Honduras Pensionado Visa

The pensionado residence lets foreigners with a stable pension from abroad live in Honduras. The Ley de Migración y Extranjería (Art. 24) sets the floor at $1,500 a month, and Acuerdo Ministerial 374-2025 restated that rule in 2025.

It is a residence permit, not a work permit. Pensioners may invest, but paid work in Honduras needs a separate permit (law Art. 23 and 24). Salary or freelance income does not count as a pension, so the route suits retirees rather than working remote employees.

The residence comes with an income tax exemption on the pension and duty-free import of household goods and a vehicle, and it can later lead to permanent residence.

• Pension: a permanent, stable pension from abroad of at least $1,500 a month or the equivalent in lempiras (regulation, Art. 25).
• Paid into Honduras: the pension must be received through a Honduran financial institution (Art. 26).
• Family: a spouse, minor children, dependent adult children and the pensioner's parents can also hold residence (law Art. 21).
• Age: neither the law nor the regulation sets a minimum age.

Lower pensions: Since July 29, 2025, applicants who fall short of the pensioner amount can request residence under Art. 21(8) by proving at least 50% of it (USD 750 a month), with the full documents and fee; approval is discretionary. The ministerial agreement states that this residence is not an obligation of the state and depends on the ministry's assessment of each case.

The 2004 migration regulation (Art. 22 and 26) asks for:

• An application addressed to the Secretary of State for Governance, with the legal stamps (timbres) for each applicant.
• A contact address and phone number in Honduras.
• A notarized power of attorney for the legal representative who files the case.
• One recent photo, 6 cm high by 5 cm wide, for each applicant.
• A certificate of migration movements from the migration authority.
• An entry request authorized by a Honduran consul, for applicants outside Honduras.
• Criminal record certificates from the country of origin and the last country of residence, plus a Honduran criminal investigation clearance.
• A medical certificate issued within six months before filing.
• An authenticated copy of the passport.
• A certificate from the institution paying the pension, and evidence that the pension will be received through a Honduran financial institution.

The law also asks for a certificate from a Honduran consul confirming the pension (Art. 29). Foreign documents must be legalized, and those in another language officially translated into Spanish by the foreign ministry or a Honduran consulate. The ministry can request further documents, and its current online checklist could not be reached.

The regulation fee schedule (Art. 126 and 127) sets:

• Residence, main applicant: $300
• Residence, each dependent: $150
• Registration of the residence: $20
• Permit to take paid work, if wanted: $200

The schedule dates from 2004 and is the latest official one found. Lawyer, translation, legalization and police certificate costs are extra.

Where to apply: Secretaría General of the Secretaría de Gobernación, Justicia y Descentralización when in Honduras, or a Honduran consulate when abroad.

1. Set up the pension transfer. Arrange for the pension to be paid into a Honduran financial institution.
2. Prepare the file. Gather, legalize and translate the documents in the requirements section.
3. File the application. A legal representative with a notarized power of attorney files it and the $300 fee is paid.
4. Register. After approval, register with the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) within 30 days (law Art. 55) and pay the $20 registration fee.
5. Collect the card. INM issues the residence card (carné).

No official processing time is published.

Residence is granted by resolution with no fixed end date. The residence card is issued for up to 5 years (regulation, Art. 84), though the law also refers to renewing it annually, so the card issued can run for less.

Renewal: Renew the residence card before it expires with two photos, the old card, the fee receipt and a certificate from a Honduran financial institution, dated within 30 days, showing the pension is still paid into Honduras in the required amount.

Absence: residents lose their status after more than 12 consecutive months abroad without permission (law, Art. 58).

Permanent residence: After five consecutive years as a resident, with the card renewed throughout, a pensioner can apply for residente inmigrado (permanent) status; naturalization depends on the residence time the Constitution sets by nationality.

Pensioner residents are exempt from Honduran income tax on the pension received under the residence permit, and may import household goods once and one vehicle free of import duties. (law, Art. 25 to 27)

Exempted taxes must be repaid if the residence is renounced or cancelled, and a vehicle imported duty-free cannot be sold tax-free for five years (Art. 26 and 28).

Tax residence starts after more than three months in Honduras in a calendar year. The income tax regulation lists residents as taxable on income from sources in Honduras or abroad (Art. 11 and 15), so income beyond the exempt pension should be checked with the tax authority (SAR).