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Hi Paul,

Welcome to Honduras. I live in Sambo Creek on the mainland. I like to have lots of options. Island life has advantages, but these advantages usually come with a cost.

Keep in mind all of this advice is suspect until proven.

The first bit of advice I tell everyone that is moving to somewhere like Honduras is that if they have to ask these questions, they should not have plans to build a house. I have 20 years of experience listing to gringos that find out too late they do not fit into the ‘out of the US, existence.

Rent a couple of different places, for a month or so at a time, get to meet people and learn about all the issues that some find to be problematic.

Bank: Keep a US checking/savings account so you can use a US debit card. PayPal account will also come in handy. It may be suggested you have three different Honduran accounts. Dollar Savings, Lempira Savings, Lempira Checking. Many expats get rid of all three after a while. You will be surprised with interest and fees that we no longer have in the US. Depending upon the card and machine your debit withdraws will be limited to about 200 at a time 3 times a day. Not sure what the limits are with Honduran debit cards. Debit fees are $5. I have a no fee card with my US checking account. The $5 is immediately put back into my checking account after the transaction.

Make sure your bank accounts are set up to receive verification codes via email. Most default to text. If you need to verify your US bank account or PayPal from Honduras you will have no way to receive a text from the US to your Honduras phone. If you have a US phone chip you can put it into your phone and roam to get service and then get a text on your us number. It is common for gringos to end up with lots of money in accounts they cannot access.

I have one us checking, one lempira checking, and PayPal. This combination will take care of everything. Pay some of your Honduras bills, like your electric, online and this will keep your checking account active. If you do not have a transaction for 90 days it will be suspended and it will take a couple of hours to get it reactivated. You will be surprised how much paper work is involved in a bank transaction. Set it up for autopay and you can leave the country for extended times without the account being suspended.

Phone and internet. You can pay as you go or get a monthly account like we are used to in the US. Cost have come way down so for only about $40-50usd a month most can get plenty of minutes and data. WhatsApp is the way of the times. Phones are the same as bank accounts. For pay as you go service your number will be inactive if you do not make a call for 90 days. You may be told you can only have a monthly service if you have residency. Be nice and ask again if they tell you no. They can override the policy. Depending upon your needs phone and internet can cost between 20 and 200 usd a month.

Car insurance is not mandatory. Get car insurance. kentwildt@yahoo.com 9987-5955 Contact Kent Wildt. Keep his contact, along with your attorneys info in your wallet.

Best regards,
Steve