One of the attractions of the Pan American when we first chose it, was the relatively limited amount of paperwork hassle, compared with some of the countries we traversed on our 2016-2018 cycle ride. When we first planned it, one or two countries required an online pre-authorisation (notably the USA ESTA), but nothing onerous. We knew the motorcycles would need border-crossing paperwork (and licenses, and insurance), although we didn’t know beforehand that even when nothing goes wrong, and queues are short, it can take a couple of hours to get the bikes across a Latin American border.

Then, already underway, we learned that Ecuador now required us to get a visa. Well, never mind, if it’s too difficult, we can bypass Ecuador. Then, our own government slapped visa restrictions on Honduran and Columbian citizens – and guess what? Yup. Now we need a visa to get into those – and they’re definitely essential parts of the route. Probably without the heavy, petrol filled motorcycles, we could boat around them. But the bikes – not at all easy, there certainly are not RoRo ferries.

So far (this written in early Feb 25, in Guatemala) we’ve only got our Honduran visas.

Honduras Visas

Obtained in person 30th Jan 2025 from the helpful consulate in Cuidad de Guatemala, about a week after sending stuff electronically for checking, and that was about a long week after organising our UK Police Checks to be done and documented. Thanks to MadOrNomad and Henry for their guidance.

There is no single public explanation of the process, which greatly unhelps, but in the end it went through just fine, and faster than reported by Henry for El Salvador. The painful bit was getting the UK Police Checks at short notice. Anyway, here’s our description of the process.

CONSULAR VISA, i.e. got at a Consulate.

We got this list of required documents, indirectly via Henry above and the C de G British consulate. It differs from the list in MadOrNomad, possibly different consulates do it differently:

– Passport with 6 months+ validity
– High quality photograph, and 2 passport photos.
– Original & photocopy of ID card (UK doesn’t have, we used our drivers license)
– Copy of passport page with ID and photo
– Letter to consulate explaining why visit, date of arrival, address and telephone number where going, and time in country. This was a test of my Spanish, our then host tidied it up for me.
– An employer letter about our leave from work. Odd, and not applicable to us retirees, we simply wrote “Jubilado” (retired) in our emails.
– Police Check. Obtained from UK police via the expensive (£115 ea) fast track, it was quick, and my sister sent us a scan and DHL’d an original each to our then Guatemalan address (DHL took under a week, cost £41). I gather from Henry, the non-fast track really does take 20 days.
– Solvency proof from 3 mo bank statements, original and copy of credit cards. We downloaded these, redacted account nos, sent jpgs and printed.
– Hotel reservation (ours for the first four days only, was not commented on).
– If other visa, bring. We didn’t have. We assumed they didn’t mean visa waivers like ESTA.

We also got in touch with the consulate on: consuladodehondurasgt@gmail.com
Correspondence was in Spanish, they always responded within a working day, maybe two.

They asked for electronic copies of all to be emailed to them, which we did.

Once we had done so, they responded with a copy of a PDF form to complete and print (we were to bring all the original paperwork plus form and two photos each) and a link to make an appointment:

https://citaconsular.sreci.gob.hn/citaconsular/pages/layout/CitaConsular.php

In the appointment page’s options, “multiple” refers to a multiple entry visa, not an appointment for multiple people. Having made an error, and asked, they invited me at a different time by email. It turned out to be fairly quiet, they were happy to do it anyway.

The consulate is here:
Embajada de Honduras, 6a Calle, Cdad. de Guatemala 01009, Guatemala, office 203. (The address given on their FB page is clearer.)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FFZCpTkdmKS4tnp66
I’m not sure those are spot on – go up the gated alley to the right of the big grey edifice 6-64, into an open area (coffee stall), the consulate is the last door on your right, next to a small shop which has a public bano.

At the (non) appointment, it’s all in Spanish, and rapid Spanish at that. The helpful chap took all the documents and our passports, checked them, and gave us each a chitty.

He did not actually ask to see originals of the copied (redacted) credit card or drivers licence. The bank statements we had downloaded to our phones, redacted account nos, and printed. We accidentally gave him both original and copy UK police checks, and he was happy to return the originals.

We had to take the chitties to a bank (a little kiosk in a supermarket about 1km S on the same side of Avenida Reforma.). At the bank we had to pay USD30 each, SEPARATELY, in cash ($ or Q), and get receipts. Take those back to the consulate.

Next he wanted the two each passport photos. If you don’t have them, over Av Reforma and a bit, is tiny Perfect Photo, 7a Calle 1-21 Zona 10.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EXktUghTo2ou79LQ9
Q100 for new photos, four each. Google shows Photo Sanchez next door, too.

Then we signed something – I think just our forms – and the visas were soon ready.

Our visas are valid for 60 days from date of issue, SINGLE ENTRY visas. A multiple entry is $60, and the need for it maybe should be explained in the letter of explanation?

In case it helps, here’s the text of our letter in Spanish. I wrote it, and our homestay host Jenny rephrased and corrected parts.

Sección Consular de Embajada de Honduras en Guatemala
Oficina 203,
Edificio Plaza Corporativa,
Av. La Reforma 6-64, Zona 9,
Cuidad de Guatemala,
Guatemala

22 de inero de 2025

A QUIEN CORRESPONDA

Lo siento por mi mal español.

Esta carta es para solicitar visas, y describe nuestras planes para visitar Honduras.

Nos llamamos Gideon Xxxxxx y Clare Xxxxxx. Somos de Reino Unido, pero estamos en Guatemala y El Salvador, antes de visitar Honduras.

Nosotros somos esposos jubilados, y estamos viajando en el “Pan American Highway” desde Alaska en Estados Unidos, hasta el sur de Argentina. Nosotros viajamos lentos, y paramos muchos lugares en las pais que visitamos.

Entonces, queremos visitar Honduras, y esperamos pasar un mes en este pais.

Actualmente estamos en Guatemala por algunas semanas, despues iremos a El Salvador por unas semanas mas, y luego planeamos entrar a Honduras por El Poy. Vamos a estar en Honduras cerca de el 25 de febrero. Nuestra direccion en Honduras sera:

Estaríamos muy agradecidos si nos otorga a ambos una visa de turista de 60 días.
[60 seems to be standard, my letter actually only asked for 30, but they gave 60. However, it starts from date of issue, not your stated date of entry.]

¡Gracias!

Atentamente

GIDEON Xxxxx
REINO UNIDO
Pasaporte Nnnnnnn

CLARE Xxxxx
REINO UNIDO
Pasaporte Nnnnnnn

Columbia Visas

Watch this space.

Ecuador Visas

Watch this space. Or not, if we bypass that reputedly wonderful, but currently troubled, land.