on the last digit of your passport.
Visas and cruising permits were ‘frozen’ at the start of the lockdown period. The countdown on visas/cruising permits will restart once movement is permitted again. - 14 May: The Central Government in Honduras announced a 6 phase plan to start easing restrictions in Roatan.
- 01 September: Honduras opened the airport for international flights with 14 day quarantine.
- January 2021: Maritime borders for The Bay Islands opened up.
- March 2021: Maritime borders for all of Honduras opened up with a vaccination certificate required or prior testing.
If you have information for this section, or feedback on businesses used, please let us know at editor@noonsite.com. We also welcome new information about businesses you have used (see Related Businesses).
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Recent experience checking into Puerto Amapala on the Pacific side. No COVID tests required for entry. We did fill out the forms at the jotform link listed on the Formalities page here. Check-in and check-out using these forms might’ve been the easiest of any country I’ve ever been to. Port Captain and Immigration right there on the pier where you land. 30 minutes in/out. Cost: free.
The ATM (under the umbrellas on the main drag) wasn’t working when we got there. You can exchange USD for Lempiras at the soda distributor (‘casa verde’ on the corner) across the street.
Anchorage. Scope generously. 2/3 boats there had a drag. Diurnal winds in the afternoon/evening kick up a wicked chop and the current switches, leaving some room for fouling. My chain wrapped on a rock to the West side of the pier in 19feet depth, but ultimately wasn’t too problematic.
Getting covid tests for entry into Nicaragua required a water-taxi to Coyolito and bus to San Lorenzo. Easy enough to find a taxi home. The locals were super helpful in making it all happen. Immigration officials were able to recommend a good clinic. I wouldn’t expect same-day turnaround on the test results but you can pull it off if you show up early.
Mar 07, 2019 04:52 PM
Arrived from Roatan yesterday to see Utila and then clear out for Belize. Port Captain informed that immigration officials will not be back until next Tuesday (5 days later). We will take the ferry back to Roatan to clear out. Just a note to say that you cannot guarantee to clear in or out of Utila in a timely way.
I cleared in at Utila in June of 2017. I’ve been there before and there have been a few changes. The Port Captain and immigration are in the same building at the public dock.
The Port Captain went to the boat with me and took photos. HThese were exterior shots and he didn’t enter the boat.
He filled out forms and photographed them with his phone. Then he sent everything to the main office. I had to come back the next morning for the cruising permit.
Immigration requested a $3.00 entry fee.
The exit procedure was the same, except that the turn around time to get approval from the main office was 2 hours. Immigration requested another $3.00.
There was no charge for the cruising permit or the zarpe.
November 21st: We want to report a dinghy theft 2 weeks ago – ours was stolen during the night in the anchorage of West End Roatan. Gone! Lock your dinghy.
On a much lighter note than the previous comment, I would like to commend Aussie Pete, the dockmaster at Fantasy Island, Roatan, Honduras, for the great job he is doing in providing a fun venue for cruisers in French Harbour.
He has a number of weekly activities offered (produce truck, bus trip to the supermarket, BBQ night, Pizza Night, etc) and has created a friendly, welcoming atmosphere at the palapa bar. It’s a great place for cruisers to hang out and visit. Thanks, Pete!
Extortion from immigration officer Coxen Hole. We arrived from Rio Dulce and attempted to clear in at Coxen Hole. The immigration officer would only give us 12 days unless we paid a $200 bribe. We arrived in Guatemala on November 20 and had never extended immigration there.
According to Raul the agent in Livingston, we should have not had any issues here in Roatan. I recommend using an agent or a contact like Pete, the dockmaster at Fantasy Island. Based on our experience, I would not go it alone. Regretfully, we paid. The first bribe in any of the 27 countries we’ve cleared into in 4 years.
According to local cruisers, this extortion is common but not exercised by all immigration officials. We complained to the Port Captain but he said that he could/would not do anything about this.