USD to HNL for business payments
Paying a Honduran supplier means dealing with one of Central America's most managed currencies: the Banco Central de Honduras runs the foreign exchange market, sets a band for the lempira (HNL) and auctions dollars, and exporters must bring their dollars home and sell them. You can still pay in US dollars or have dollars converted to lempiras. This page covers the band, the rules your supplier works under, the details to collect, the costs and how to choose.
- Under BCH Agreement 01/2026, only the Banco Central de Honduras and the exchange agents it authorizes may trade foreign currency, although any person or company may hold foreign currency assets.
- Bids in the BCH's dollar auction must fall within 1% above or below the center of the exchange rate band.
- Exchange agents may charge private clients a commission of up to 0.5% on sales of dollars, and may not sell US$10,000 or more to a private client on the same day.
- Under Ministry of Finance Agreement 508-2026, exporters must bring in all foreign currency from their exports and sell it to authorized agents, within 45 to 85 business days for sales to North America.
- El Heraldo reported on 10 September 2026 that the BCH raised the share of export proceeds exporters may be authorized to retain from 30% to 40%.
The lempira, the band and the dollar auction
The lempira (code HNL) is issued by the Banco Central de Honduras (BCH). The BCH runs the Mercado Organizado de Divisas (MOD), the organized foreign exchange market, under a regulation restated in full in BCH Agreement 01/2026, published in La Gaceta on 24 February 2026 and in force from 25 February 2026. For that regulation, foreign currency means only the US dollar.
The rate moves inside a band. Bids in the BCH's dollar auction must fall within 1% above or below the center of the exchange rate band, and the BCH offers 90% of the median foreign currency income of the last five business days, and may offer more. Exchange agents, the banks, savings and loan associations and exchange houses the BCH authorizes, must sell to the BCH 100% of their foreign currency income daily, by the next business day at the latest. The dollars a bank buys from your supplier therefore pass to the BCH, which auctions dollars back to the market.
| Item | Honduras |
|---|---|
| Currency and code | Lempira, HNL |
| Issuer | Banco Central de Honduras (BCH) |
| Exchange rate | Band; auction bids within 1% of the band center |
| Who may trade dollars | Only the BCH and authorized exchange agents; anyone may hold dollars |
| Agent commission on dollar sales | Up to 0.5%; BCH charges 0.4% on auction sales |
| Same-day sales to a private client | Below US$10,000; larger amounts through the auction with documents |
| Company tax number | RTN (Registro Tributario Nacional) |
Source: Banco Central de Honduras, Agreement 01/2026, La Gaceta No. 37,078. As published on 29 October 2026.
Export proceeds: what your supplier must do
Honduras requires exporters to bring their foreign currency home. The current regulation is the Ministry of Finance's Agreement 508-2026, published in La Gaceta on 21 July 2026. Before each export the exporter files a declaration with the BCH, and Article 6 obliges it to bring into the country all the foreign currency its exports generate and sell it to authorized exchange agents within the deadline set in the declaration. The agent certifies the sale and reports it to the BCH within two business days.
| Destination of the export | Maximum period to bring in proceeds (business days) |
|---|---|
| Central America and the Caribbean | 40 to 85 |
| North America | 45 to 85 |
| South America | 50 to 85 |
| Europe and Africa | 60 to 85 |
| Asia and Oceania | 70 to 85 |
| Micro and small exporters | Five additional business days |
Sources: SEFIN, Agreement 508-2026; El Heraldo, 22 July 2026. Periods vary by product. As published on 29 October 2026.
The BCH board may authorize an exporter to retain part of its foreign currency for payments abroad, inputs, machinery and spare parts. El Heraldo reported on 10 September 2026 that the board raised that share from 30% to 40%, with each authorization valid for 12 months. For you, the practical point is traceability: your payment, its reference and the supplier's export declaration must match, whatever account first receives the money.
Details you need to pay a Honduran supplier
A payer abroad pays a Honduran bank account by SWIFT through the bank's US correspondent. A Honduran account has no US routing number, so ACH and Fedwire are not available to it. Collect the details once, in writing.
| Detail | What to collect | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficiary name | The company's exact registered name | Must match the account holder and the export declaration |
| RTN | The supplier's national tax registration | Banks ask for a valid RTN on exchange operations |
| Account number and currency | Dollar or lempira account number | Decides whether the bank converts |
| Bank and SWIFT code | 8 or 11 characters, from the receiving bank | Routes the payment |
| Reference | Invoice number and export declaration or shipment reference | Lets the supplier match the proceeds to its export |
Sources: BCH Agreement 01/2026; standard SWIFT practice. As published on 29 October 2026.
What converting USD to HNL costs
Conversion cost is the mid-market rate, the margin and the payment fee. In Honduras part of the margin is visible in the rules: the BCH charges 0.4% on its auction sales, and agents may charge clients up to 0.5% on sales of dollars. Those are the costs a Honduran company pays to buy dollars, which is why a supplier that imports inputs may prefer to receive dollars from you rather than lempiras.
When your dollars reach an exporter, it sells them to its bank as exchange agent at the bank's buying rate inside the band. Ask the supplier which account to pay and agree OUR charges for invoices that must arrive in full; our guide to intermediary bank fees explains why SHA wires arrive short.
Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens, and shows the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm each payment. See how Helm pricing works.
Helm pays suppliers by SWIFT and by local rails in the supplier's currency where available, confirmed by your account manager, and shows the rate, fee and expected arrival before you confirm. See Helm pricing.
Pay in USD or in HNL?
| Situation | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier is an exporter invoicing in USD | USD by SWIFT | Its export declaration and repatriation run on the dollars it receives |
| Supplier holds a retention authorization for imported inputs | USD | It may keep part of the dollars instead of selling and rebuying them |
| Supplier is a domestic firm pricing in lempiras | HNL | It receives the exact amount; you carry the band movement |
| Any lempira payout offered by a provider | Ask how it is classified | Export proceeds must be traceable to a sale to an authorized agent |
Sources: SEFIN, Agreement 508-2026; BCH Agreement 01/2026; El Heraldo, 10 September 2026. As published on 29 October 2026.
Honduran companies that sell to you and want to receive dollars can read our guide to a USD business account in Honduras.
Open a Helm account
USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.
Open accountQuestions
Is the Honduran lempira floating?
It moves within a band managed by the Banco Central de Honduras. Bids in the BCH's dollar auction must fall within 1% above or below the center of the band.
Can a Honduran company hold US dollars?
Yes. BCH Agreement 01/2026 allows any person or company to hold foreign currency assets, but they may buy and sell dollars only with the BCH or through authorized exchange agents.
Must a Honduran exporter sell the dollars I pay it?
Generally yes. Agreement 508-2026 obliges exporters to bring in all foreign currency from their exports and sell it to authorized agents within the declared deadline, unless the BCH authorizes them to retain part, now up to 40%.
How long does a Honduran exporter have to bring proceeds home?
Under Agreement 508-2026 the maximum period depends on product and destination: 45 to 85 business days for exports to North America, with five more business days for micro and small exporters.
What does it cost to buy dollars in Honduras?
Exchange agents may charge private clients up to 0.5% on sales of dollars, and the BCH charges 0.4% on its auction sales. Purchases of US$10,000 or more in a day go through the auction with supporting documents.
References
- Banco Central de Honduras: Agreement 01/2026, Reglamento para la Negociación en el Mercado Organizado de Divisas (La Gaceta No. 37,078, 24 February 2026)
- Secretaría de Finanzas: Acuerdo 508-2026, Reglamento a la Ley de Ingreso de Divisas Provenientes de las Exportaciones
- El Heraldo: Vigente acuerdo que amplía plazos para retorno de divisas por exportación (22 July 2026)
- El Heraldo: BCH amplía de 30% a 40% monto de retención de divisas a exportadores (10 September 2026)
This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.