There's no Honduran work visa to get in the U.S. Your employer files for a stay permit after you land.
How the special stay permit works in 2026, what it costs per year, the Honduran staffing rule your employer has to meet, and how five years on it opens permanent residence.
This route is for one kind of mover: someone a Honduran company has hired and will sponsor. You fly in on your U.S. passport, and a Honduran lawyer files your permit with the Instituto Nacional de Migración. Taking Honduran pay on a tourist entry isn't allowed.
The permit in four numbers
$100
Government fee per permit year
plus L200 (about $7) for the certified resolution
1 to 5 years
How long a permit runs
set case by case by the authorities
90%
Honduran share of your employer's staff
and 85% of payroll, under Labor Code Art. 11
5 years
On the permit before permanent residence
then you can apply
Who this permit fits, and who should skip it
Honduras files work status as a permiso especial de permanencia, requested inside the country. Your employer drives it, so the job comes first. If your income comes from a pension or investments, this is the wrong tool; our Honduras guide covers the routes built for that.
- Fits: you have a signed offer from a Honduran company or organization
- Doesn't fit: you work remotely for a U.S. employer (see below)
- Probably not needed: stays under 90 days with no Honduran-source pay
Remote workers: Honduras has no nomad visa
As of 2026, Honduras hasn't created a digital nomad visa. Laptop work for foreign clients on a tourist entry is common, but that entry doesn't explicitly allow it. Staying past 90 days means applying for a residence permit.
How the permit comes together
1. Land visa-free
U.S. citizens can stay up to 90 days without a visa. The State Department asks for six months of passport validity beyond arrival.
2. Contract approved at the Labor Ministry
Your employer gets your employment contract approved and files a statement that it complies with Honduran hiring rules.
3. Your lawyer files with Migración
A Honduran lawyer, working under your power of attorney, submits the special stay permit application.
4. Register, fingerprints, card
Once approved, you register, give fingerprints and collect your resident card. Renewals go back through the same office.
Start the paperwork before you fly
Here's the catch: every U.S. document needs an apostille and an authorized Spanish translation, and practitioners say the process can take a few months. Gather what you can at home, where apostilles are easier to get.
- U.S. passport, plus an authenticated copy for the file
- Criminal record from the U.S. and from your last country of residence, apostilled
- A certificate from Honduras's criminal investigation police (DGIC), obtained locally
- Medical certificate issued within six months of filing
- Photo and a power of attorney for your lawyer
- Birth and marriage certificates, apostilled, if family is coming
What a Honduran paycheck looks like in 2026
About $550
Average monthly minimum wage
L14,917.20 a month in 2026
About $8,450
Income tax-free each year
L228,324.32; then 15% to 25%
3.5%
Employee social security share
on pay up to L11,903.13 a month
$132,900
U.S. foreign earned income exclusion
2026, if you meet the IRS tests
Family, other routes and the citizenship catch
Citizenship is open after more than three consecutive years of residence, but Honduras's constitution asks you to renounce your old nationality unless a dual-nationality treaty applies. Honduras's dual-nationality treaty is with Spain, not the U.S.
- A spouse and children apply in the economic-dependent category tied to your permit
- Since July 2025, Acuerdo 374-2025 also lets workers with two years of continuous legal residence seek discretionary residence, if the employer certifies the 90% staff and 85% payroll rule
- Every file is discretionary: the government can accept, deny or archive it
People who can help with the move
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
MyExpatTaxes prepares U.S. returns for Americans abroad, including the forms for the foreign earned income exclusion.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
Hunter Schultz is a healthcare coach who helps movers plan how they'll get care abroad.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
ExpatInsure brokers global health insurance for people living outside the U.S.
Moneycorp
Currency Exchange
Moneycorp handles currency exchange and international transfers.
Honduras work permit questions
How much does a Honduras work permit cost?
The government charges $100 for each year the special stay permit covers, plus L200 (about $7 in September 2026) for the certified resolution. Budget separately for the Honduran lawyer who files it, apostilles and certified translations of your U.S. documents.
Do Americans need a visa to work in Honduras?
Not an entry visa. U.S. citizens enter visa-free for up to 90 days, and paid work then requires a special stay permit with a work contract (permiso especial de permanencia), which a Honduran lawyer files with the Instituto Nacional de Migración inside the country. Your employer sponsors it.
Can I become a Honduran citizen and keep my U.S. citizenship?
Not as a rule. Honduras's constitution requires naturalizing foreigners to renounce their prior nationality unless a dual-nationality treaty applies, and Honduras's dual-nationality treaty is with Spain, not the U.S. Americans can apply after more than three consecutive years of residence, but should get legal advice before giving anything up.
Can my spouse and children move with me on a Honduras work permit?
Yes. Family members apply in the economic-dependent category tied to the main permit holder. Their birth and marriage certificates need apostilles and Spanish translations.
How long does it take to get a work permit in Honduras?
No official processing time is published. Practitioners say it can take a few months, which is why they advise collecting apostilled U.S. documents before you arrive.
Does a Honduras work permit lead to permanent residence?
Yes. After five years on a special stay permit, you can apply for permanent residence in Honduras.
Will I pay taxes in both Honduras and the U.S.?
You can. Honduras taxes residents on Honduran-source income, and you become a tax resident after more than 90 days there in a fiscal year. The U.S. still taxes citizens on worldwide income, but the foreign earned income exclusion can shield up to $132,900 of 2026 wages if you meet the IRS tests, such as 330 full days abroad in 12 months.
Can I work remotely for a U.S. company while living in Honduras?
Honduras has no digital nomad visa as of 2026. Remote work for foreign clients on a tourist entry is common but not explicitly allowed, and staying longer than 90 days requires a residence permit. Overstaying brings a fine on departure and, past 15 days, a possible ban on returning.
Weighing a job in Honduras against other countries?
Talk it through with an Expatsi advisor before you sign the offer.
Why not you?