USD Business Account in Honduras: 2026 Guide

Key takeaways

Under the BCH foreign exchange regulation restated in 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 to the BCH 100% of their daily foreign currency income no later than the next business day, and the BCH sells dollars back through an auction with bids within a band of 1% either side of a central rate.
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, and agents may charge a commission of up to 0.5%.
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 set in the export declaration.
The BCH board may authorize exporters to retain part of their foreign currency for foreign obligations, inputs and machinery, and in September 2026 it raised the retention limit from 30% to 40%.
CNBS Circular 003/2024 prohibits all supervised financial institutions from holding, investing in, intermediating or operating with cryptocurrencies or crypto assets.

USD business accounts in Honduras: the short answer

The currency of Honduras is the lempira, the only legal tender in the country. Dollar deposit accounts exist alongside lempira accounts: the BCH's own rules refer to foreign currency deposit accounts held in a client's name at authorized institutions. Holding dollars is allowed. What is controlled is trading them: buying or selling dollars must go through the BCH or an authorized exchange agent, and export proceeds must come home.

A buyer abroad pays a Honduran bank account by SWIFT, the international network banks use to send cross-border payments, identified by an 8 or 11 character bank code. A Honduran account has no US routing number, the 9 digit code that identifies a bank in the United States. Without one, a US buyer cannot pay by ACH, the low-cost US domestic bank transfer system, or by Fedwire, the Federal Reserve's same-day system for large dollar payments.

Option	Account holder	How dollars arrive from the United States	Main point to check
Dollar deposit account at a Honduran bank	The Honduran company	SWIFT wire through the bank's US correspondent	Inbound wire fee, and export proceeds rules if the dollars come from exports
USD account details from a provider abroad	The Honduran company, if the provider accepts Honduras	ACH, Fedwire or SWIFT, depending on the provider	Eligibility, and the duty to repatriate export proceeds
US company route	A separate US entity	ACH, Fedwire or SWIFT	US formation, Employer Identification Number (EIN), US tax filings and Honduran export rules
Stablecoins (USDC, USDT)	Company, through a provider	Blockchain transfer	Honduran banks are barred from crypto; see the crypto section

Comparison of option types, not a ranking. Sources: BCH, Acuerdo 01/2026; SEFIN, Acuerdo 508-2026; CriptoNoticias on CNBS Circular 003/2024; provider pages cited below, as published on 29 October 2026.

The export rules shape every option. A dollar account abroad, or a US company, does not remove an exporter's duty to bring the proceeds of its exports into Honduras and sell them to an authorized agent. Read the next two sections before choosing.

BCH foreign exchange rules: the organized market and the auction

The BCH runs the Mercado Organizado de Divisas (MOD), the organized foreign exchange market. Its regulation, the Reglamento para la Negociación en el Mercado Organizado de Divisas, was restated in full in BCH Acuerdo 01/2026, published in La Gaceta No. 37,078 on 24 February 2026 and in force from 25 February 2026. For this regulation, foreign currency means only the US dollar.

Rule	What it says	What it means for a company
Article 2: who trades dollars	Only the BCH and the exchange agents its board authorizes may trade foreign currency; any person or company may hold foreign currency assets, but may trade them only with the BCH or through authorized agents	A company may keep dollars, but buys and sells them only through a bank, savings and loan association or exchange house authorized as an agent
Article 8: surrender by agents	Agents must sell to the BCH 100% of their foreign currency income daily, no later than the next business day; remittances follow their own rule	The dollars your bank buys from you pass to the BCH, which then auctions dollars back to the market
Article 10: commissions	The BCH charges 0.4% on auction sales; agents may charge private clients a commission of up to 0.5% on sales of dollars	Budget up to 0.5% on top of the rate when buying dollars to pay suppliers
Article 13: auction size	The BCH offers 90% of the median foreign currency income of the last five business days, and may offer more	Supply in the auction follows recent inflows
Article 15: band	Bids must fall within 1% above or below the center of the exchange rate band	The rate moves within a narrow daily band
Article 22: direct sales	Agents cannot sell US$10,000 or more to a private sector client on the same day, in one or several operations	Larger purchases go through the auction, with supporting documents

Source: Banco Central de Honduras, Acuerdo 01/2026, La Gaceta No. 37,078 (24 February 2026), as published on 29 October 2026.

To take part in the auction, companies bid through their agent and present a valid RTN, the Registro Tributario Nacional (national tax registration), and documents supporting each request, for example the supplier invoice an importer needs to pay. Bids without supporting documents may be rejected.

Export proceeds: repatriation and surrender

Honduras requires exporters to bring their foreign currency home. The Ley de Ingreso de Divisas Provenientes de las Exportaciones, Legislative Decree 108-90 of 1990, is applied through a regulation issued by the Ministry of Finance (SEFIN) after consulting the BCH. The current regulation is Acuerdo 508-2026, signed on 17 July 2026 and published in La Gaceta No. 37,199 on 21 July 2026, which replaced Acuerdo 0630 of 2003.

Declare before shipping. Before each export, the exporter files an export declaration with the BCH on its electronic platform.
Bring all of it in. Article 6 states that exporters are obliged to bring into the country all the foreign currency generated by their exports, and they must sell it to authorized exchange agents within the deadline set in the declaration.
Report the sale. The agent certifies the declaration of foreign currency income and sends it to the BCH within two business days; the exporter sends an electronic copy in the same period.
Retention. The BCH board may authorize an exporter, on a reasoned request, to retain and use part of its foreign currency for foreign payment obligations, inputs, machinery and spare parts.

Destination of the export	Maximum repatriation period, by product (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
Extraordinary disruptions	Up to 15 additional business days on request to the BCH

Sources: SEFIN, Acuerdo 508-2026 (La Gaceta No. 37,199, 21 July 2026); El Heraldo, agreement extending export repatriation periods (22 July 2026); El Heraldo, BCH raises retention from 30% to 40% (10 September 2026). As published on 29 October 2026.

El Heraldo reported on 10 September 2026 that the BCH board raised the share exporters may retain from 30% to 40%, with each authorization valid for 12 months and renewable. Exporters' representatives have described fines of up to 5% of the exported value for late repatriation under the earlier rules. If your company exports, every dollar of export proceeds must be traceable from the buyer's payment to the sale to a Honduran exchange agent, whichever account first receives it.

Option 1: a dollar account at a Honduran bank

A Honduran company opens a dollar deposit account at a bank supervised by the Comisión Nacional de Bancos y Seguros (CNBS), the banking and insurance regulator. The account is in the company's own name and is paid from abroad by SWIFT through the bank's US correspondent. A correspondent bank is a bank that holds an account for another bank and settles payments in its currency.

For an importer, the bank account is also the route to buy dollars. Purchases under US$10,000 a day can be made directly with the bank as exchange agent; larger amounts go through the BCH auction with supporting documents. Plan payments to suppliers around the auction, and keep pro forma invoices and contracts ready for the bank.

When a buyer abroad pays by SWIFT, intermediary banks can deduct their own fees. OUR, SHA and BEN are SWIFT charge codes: OUR means the sender pays all fees, SHA means fees are shared so intermediaries can deduct theirs from the amount, and BEN means the receiver pays them all. For large invoices, agree OUR terms with the buyer in the contract, so the invoice is paid in full. Our guide to SWIFT fees and the OUR, SHA and BEN codes explains the difference with examples.

Before opening, ask the bank four things: the fee for each incoming international wire, the fee and cut-off time for outgoing wires, the commission it charges on dollar sales within the 0.5% cap, and how it handles export proceeds declarations for your company.

Options 2 and 3: providers abroad and the US company route

US account details, a routing and account number, let US buyers pay by ACH or Fedwire as they would pay a domestic supplier. The first question for a Honduran company is whether the provider accepts companies registered in Honduras. The table records what each provider states on its own pages.

Provider	What its own pages state for Honduras	What it means for a Honduran company
Airwallex	Honduras is not on its list of supported business registration locations; it states it cannot process applications from locations not listed	Not available to a company registered in Honduras at present
Wise	Honduras is not on its list of countries where customers can hold money	Holding a balance is not available to Honduras residents at present
Mercury	Accepts only companies formed and registered in the United States or a US territory	Available only through a US company owned from Honduras

Sources: Airwallex, eligible countries and territories; Wise, where do I need to live to hold money with Wise; Mercury, eligibility. As published on 29 October 2026. Eligibility lists change; check each provider's page before applying.

Some Honduran owners form a US company, usually a limited liability company (LLC) or a Delaware corporation, and open a US account in its name. The US company needs an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the US federal tax number for a business. The IRS instructions for Form SS-4 state that applicants with no principal place of business in the United States may call 267-941-1099, from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday to Friday, and that only international applicants can receive an EIN by telephone.

Either route must fit the export rules. If the Honduran company is the exporter on the export declaration, the proceeds belong to it and must reach a Honduran exchange agent within the deadline, even if the buyer first pays an account abroad. Routing export sales through a US company changes who the exporter is, which has tax and customs consequences in both countries. Take Honduran legal and tax advice before using either route for export income.

Documents Honduran banks ask for

Honduran banks ask for the company's legal documents, its tax registration and identification for everyone who signs. Exchange agents ask for some of the same documents again when the company buys dollars through the BCH auction.

Document	When it is asked for
ID of the legal representative and all authorized signatories	Account opening
Statutes or deed setting out the company's purpose	Account opening
RTN (Registro Tributario Nacional)	Account opening, and a valid numeric RTN for each auction bid
Two bank references	Account opening
Resident card	Auction bids by foreign nationals resident in Honduras
Supporting documents for each dollar request	Auction bids, for example the invoice to be paid
Export declaration and declaration of foreign currency income	Every export, under Acuerdo 508-2026

Sources: Biz Latin Hub, how to open a corporate bank account in Honduras (updated 29 December 2025); BCH, Acuerdo 01/2026, Article 12; SEFIN, Acuerdo 508-2026. As published on 29 October 2026. Each bank sets its own list.

Providers that give US account details ask for a similar file, often with more evidence of trade: contracts or purchase orders with main buyers and suppliers, sample invoices, an ownership chart down to every person holding 25% or more, and a short description of the business and its expected monthly volumes. Keep the same company name on every document.

Stablecoins and crypto in Honduras

Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to hold a steady value against a currency. USDC and USDT are the two most widely used dollar stablecoins. Honduras has not made them legal tender, and its banks may not deal in them.

CNBS Circular 003/2024. Adopted at the CNBS session of 9 February 2024, the circular prohibits all supervised institutions from holding, investing in, intermediating or operating with cryptocurrencies or crypto assets, and from holding assets or liabilities whose returns depend on crypto prices. It also covers tokens and similar assets not issued or authorized by the BCH.
Legal tender. The lempira is the only legal tender in the country.
Foreign exchange. Dollars may be traded only with the BCH or through authorized exchange agents, and supervised banks cannot convert crypto for a client.

Question	What the sources say
Is crypto legal tender?	No; the lempira is the only legal tender
Can Honduran banks hold or trade crypto?	No; CNBS Circular 003/2024 prohibits supervised institutions from doing so
Does the circular cover companies outside the financial system?	It is addressed to supervised institutions, as reported
Can export proceeds be taken in stablecoins?	Exporters must bring all export foreign currency into Honduras and sell it to authorized agents

Sources: CriptoNoticias, CNBS Circular 003/2024 (17 February 2024); SEFIN, Acuerdo 508-2026. As published on 29 October 2026.

For a Honduran trading company, the practical reading is that stablecoins cannot pass through a Honduran bank, and that export proceeds received in stablecoins would still fall under the duty to repatriate and sell foreign currency. Take Honduran legal advice before accepting stablecoins from any buyer.

Where a Helm USD account fits

Helm is a financial technology company, not a bank. Accounts are held with regulated partner institutions. Helm serves companies registered in Honduras, with USD account details in the company's own name: a US routing and account number that receives ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT. Article 2 of the BCH regulation allows a Honduran company to hold foreign currency assets; trading dollars against lempiras still goes through Honduran exchange agents.

Collecting from US buyers by ACH or Fedwire into an account in the company's own name. For export proceeds, plan the onward transfer to your Honduran bank so the dollars are sold to an exchange agent within the deadline in your export declaration.
Paying suppliers abroad through international payments by SWIFT and by local rails in the supplier's currency where available, with the rate, fee and expected arrival shown before sending. EUR details (IBAN, SEPA and SWIFT) and GBP details (sort code, Faster Payments and SWIFT) sit alongside the USD details.
Stablecoins: the account can receive, send and convert USDC and USDT to USD. In Honduras, take local legal advice first, and do not use it for export proceeds.
Trade finance: supplier finance, receivables finance and working capital, arranged case by case.

Each account has a named account manager, and review questions are answered in writing within one business day. Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens.

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USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.

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Questions

Can a company in Honduras have a US dollar bank account?

Yes. BCH rules refer to foreign currency deposit accounts at authorized institutions, and the BCH regulation allows any person or company to hold assets in foreign currency. Buying or selling those dollars must go through the BCH or an authorized exchange agent.

Does Honduras have foreign exchange controls?

Yes. Dollars can be traded only with the BCH or through authorized exchange agents, agents must sell 100% of their daily foreign currency income to the BCH by the next business day, and the BCH sells dollars back through an auction within a 1% band.

How much can I buy in dollars from a Honduran bank?

Exchange agents cannot sell US$10,000 or more to a private sector client on the same day directly, whether in one or several operations. Larger amounts go through the BCH auction, with an RTN and supporting documents for each request.

Do Honduran exporters have to bring dollars home?

Yes. Acuerdo 508-2026, published on 21 July 2026, states that exporters must bring into the country all the foreign currency from their exports and sell it to authorized exchange agents within the deadline in the export declaration.

How long do Honduran exporters have to repatriate export proceeds?

Under the July 2026 regulation, maximum periods range from 40 to 85 business days depending on the product and destination, as reported by El Heraldo. Micro and small exporters get five more business days, and up to 15 more can be requested for extraordinary disruptions.

Can Honduran exporters keep part of their dollars?

Yes, with BCH approval. The BCH board may authorize retention for foreign obligations, inputs, machinery and spare parts, and in September 2026 it raised the retention limit from 30% to 40%, for 12 months at a time.

Can a Honduran company get US routing and account numbers?

Yes, from a provider that accepts companies registered in Honduras, or through a US company. Airwallex and Wise do not list Honduras on their eligibility lists, and Mercury accepts only US-formed companies; export proceeds rules still apply.

Is crypto legal in Honduras?

Crypto is not legal tender, and CNBS Circular 003/2024 prohibits supervised financial institutions from holding, investing in, intermediating or operating with crypto assets. Take local legal advice before a company accepts crypto.

Who regulates banks in Honduras?

Banks are supervised by the Comisión Nacional de Bancos y Seguros (CNBS). The Banco Central de Honduras authorizes exchange agents and runs the organized foreign exchange market.

References

HelmHelm is a business account for companies that trade internationally: USD, EUR and GBP accounts, international payments, collections and currency exchange, with a named account manager. Questions: [email protected].

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.

USD business account in Honduras