Honduras - 2.3.2 Land Border Crossing of Agua Caliente
Overview
The Agua Caliente land customs office is located in the municipality of Santa Fe, Department of Ocotepeque. It also operates under the Customs Union scheme between Honduras and Guatemala, which entered into force in June 2017.
This juxtaposed custom was to change to integrated customs in a few days, with Honduran customs officials moving to the Guatemalan customs building.
Agua Caliente resumes its customs operations, with the authorization of the Bailey bridge located at kilometer 234 of the CA-10 road route at the height of the dividing line between the republics of Honduras and Guatemala.
The installation of the Bailey bridge will guarantee the circulation and transit in a safe and suitable way for the means of transport and the general population that make their passage through the aforementioned customs. In the same way, it will provide better security to users, restoring normality in the attention of customs operations and other services provided by the institutions of both countries.
Between 2016 and 2021 the Agua Caliente customs has been among the top ten main customs, according to its level of collection.
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Border crossing point location and contact |
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|---|---|
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Name of border crossing point |
Agua Caliente |
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Province or district |
Ocotepeque |
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Nearest city with distance from the border crossing |
Santa Rosa de Copan |
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Latitude |
14°52′59" N |
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Longitude |
88°49′00" W |
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Managing authority / Agency |
Honduran Customs Administration |
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Contact person |
Fausto Calix |
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Travel schedules |
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|---|---|
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Nearest international airport |
Palmerola International Airport 354.3 km Travel time by truck: 7 h 18 min Travel time by car: 7 h 18 min |
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Nearest port |
Puerto Cortes 324.2 km Travel time by truck: 6 h 49 min Travel time by car: 6 h 49 min |
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Closest location with operating wholesale markets, or with significant manufacturing or production capacity. |
Ocotepeque Municipal Market 21.5 km Travel time by truck: 32 min Travel time by car: 32 min |
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Additional information |
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Opening hours |
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|---|---|
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Monday |
8:00–17:30 |
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Tuesday |
8:00–17:30 |
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Wednesday |
8:00–17:30 |
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Thursday |
8:00–17:30 |
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Friday |
8:00–17:30 |
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Saturday |
8:00–12:00 |
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Sunday |
8:00–12:00 |
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National holidays |
New Year's Eve (January 1) Good Friday (March/April) Holy Saturday (March/April) Easter (March/April) Labor Day (May 1) Independence Day (September 15) Christmas (December 25)
Border points between Honduras and its neighboring countries usually close on these holidays. However, it is important to check with border authorities for up-to-date information on closing times. |
|
Seasonal limitations |
September-November |
Daily capacity
Every day they make their passage through the Agua Caliente customs between 100 to 120 means of transport that carry out customs operations to this is added the light vehicles that transit for tourism, medical and minor trade issues. "
As a facilitation measure, the integrated Corinth border point was made available to the alternate route for the entry or exit of goods from or to Guatemala in means of transport of heavy loads, reinforcing a greater number of personnel and extending opening hours.
Customs Clearance
The Original Invoice must be formulated in the Spanish language or its corresponding translation attached. That commercial invoice shall contain at least the following information:
- Name and address of the seller;
- Place and date of issue;
- Name and address of the buyer of the goods;
- Detailed description of the goods, by make, model or style;
- Quantity of the goods;
- Unit and total value of the goods; and
- Terms agreed with the seller. When the commercial description of the goods included in the commercial invoice comes in code or codes, the importer must attach to the invoice a list of the information duly decoded.
2. Letter of the means of transport (original):
- Present the transport document that has been contracted and negotiated.
3. Customs Value Declaration (DVA) (original)
4. FAUCA (simple copy):
- Certificate of Origin
5. Phytosanitary Export Certificate of the country of origin (simple copy)
6. category A and B: Phytosanitary certificate (original)
In the case of urgent shipments (DE SOCORRO), the clearance procedure established in Decree No. 147-2020 — Law for the Facilitation of International Humanitarian Assistance in the Event of Disaster and Initial Recovery will apply.
Other relevant information
Since June 1, 2021, the advance electronic transmission of the Central American Single Declaration (DUCA) is mandatory for trade in goods originating in the region (DUCA-F) and for the import or export of goods with third countries (DUCA-D) at the three common border posts between Guatemala and Honduras: El Florido, Agua Caliente and El Corinto, as confirmed by SIECA.
This measure, the first to be implemented in the Central American region in a bilateral and coordinated manner, has a clear objective: to reduce transit and waiting times at common border posts, facilitating foreign trade operations, in compliance with Ministerial Instance Resolutions -UA 83/2020 and 59/2019.
All importers and exporters will be able to make use of the DUCA-F Advance Declaration, through the computer systems of the single windows of each country. In the case of Honduras, all exports with DUCA-F will be made through the Export Procedures Center (CENTREX) of the Ministry of Economic Development; and for Guatemala, through the Single Window for Exports (VUPE)
For the process of filling out and submitting the DUCA-F Advance Declaration of goods:
- The exporter must type, in the CENTREX system in the case of Honduras and VUPE for Guatemala, the information related to the definitive export regime and upload images of the documents that support the regime (Commercial invoice and transport document)".
- CENTREX and VUPE will transmit the information to the computer system of the Customs Service, which will validate the information transmitted and register the Declaration.
- The Customs System of Honduras and Guatemala will send the information to the repository of the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA).
- The system of the countries will receive the validation of the Advance Declaration for the agile passage of the goods.