Top 8 Travel Tips to Utila & The Bay Islands
Updated June 11, 2022
The biggest travel changes in this post are:
- No tests required to USA (See Section 3)
- Dogs no longer allowed in cabin with United Airlines (See section 6)
- The Utila Dream Ferry from Roatan has moved location (See section 7)
We do everything we can to stay updated on the Covid-19 entry requirements & travel to Honduras, and the requirements for your travel/return to the USA or Canada. 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 voyage so you can safely arrive in Honduras, and to your ultimate destination in the Bay Islands, whether it may be to Utila, Roatan, or Guanaja.
This is what you’ll find in this post:
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- Entry Requirements to Honduras (Updated 4 May, 2022)
- Pre-Check In Form Help & Health Form Section
- Travel Restrictions for the U.S.A. (Updated June 12, 2022)
- Canada Loosens Entry Requirements ( Updated April 1, 2022)
- Updated airline schedules – Canadian Flights, CM Airlines, Aeromexico
- Dogs with U.S. rabies vaccinations may travel back & forth to Honduras.
- NEW Utila Dream Ferry Terminal Moved
- Covid Testing in Utila & Roatan
1. Honduras Covid-19 Entry Requirements (as of 4 May, 2022)
- Vaccination proof is enough to enter Honduras, or,
- Negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of travel if no proof of vaccine can be shown.
- Immigration Pre-Check & Health Form must be filled in within 72 hours prior to arrival
As long as all your vaccination doses are complete 2 weeks prior to your travel, Honduras will allow proof of vaccination as being sufficient to enter Honduras. If you are not vaccinated, you’ll need a negative rapid antigen or PCR test taken within 72 hours of your travel. You must complete the pre-check form prior to your travel. See the next tip on filling out the Pre-Check Form. You may need to be firm with airlines on the Honduran entry requirements as some travelers experienced push-back at the check-in desk until the passenger showed the travel requirements to enter Honduras. So be prepared.
Remember that your passport to enter Honduras must be valid for the next six months, so check your expiry date.
2. Honduras Pre-Check Form & New Health Form
As of the 4th of May, 2022, the immigration and health policies regarding Covid-19 remain the same as before. There are two forms to complete:
- The Pre-Check Form.
- The Health Form (accessed when completing the Pre-Check Form)
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. 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‘. 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“. Also, note that you may need proof of exit from Honduras during your maximum visa allowance of 90 days for most countries’ visas. Your ticket should 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, April 3, 2022 is July 2, 2022 (not July 3, 2022). The form should also be completed when departing Honduras. If you’re heading to the USA, it took me a while to find the ‘destination country’. It is listed as “Estados Unidos de Norte America“. HEALTH FORM: Note that if you complete the form in english, there is the field “Responsable of Notifying“… It’s a bug in the form. If you click Spanish, it will fill the field with the Doctor in charge of your case. Use the guide above and you should have no problems completing the necessary forms. Good luck!
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3. Covid-19 Travel Restrictions for the U.S.A.
Effective June 12, 12:01am ET (or 10:01pm June 11th, 2022 Honduras Time), proof of negative tests will no longer be required for U.S. passengers returning to the USA.
The current travel requirements to the USA, as of June 12th, 2022 (see above) are categorized into two groups:
- American Citizens, residents, immigrants – No tests required
- Visitors – Covid-19 Vaccination No Tests required to Travel to the USA
For Americans (Category 1), you no longer require a negative test.
For visitors (Category 2), a Covid-19 vaccine with all doses completed 15 days prior to travel to the U.S.A. is required and you no longer require a negative Covid-19 test.
If you are a visitor to the USA, and you are not vaccinated, you may not transit through the USA.
The CDC, effective April 18,2022 states that “requiring masks on public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs is no longer in effect. Therefore, CDC will not enforce the Order. CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time.”
4. Canada Allows Proof of Vaccination to Enter
Currently, Canada has lifted the PCR test requirement and is accepting negative Covid-19 rapid antigen tests taken the day before travel. OR, as of April 28th, 2022, proof of a Covid-19 Vaccination, completed at least 15 days before arrival, will suffice for entry to Canada. Please note that the vaccination proof must be in English or French. Those vaccinated in Honduras need to have their vaccination card translated.
5. Airline Schedules – NEW CM Airlines Flights!
Here’s the latest flight itineraries and schedules thanks to the Bay Islands Tourism Bureau (updated May 18, 2022)
CM Airlines New Flights To/From Utila
CM Airlines has also started ‘test’ flights between Tegucigalpa (TGU – the nation’s capital), Roatan (RTB), Utila(UII) & San Pedro Sula (SAP). PLEASE use this flights wherever possible so CM Airlines continues this schedule.
Remember, the ferry leaves here at 10:20am and arrives around 11:20am in Roatan. You’ll need to grab your luggage and get a taxi to the airport. If your flight leaves at 12:40 pm, it’s cutting it close. The airport in Roatan has been extremely busy lately and may cause a delay at check-in, and subsequent screening through airport security.
Palmerola/Comayagua Airport (The New Tegucigalpa Airport)
Effective April 7, 2022, Aeromexico will begin flights from Palmerola Airport, Comayagua, Honduras, the new airport about 52 miles/84 km from the old airport in Tegucigalpa. However, when I checked the Aeromexico site today, there were no options to fly from Comayagua/Palmerola.
Although the Comayagua/Palmerola Airport doesn’t show other airlines besides Spirit Airlines on their website, if you click on the active flights, it shows Avianca, American, and United Airlines as flying in and out today.
6. Dogs Vaccinated in the USA may travel (+ more requirements)
Please check with your airline, as some airlines like United airlines, are no longer allowing pets in the cabin.
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.
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
7. Utila Dream Ferry Terminal Moved!
Please note that the Utila Dream Ferry terminal in Roatan has moved from French Harbor to Dixon Cove by the BIP station effective June 9, 2022. This adds about a 15 minute taxi ride back and forth from the airport. It’s about 2 1/4 miles from the airport, so plan accordingly. Here’s a map showing the location. Tell the taxi drivers that it is in front of the BIP gas station.
Good luck!
The Utila Dream Ferry has daily trips between Utila and Roatan. This means that you’ll be able to fly into Roatan (RTB), the neighboring island to Utila. Prior to the Roatan terminal move, if you arrived around 1 pm, you would be able to take the Utila Dream Ferry to Utila the same day. Now, we’ll need to rely on other passengers to determine if this is enough time to make it to the ferry.
Remember that when you arrive in Roatan, the timing to make the departure of the Utila Dream Ferry at 2 pm can be extremely tight!!!
I heard immigration is no longer allowing Utila travelers to fast-track through. Before, to fast-track your way through customs and immigration in Roatan, if you show proof of onward travel to Utila, and show them your reservation or your ferry tickets, etc., they will allow you to make your way to the leftmost “resident’s & Hondurans” line, at immigration. It’s my understanding that the latest possible time for you to make the ferry would be an airport arrival before 1:00 PM.
When departing Utila, you should really arrive at the Roatan airport about 2 hours ahead of your flight. Friends missed their flight by taking the 10:20 am 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 making your flight. Consider spending one night in Roatan before your departure, or check out the new CM Airlines flights to Roatan Monday through Saturday.
8. Utila & Roatan Covid-19 Testing Centers
Remember if returning to the USA you’ll need a negative test one day prior to your departure. This is required regardless if you’re vaccinated.
The 72-hour timeframe is for entry to Honduras, not to return to the USA.
For Utila, click here to schedule your test at the Utila Hyperbaric Chamber only. Click the blue BOOK NOW button on the top right of the page to book your appointment. You’ll want the “Covid Testing – Antigen” appointment for 1500 lps.
If there are up to 4 of you, you only need one appointment. Results are given within minutes. Once tested be sure to check the date, your name & travel document are correct, otherwise, your test will be denied.
If in Roatan, ONLY use the centers listed below. Otherwise your test results will be denied.
Also, Covid video tests with live nurses are accepted for entry back into the USA.
We hope that this information will aid you in making your trip planning easier so you can come visit this beautiful island of Utila, Honduras!