Honduras Customs Undergoes Transformation

By Bufete Mejia & Asociados

Honduras Customs has announced a series of changes at the country's main air entry points, combining a visual rebranding with operational updates focused on traveler processing.

The initiative begins at the air customs posts of La Mesa and Palmerola, where updated colors, new signage, and reconfigured spaces are being introduced. Customs staff have also received training aimed at improving responses to traveler inquiries and standardizing service across entry points. 

Honduras operates 17 customs offices — 8 land, 2 air, and 8 sea. The two air customs posts involved in this rollout serve the country's busiest international airports: Ramón Villeda Morales (La Mesa), near San Pedro Sula, which handled over 1.27 million passengers in 2023, and Palmerola International Airport in Comayagua, opened in December 2021 and designed to handle approximately 1.5 million passengers annually. 

Digital Traveler Declaration

QR codes have been installed at terminal points, directing travelers to a digital version of the Traveler Declaration form and reducing the need for paper forms on arrival. 

The digital system replaces the physical processing of more than 730,000 declarations per year. Travelers access the form at the Customs website, complete the required fields, and receive a PDF with a QR code that Customs staff scan upon entry or exit. The form can be completed up to several days before the date of travel. 

The National Migration Institute (INM) and Customs have stated that the transition to a fully digital declaration will be gradual, implemented jointly over the coming months. 

Regulatory Requirements for Travelers

All travelers entering Honduras through any authorized point must submit a declaration to Customs. Family groups may file a single declaration. All persons — nationals and foreigners — are required to declare if they carry cash, electronic wallets, traveler's checks, or any negotiable instrument equal to or exceeding USD 10,000 or its equivalent in any currency. 

The Regional Sworn Traveler's Declaration is a standardized form shared across Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Belize, and the Dominican Republic. 

Goods brought in by travelers — separate from luggage — are exempt from duties up to a total customs value of approximately USD 500. 

The current changes are part of a longer-term modernization agenda. Aduanas Honduras has pursued several initiatives in recent years, including a Paperless Customs project, the Electronic Commerce Platform of Honduras (PECH), and an Authorized Economic Operator (OEA) program. Honduras has also been cited among the top 10 countries in the Americas for Trade Facilitation in an OECD report.