Investor Residency

Honduras's Investor Residency (Residencia como Inversionista) enables foreign nationals who invest capital in the country to obtain legal residency. The program is established under Decreto No. 208-2003, Ley de Migracion y Extranjeria, specifically Articles 21(3) and 30-34, and is administered by the Instituto Nacional de Migracion (INM). At USD 50,000, Honduras offers one of the most affordable investor residency thresholds in the Americas. A 2025 ministerial agreement (Acuerdo Ministerial No. 374-2025) introduced an exceptional pathway that may allow applicants with as little as USD 25,000 (50% of the standard threshold) to qualify on a discretionary basis.

The minimum investment is USD 50,000 in any lawful economic activity in Honduras, including tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, and services, or in state certificates, securities, or bonds. A guarantee deposit of USD 5,000 must be placed at the Central Bank of Honduras and is returned within one year once the investment is verified. Applicants must register in the Investor Registry at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and provide a technical feasibility study with a timeline and investment plan. The investment must be maintained throughout the residency period.

All applications must be prepared and submitted by a Honduran lawyer registered with the Colegio de Abogados de Honduras. Applicants can enter Honduras on a tourist visa (up to 90 days for most nationalities under the CA-4 agreement) and begin the process in-country. Key steps include making the qualifying investment, registering with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, depositing the USD 5,000 guarantee at the Central Bank, and gathering apostilled and Spanish-translated documents. Processing takes approximately 3 to 9 months.

• Valid passport (minimum 6 months validity)
• Criminal background certificate from country of origin (apostilled, translated to Spanish)
• Medical certificate confirming no contagious diseases (issued within 6 months)
• Documentary proof of minimum USD 50,000 investment
• Technical feasibility study with timeline and investment plan
• Certificate of deposit of USD 5,000 from the Central Bank of Honduras
• Certificate of registration in the Investor Registry at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce
• All foreign documents must be officially translated and apostilled

Investor residents may engage in economic activities related to their investment without needing separate work authorization. Honduras operates a territorial tax system where only income sourced within Honduras is subject to taxation. Foreign-source income is exempt. An individual becomes tax resident after spending more than 90 days in the country during a fiscal year.

After 5 years of continuous legal residence, the holder may apply for inmigrado (permanent settlement) status. Naturalization to Honduran citizenship requires 3 consecutive years of residence for non-Central American, non-Ibero-American foreigners, with shorter periods for Central Americans (1 year) and Spanish/Ibero-Americans (2 years).

There is no mandatory minimum physical stay requirement to maintain the residence permit. However, residents who remain outside Honduras for more than 12 consecutive months without prior authorization from the INM will lose their residency status.