Border Crossing

Border police arrested two men at the Ceibita checkpoint in Quimistán, Santa Bárbara, during a nighttime operation and confiscated $19,600 in cash from them.

Honduras allows Costa Rican citizens with valid US or Canadian visas or residency to enter without a criminal-record certificate, a change from a requirement imposed since October 2023 that nearly stranded one traveler at the airport.

Honduran military arrested Henry Zalaya Umanzor, 45, a Salvadoran citizen suspected of illegal entry and criminal gang ties, at the El Amatillo border crossing in Valle; authorities say he has a criminal record in El Salvador for document forgery and aggravated robbery.

Honduras's migration authority is deploying extra staff and extending hours at key border crossings from July 31 to August 9 to handle an expected 20,000–25,000 Salvadoran visitors during El Salvador's August holidays.

Chinese nationals arriving in Honduras for business and commerce have proliferated in major cities since the country formalized ties with China, with 218 of 622 Chinese arrivals through mid-July citing commercial reasons, prompting complaints from local merchants unable to compete on price.

INTERPOL Honduras arrested and deported an Ecuadorian citizen wanted by US authorities on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide after he was detained at the Las Manos border crossing attempting illegal entry.

Congressman Godofredo Fajardo proposed legislation to allow Hondurans over 18 to travel to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua using only a national ID card rather than a passport, citing simplified border procedures and regional integration.

Cristóbal Cortés Cartagena, 39, was arrested by US Border Patrol in Texas on July 4 after illegally reentering the country; he was convicted of child sexual abuse in California in 2010, deported twice, and now faces up to 20 years in federal prison for felony reentry.

Honduras's National Migration Institute reminds travelers that passports must have at least six months of validity remaining to enter the US or Europe, and has opened 24-hour emergency passport centers at the country's major international airports.

The national human-rights commissioner called on the Honduran government to provide immediate assistance to victims of internal forced displacement before they are compelled to seek international protection by crossing borders.

Honduras logged over 1.6 million migrant movements from January through mid-June 2026, with the El Amatillo land border and Ramón Villeda Morales Airport accounting for most traffic; the increase reflects recovering tourism and regional transit.

The National Migration Institute (INM) will suspend passport issuance from 6 p.m. Saturday June 20 to 10 a.m. Sunday June 21 nationwide for a system upgrade.

The US Embassy in Tegucigalpa has advised American citizens traveling to or residing in Honduras to ensure vaccinations are current and carry proof of immunization, as regional measles cases have prompted stricter health screening and possible quarantine measures at borders.

Honduras's National Migration Institute is now requiring travelers departing to countries with active measles circulation to show proof of vaccination, a Health Secretariat-backed measure to prevent the virus from being imported into Honduras.