Honduras

Specific Information

• Diplomats and international organization officials must request the franchise through a local organization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prior to shipment arrival. This process takes approximately 1 month.
• Returning Honduran citizens and retirees may obtain the franchise through a lawyer prior to arrival of the shipment (approximately 1 month processing). Special franchises are available to returning citizens who have been abroad for at least 12 months and to foreigners applying for retiree residence in Honduras. The retiree franchise process takes approximately 4 to 6 months. Proof of retiree status is required from the government of the origin country, demonstrating that the transferee will have income exceeding USD 1,500 per month.
• Non-exempt shipments are subject to customs duties and taxes.

RTN (tax ID): The Registro Tributario Nacional may be obtained at the SAR (formerly DEI) office after entry into Honduras. Processing takes approximately 24 hours.

Packing list requirements: Packing lists must be specific and in Spanish. Generic descriptions such as "kitchen items" or "office items" are not accepted. Each item must be named individually because Honduran customs requires item-level data entry into the customs system.

Valued inventory: The inventory valuation is for customs purposes only and should use depreciated values, not high insurance or replacement values.

Antiques and artwork: Permitted for import if part of the household goods shipment, in reasonable quantities, and declared. Ownership documents are required. Works of art and antiques more than 100 years old are subject to 22% tax.

ISPM 15: Wood packaging materials (crates, pallets, dunnage) should comply with ISPM 15 standards.

CAFTA-DR: Honduras is a member of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Goods originating from CAFTA-DR member countries may qualify for preferential tariff treatment, though this primarily applies to commercial goods.

Duties & Taxes

Franchise/dispensa system: Honduras uses a franchise (dispensa) system for duty-free importation of household goods. The franchise must be obtained before the shipment arrives. Processing times vary:

VAT: A general 15% Value Added Tax (ISV -- Impuesto Sobre Ventas) is applied to most imported goods.

Prohibited & Restricted Items

Importing a Used Personal Vehicle

Required Documents

• Copy of passport
• Original vehicle title
• Original bill of lading (OBL)
• Original commercial invoice
• Franchise or dispensa (for duty-free entry)
• RTN (Registro Tributario Nacional)
• Form 9-A (for temporary entry, if applicable)

Specific Information

Vehicle age restriction: Automobiles older than 10 years cannot be imported into Honduras.

Duties and taxes: All vehicle shipments are subject to duties and taxes unless a diplomatic franchise (duty/tax exemption) has been obtained.

OBL requirements: The bill of lading must include full vehicle details: VIN number, engine number, series, color, make, model, year, fuel type, vehicle type (pickup, van, sedan, etc.), engine displacement (cc), number of doors, weight, and volume. Fines will be assessed for incomplete information.

Customs clearance timeline: Approximately 7 to 10 business days for a full container load (FCL), 5 to 7 business days for less than container load (LCL), and 2 to 3 business days for unaccompanied air baggage (UAB).

Form 9-A (temporary entry): A temporary entry permit allowing a vehicle into Honduras for 90 days without payment of taxes. The owner must be present at customs with their passport, which will be stamped by customs authorities. Before the 90-day period expires, the owner must either request an extension at the SAR office, coordinate the exportation of the vehicle, or proceed to pay full duties and taxes. Extensions are not guaranteed. This option is primarily used by diplomats, tourists, and foreigners.

Pets

• Vaccination record (rabies and other standard vaccinations)
• Original veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of travel (per PetTravel; the IAM guide does not specify a timeframe)
• Phytosanitary/import permit from SENASA (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria)

Import permit: Honduras requires an import permit from SENASA. An agent or representative in Honduras should apply for this permit in advance of travel. If the permit cannot be obtained before arrival for reasons beyond the owner's control that can be substantiated, it may be handled upon entry, but the importer will need to obtain a certificate from a Honduran veterinarian who will be responsible for the pet while in Honduras.

Microchip: Not required but recommended. An ISO 11784/11785 compliant 15-digit microchip is the most accepted form of identification. If microchipped, all documents should reference the microchip number.

Rabies vaccination: All dogs and cats over 3 months of age must be vaccinated against rabies between 21 days and 12 months prior to entering Honduras. Multi-year rabies vaccinations are not recognized unless administered within 12 months of import. Rabies titer test results and veterinary exemption letters are not accepted as substitutes.

Rabies titer test: Not required to enter Honduras from any country. However, Honduras is classified as a high-rabies-risk country by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), so a titer test may be required for the pet to return to the country of origin.

CDC high-rabies-risk country: Honduras is on the U.S. CDC list of high-risk countries for dog rabies. Dogs entering the United States from Honduras are subject to enhanced CDC import requirements, including a CDC Dog Import Permit, valid rabies vaccination, and microchip. Owners planning to eventually return a dog to the U.S. should plan for these re-entry requirements before departure.

Other vaccinations: Dogs should be vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis (adenovirus), parvovirus, and leptospirosis. Cats should be vaccinated against feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia, and leukemia.

Parasite treatments: Required (per PetTravel). Should be administered shortly before import with products approved in the country of origin. Treatments can be recorded on the health certificate.

Health certificate: Must be issued by a licensed veterinarian within 10 days of travel (per PetTravel). The governmental authority in the country of origin responsible for import/export of animals should endorse the certificate. No consulate endorsement is required.

Quarantine: No quarantine if all import regulations are met. Non-compliant pets may be quarantined (if facilities are available), returned to the origination country, or euthanized at the importer's expense.

No banned breeds: Honduras does not publish a list of banned dog breeds.

Entry by air: Pets should enter via Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport (San Pedro Sula) or Toncontín International Airport (Tegucigalpa) during normal business hours. The owner should be present at customs clearance. Veterinary officials should be informed in advance.

Arrival timing: Per the IAM guide, pets should arrive at the beginning of the week to avoid weekend stays in the customs office.

CITES: Species covered by CITES require additional permits.

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