Sending business payments from the US to Honduras
A US company pays a Honduran supplier, contractor or subsidiary by SWIFT wire, usually in US dollars, to the recipient's dollar account at a Honduran bank. Honduras regulates what happens next: exporters must bring foreign currency from exports into the country and sell it to authorized agents, keeping only the share the central bank allows.
- Under Acuerdo 01/2026, any person or company in Honduras may hold foreign currency, but may trade it only with the Banco Central de Honduras or through authorized exchange agents.
- Acuerdo 508-2026 requires exporters to bring into Honduras all foreign currency from their exports and sell it to authorized exchange agents within the deadline set in the export declaration.
- In September 2026 the BCH raised the share of export proceeds that authorized exporters may retain from 30% to 40%.
- Exchange agents cannot sell US$10,000 or more to a private sector client on the same day directly; larger purchases go through the BCH auction.
- CNBS Circular 003/2024 prohibits supervised financial institutions from operating with cryptocurrencies.
Details to collect from a Honduran recipient
A Honduran account has no US routing number, so a US payer sends a SWIFT wire through the bank's US correspondent. The RTN (Registro Tributario Nacional) is the national tax registration number; Honduran companies present it to open accounts and to take part in the central bank's dollar auction, so ask for it with the bank details.
| Detail | What to ask for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficiary name | Legal company name as on the account | Must match the account holder |
| RTN | The company's national tax registration number | Identifies the company in exchange operations |
| Bank and SWIFT code | 8 or 11 characters | Routes the wire |
| Account number and currency | The dollar deposit account | Lempira accounts convert on arrival |
| Correspondent bank | The bank's US correspondent | Reduces extra hops |
| Reference | Invoice and export declaration number for goods | The exporter must match receipts to declarations |
Sources: BCH Acuerdo 01/2026; Acuerdo 508-2026. As published on 29 October 2026.
Pay in lempiras or in US dollars?
Most Honduran exporters invoice in dollars, and dollars are what the rules are built around. Under the foreign exchange regulation restated in BCH Acuerdo 01/2026, any person or company may hold assets in foreign currency, but may trade them only with the BCH or through legally authorized exchange agents. Exchange agents must sell the BCH all their daily foreign currency income by the next business day, and the BCH sells dollars back through an auction within a band of 1% either side of a central rate.
For export payments there is an extra layer. Acuerdo 508-2026, published on 21 July 2026, requires exporters to bring into Honduras all foreign currency from their exports and sell it to authorized exchange agents within the deadline in the export declaration. The BCH board may let exporters retain part for foreign obligations, inputs and machinery, and in September 2026 it raised that limit from 30% to 40%.
| Rule | What it means when you pay a Honduran exporter |
|---|---|
| Export proceeds must enter Honduras | Pay the supplier's Honduran account, not an account abroad |
| Proceeds sold to authorized agents within the declared deadline | Most of your dollars become lempiras at the supplier's bank |
| Retention up to 40%, where authorized | The supplier may keep part in dollars for its own imports |
| US$10,000 same-day limit on direct agent sales | Your supplier's own dollar purchases are rationed through the auction |
Sources: BCH Acuerdo 01/2026; Acuerdo 508-2026; El Heraldo, 10 September 2026. As published on 29 October 2026.
For lempira values, see the USD to HNL currency page, and for the Honduran side, USD business accounts in Honduras.
Rails and arrival times
Payments from the United States reach Honduras by SWIFT through the Honduran bank's US correspondent. Swift reports that almost 100% of gpi payments are credited within 24 hours. Arrival in the account is only the first step for an exporter: it then sells the currency to an authorized exchange agent within the deadline in its export declaration.
| Stage | What controls timing |
|---|---|
| SWIFT transit | Correspondent chain; almost 100% of gpi payments within 24 hours |
| Credit to the dollar account | Honduran business day and complete details |
| Sale of export proceeds | The exporter's declaration deadline and its bank |
Sources: Swift gpi; Acuerdo 508-2026. As published on 29 October 2026.
Documents and checks
Honduran banks ask for supporting documents in exchange operations. In the BCH auction, bids without supporting documents may be rejected, and exporters must match currency sold to their export declarations. Make that easy: quote the invoice and, for goods, the export declaration number in the payment reference, and send the supplier the SWIFT confirmation on the day you pay.
Do not offer to settle in cryptocurrency. CNBS Circular 003/2024 prohibits all supervised financial institutions from holding, intermediating or operating with cryptocurrencies, so the supplier's bank cannot process them.
On the US side, every payment to a Honduran company must pass sanctions screening: OFAC states that all US persons, including all US incorporated entities and their foreign branches, must comply with US sanctions, so the payer, the recipient and the recipient's bank are checked before the money moves.
Costs: Helm fees, intermediary deductions, SHA and OUR
Each Honduran bank sets its own charge for incoming international transfers; ask the supplier what its bank deducts. When the supplier sells your dollars, exchange agents may charge a commission of up to 0.5% under the BCH regulation, a cost that sits with the supplier. Every SWIFT wire carries a charge code. OUR means the sender pays all charges, so the full amount should arrive. SHA means charges are shared: the sender pays its own provider, and intermediary banks may deduct their fees in transit. BEN means every charge comes out of the amount sent. Helm international payments show the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm, and the account manager confirms the route for each corridor.
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.
Why payments to Honduras are held
| Cause | Prevention |
|---|---|
| Payment sent to an account abroad for export proceeds | Pay the supplier's Honduran account |
| Reference does not match the export declaration | Quote the declaration number |
| Name or RTN mismatch | Copy details from the supplier's bank letter |
| Lempira account given for a dollar invoice | Ask for the dollar account |
| SHA deductions | Send OUR |
Sources: Acuerdo 508-2026; BCH Acuerdo 01/2026. As published on 29 October 2026.
Checklist before you send
- Pay the supplier's Honduran dollar account, not an account abroad, for export goods.
- Collect the legal name, RTN, SWIFT code and US correspondent.
- Quote the invoice and the export declaration number.
- Send the SWIFT confirmation so the supplier can sell the proceeds on time.
- Never offer to settle in crypto assets.
Open a Helm account
USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.
Open accountQuestions
Can a Honduran supplier keep the US dollars I send?
Only in part if it is an exporter. Acuerdo 508-2026 requires export proceeds to be brought in and sold to authorized agents; the BCH can authorize retention of up to 40%.
What details do I need to wire money to Honduras?
The legal name, RTN, bank name and SWIFT code, the dollar account number, the US correspondent and an invoice or export declaration reference.
Can I pay a Honduran exporter's account in the United States?
Acuerdo 508-2026 requires exporters to bring all foreign currency from exports into Honduras, so pay the supplier's Honduran account unless it shows you an authorization.
How long does a wire to Honduras take?
Swift reports almost 100% of gpi payments credited within 24 hours. The supplier then sells export proceeds to its bank under the BCH rules.
Can Honduran banks accept crypto payments?
No. CNBS Circular 003/2024 prohibits supervised financial institutions from operating with cryptocurrencies or crypto assets.
References
- Banco Central de Honduras: Acuerdo 01/2026, Reglamento para la Negociación en el Mercado Organizado de Divisas (24 February 2026)
- Secretaría de Finanzas: Acuerdo 508-2026, Reglamento a la Ley de Ingreso de Divisas Provenientes de las Exportaciones (21 July 2026)
- El Heraldo: BCH amplía de 30% a 40% monto de retención de divisas a exportadores (10 September 2026)
- CriptoNoticias: Honduras prohíbe a los bancos operar con bitcoin y criptomonedas, Circular CNBS 003/2024 (17 February 2024)
- Swift: Fast, transparent and trackable payments (gpi)
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, OFAC: Who must comply with OFAC sanctions? (FAQ 11)
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.