Top 6 Utila Travel Tips

To help you in planning your travel to Utila, we’ve created the Top 6 Travel Tips focusing on Utila, which has updated information on travelling to Honduras & the Bay Islands. 

Since JUNE 10 2021: Honduras adds “proof of a complete Covid-19 vaccine received at least 2 weeks prior, as an entry requirement to Honduras in lieu of a negative Covid-19 test.”

However, you may need to be firm with airlines as some travelers experienced push-back at check-in, until the passengers showed the travel requirements to enter Honduras. So be prepared.

Negative Covid-19 tests as described below are still required if no proof of vaccine can be shown.

1. Fill out your pre-checkin form prior to arriving.

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. When you’re within the 48 hour time-frame you can submit your from (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 (you may even want to make copies to hand out). 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. And here are the official names of the airports below:
  • Roatan (RTB – Juan Manuel Galvez)
  • La Ceiba (LCE – Internacional Goloson) or
  • San Pedro Sula (Ramon Villeda Morales SAP)
  • Tegucigalpa (Toncontín International Airport TGU)

This pre-check in form details your traveler documentation as well as your negative Covid test details. This is not a ‘yes you can enter’ / ‘no you cannot enter form’, it is there to help administer incoming passengers during this crazy Covid pandemic.

Since this form has caused some confusion, the Roatan Task Force has put together a step-by-step user guide to help you complete the online form. You can access this flip book guide which will walk you through the process of filling out the form by clicking here for the 5 page booklet of instructions. Also note that in the top right corner, there’s a flag where you can change the language of the site from ‘español’ (spanish) to ‘english’.
utila real estate julie shigetomi travel tips to utila
If you’re visiting Roatan, Guanaja or Utila, your destination should be “Bay Islands – Islas de la Bahia“.
And 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, Sept 12th, 2021 is December 11th, 2021, not the 12th of December. 
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“, even though they have “United States Minor Outlying Isla”. That is NOT it.

2. Negative covid test 72 hours prior to departure to Honduras.

Negative Covid Test

To enter Honduras (if you are not vaccinated), and to return to the USA, you are required to have a negative covid PCR and/or negative antigen test taken 72 hours prior to your departure. The same applies with entering Canada. However, Canada has additional requirements of a negative PCR test and quarantine requirements, and other special admission requirements due to Covid-19.

Please note that for those travelling from the UK & South Africa you’re not allowed into Honduras. If you’ve been there in the last 21 days and you’re a Honduran or foreign resident of Honduras, you’re required to do a mandatory 14 day quarantine upon arrival. This measure is temporary effective December 23, 2020, and is still in effect.

3. Covid testing in Utila

Utila COVID 19 Testing Locations

Utila Chamber covid appointment

To 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. Results are given while you wait. Yes they take credit cards as payment. The Utila Hyberbaric 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.

Chamber location Utila

 

4. Utila Dream Ferry daily trips between Utila & Roatan

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 travel 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. 

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. One day, ask me about the funny stories of when Honduras tried daylight savings time about 10 years ago. It lasted about a month, and some people in Utila refused to change time, so we had to work with lodal Captains on the ‘old time’ and the rest of the island on the ‘new time’. It was VERY confusing!

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 airlines had already closed the check-in desk. If there are any delay 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 charter flight from Utila to Roatan for about

5. Book from these airline schedules

Due to the reduced numbers of travelers and Covid-19 travel restrictions, many airlines have reduced their normal flight schedules. Please try to book the flights listed here, if not your flight will likely get cancelled. [Updated August 16 2021]:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And great news for all those Colorado residents! In December 2021, United Airlines is starting direct flights from Denver, Colorado (DEN) to Roatan, Honduras (RTB)!

 

6. Worldwide Travel Regulations Site

Are you having a hard time finding out what the travel requirements are during Covid? This site is super useful for finding up-to-date info on travel requirements around the world! And it’s currently accurate for Honduras!

We hope this information has helped! Safe travels!