There are several reasons for wanting to move to Honduras. Some want to make the move because they’ve fallen in love with a local. Others are following their sense of adventure and looking to create a new phase in their lives. Some are searching for a cheaper place to retire, whereas others simply want to get away from cold and freezing winters. Whatever your reason for becoming an expat in Roatan – how to get residency is something that you’ll need to tackle to be able to follow through on your plan. In this article, we’ll cover the various pathways to obtaining Honduran residency.
What You Need To Know About The Honduran Residency Process
Of course, every country has their own unique residency process and Honduras is no exception. That said, Honduras is more amenable to foreign residents than most.
The main thing you should know is that every Honduran residency application must be completed and tabled by a Honduran lawyer who is a member of the National Bar Organization.
It’s also important to understand that if you arrive in Honduras on a tourist visa, you are allowed to stay in the country for 90 days, but you are not allowed to legally work. It is possible to get a 30 day extension to your tourist visa by applying in person at the Immigration Office, but it still doesn’t give you the right to work.
If you want to work in Honduras, you’ll need to apply for residency. However, it is possible to enter the country on a tourist visa and begin the residency visa process from within the country.
That said, completion of the residency visa process can take up to nine months or longer. If you’re in the country on a tourist visa, you will need to leave for a minimum of 72 hours before the expiry of that visa. This is a very common practice among expats who are engaged in a residency visa application and it often requires them to leave the country several times before the process is complete.
The five types of Honduran residency visas are listed below:
Rentista
To qualify for a Rentista visa, you have to prove that you have a foreign income of $2500 (all monetary sums in this article are in US dollars) or more per month from a foreign or external source that isn’t related to employment. This could be composed of rental income, dividends from capital investments or interest income. This must be verified with Apostilled or authenticated documentation from your home country.
Pensionado
The Pensionado visa is open to retirees who have a permanent pension income of at least $1500 per month. This needs to come from a verified source such as a government or business pension plan or a financial institution.
Inversionista
The Inversionista visa is for foreign investors who can invest a minimum of $50,000 in a Honduran business or venture.
Kinship/Relative
This is the visa that’s used by those who have married a Honduran or who are directly related to a Honduran resident such as a parent or child.
Permiso de Permanencia de País como de Empresario de Extranjero
This visa uses work permit laws to allow a foreigner to become a resident by creating a Honduran corporation and applying for residency as the owner of that corporation.
To learn more about the specifics about how to get residency and become an expat in Roatan, feel free to drop us a line.
