Top 6 Travel Tips to Utila & the Bay Islands
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Great news! The USA will now allow your pets to return to the USA with proof of their rabies shots & other requirements. This means that you can now visit with your four-legged furry travel companions. See Point #1 for more information. |
Keep reading as we constantly update our Travel Tips Posts. In this post we’ll discuss:
- Dogs with U.S. rabies vaccinations & other reqs may travel back & forth to Honduras.
- New entry requirements returning, visiting, transiting through/to the USA (Nov 8, 2021)
- No Ferry Service Dec 25th or Jan 1st
- Pre-Check In Form Help & NEW ** Health Form Section
- Updated airline schedules – Canadian flights canceled.
- Covid Testing in Utila.
- Vaccination proof is enough to enter Honduras.
- Negative Covid-19 tests are still required if no proof of vaccine can be shown.
- To return to the USA, negative Covid-19 tests are also still required
Covid-19 has made international travel more difficult and the entry requirements for immigration are always changing, not only here in Honduras but in the USA, Canada & other parts of the world. So we’ve created a series of Honduras Travel Tips & Posts to help in planning your travel so you can safely arrive in Honduras, and to your ultimate destination like Utila or Roatan, or Guanaja. We feel that these are the Top Things To Know Before You Go!
At the risk of being repetitive, we always highlight new changes first and keep the same information for flights, test info, and pre-checks as needed. I refer to this post often as people are always coming and going & the pre-check help and other links are very helpful.
1. Dogs Vaccinated in the USA may travel (+ more requirements)
On July 14, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (the CDC) in the USA deemed Honduras as one of the high-risk countries for rabies. Hence, the CDC made a temporary suspension on dogs arriving from Honduras (and the other high-risk countries) if the dogs have visited any high-risk country in the last 6 months.
Fortunately, Effective December 1, 2021, the CDC will now allow dogs vaccinated in the USA by a US-licensed veterinarian to re-enter the USA from a high-risk country IF the dog:
- has a valid US-issued rabies vaccination certificate;
- has proof of a microchip;
- is at least 6 months old;
- is healthy upon arrival; and
- arrives at an approved port of entry
Click here for the approved ports of entry and note that the list also includes airports with quarantine stations.
2. New Entry Requirements to the USA
As of November 8, 2021, the USA has created new immigration rules around Covid-19. Nothing much has changed if you are a U.S. citizen, national, resident or immigrant. However, if you are a foreigner and you are not vaccinated, you are no longer able to enter the USA unless you qualify for an ‘exception‘. This also applies to those ‘in transit’.
And although this isn’t a travel tip to get to Honduras, it does apply to Americans if you are not vaccinated. The negative covid test requirements have changed whereby you’ll need a negative covid test within 24 hours prior to travel, instead of the previous 72-hour test requirement.
3. Getting from Roatan to Utila
The Utila Dream Ferry has daily trips between Utila and Roatan. This means that you’ll be able to fly into Roatan (see available flights below) which is the neighboring island to Utila. If you arrive around 1pm, you’ll be able to take the Utila Dream Ferry to Utila the same day. Remember that when you arrive in Roatan, the timing to make the departure of the Utila Dream Ferry at 2pm can be extremely tight!!!
To fast-track your way through customs and immigration in Roatan, if you show proof of onward trave
l to Utila, show them your reservation or your ferry tickets, etc., they will allow you to make your way to the leftmost line at immigration. This line is normally for locals and residents and is always much shorter and faster, so you have a great chance of catching the Utila ferry. It’s my understanding that the latest possible time for you to make the ferry would be an airport arrival before 1:00 PM.
Although I heard immigration is no longer allowing Utila travelers to fast-track through so please let us know if that is the case.
Note that Honduras does not do daylight savings time, so make sure your flight times work out as arrival time to Honduras, before and after the ‘spring forward’ ‘fall back’ times, will change by an hour. When flight arrivals are normally 12:40pm with United Airlines, flights will arrive at 1:40pm with the world ‘falling back’ an hour in September, while Honduras does not change their clocks for Daylight Savings Time.
Also please note that there is NO FERRY SERVICE running on Dec. 25th or January 1st.
When departing Utila, you should really arrive at the Roatan airport about 2 hours ahead of your flight. We’ve had friends miss their flights by taking the 10:15am ferry from Utila to Roatan, arriving just shy of one hour before departure. The airline had already closed the check-in desk. If there are any delays due to a high volume of travelers, or really rough seas, this could jeopardize you making your flight. Consider spending one night in Roatan before your departure, or take a private charter flight from Utila to Roatan for about $375 and book it with one of the local travel agencies. These charter flights can take up to 5 passengers with carry-on luggage only, or fewer passengers with more luggage.
4. ** NEW ** Health Form Requirement & Pre-Check Form
As of November 4, 2021 the immigration and health policies regarding Covid-19 remained the same. However, there is an additional requirement to complete a Health Form.
To enter Honduras, as of June 10, 2021, Honduras added “proof of a complete Covid-19 vaccine received at least 2 weeks prior, as an entry requirement, in lieu of a negative Covid-19 test.” However, you may need to be firm with airlines as some travelers experienced push-back at the check-in desk until the passengers showed the travel requirements to enter Honduras. So be prepared.
If you are not vaccinated, you are required to have a negative covid PCR and/or negative antigen test taken 72 hours prior to your departure to Honduras.
Prior to flying, in addition to the requirement to complete the Honduras Pre-Check In form, please note Step 2: the NEW requirement to fill out the Epidemiological Health Surveillance Form (see red arrow below).
| All travellers to Honduras must complete an online “Pre-check Form”. The form can be completed within 48 hours of your trip. However, you can register immediately and complete all the questions.
Since this form has caused some confusion, the Roatan Task Force has put together a 12 page step-by-step user guide to help you complete the online form. Honduran Immigration Forms User Guide v2.3(R). PLEASE use this pdf guide which will walk you through the process of filling out the Pre-Check Form and the New Health Form. There are some bugs in the form so follow the guide. PRE-CHECK FORM: In the top right corner, there’s a flag where you can change the language of the site from ‘español’ (spanish) to ‘english’ (see photo above). |
When you’re within the 48-hour time frame you can submit your form (this is to avoid excess records in the immigration system). You should receive a response via email, although some people have reported having not received an email. Print out your completed form and carry the form with you. To make things speedier for check-in, highlight your name, pre-check # and date of travel. Also know that you must have your correct flight information, otherwise you will not be able to complete the check-in. Below are the official names of the airports since the form does not state the airport location when requesting the “Immigration Office” of your arrival airport:
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If you’re visiting Roatan, Guanaja or Utila, your destination should be “Bay Islands – Islas de la Bahia“.
Don’t forget to check your passport expiry date. It must be valid for at least 6 months before expiry or you will not be able to enter Honduras!
Also note that you must have a proof of exit from Honduras during your maximum visa allowance of 90 days for most country’s visas. Your ticket must be round-trip or you must have proof of your plans to exit the country. Remember that 90 days is NOT three months. For example, 90 days from today, November 28, 2021 is Feb 27, 2022, not the 28th.
The form should also be completed when departing Honduras. If you’re heading to the USA, it took me awhile to find the ‘destination country’. It is listed as “Estados Unidos de Norte America“.
5. Book from these Airline Schedules
Here’s the updated flight schedule revised on November 21, 2021. Great news for all those Colorado residents with flights every Saturday beginning December 18, 2021.
When Covid hit Honduras, the country went under complete lockdown on March 16, 2020. Since then we worked to keep travelers informed on what flights were incoming for evacuation, as these flights were different from what the airlines posted and even what airline personnel was booking with travelers.
Once the country opened back up for tourism, there was so much confusion and cancelled flights so the Roatan Tourism Bureau created a flight schedule. Unfortunately, we JUST learned that Air Transat which was providing direct flights from Toronto & Montreal to Roatan, cancelled all their season 2021-2022 flights. They say they will re-visit their plans for the 2022 season.
Due to the reduced numbers of travelers and Covid-19 travel restrictions, many airlines have reduced their normal flight schedules so stick to the flights listed here, if not your flight will likely get cancelled.
6. Covid testing in Utila
Note that to enter/re-enter the USA, you must present a negative PCR or antigen covid test. The easiest and most organized way of doing so, is by clicking this link here for the Hyperbaric Chamber Medical Clinic’s facebook page and click the blue ‘Book Now” button.
That will take you to a menu of items including the COVID Testing – Antigen test for 1500 lps. You will see all available appointments. Make sure you get a confirmation facebook message from them.
FAQs on the test:
- Yes, the results are given while you wait (about 5 minutes).
- Yes they take credit cards as payment.
- Yes the rapid antigen test will get you back into the USA & is required even if you are vaccinated.
The Utila Hyperbaric Chamber is located right next to the children’s playground by the Bay Islands College of Diving. When it’s time for your appointment, knock on the door and enter.
Make sure when you get your test done that your passport number and name are exactly as they appear on your travel documents or you may be denied boarding your flight.
We hope this information has helped! Safe travels!