Bankin and ATM's in Roatan
There are five banks on Roatan:
BAC-BAMER
Location: Coxen Hole
Phone: 445-1197
Work Hours: Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
Bac-Bamer has two ATM's in Coxen Hole next to the bank, and a third one in West End next to Angelo's Gelateria.
BANCO ATLANTIDA
Locations: Coxen Hole and French Harbour
Phone:
Work Hours: Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Both Locations have ATM's.
HSBC
Locations: Coxen Hole and Mount Pleasant (French Harbour)
Phones: 445-1232
Work Hours: Weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Both Locations Have ATM's.
BANCO LAFISE
Location: Mount Pleasant (French Harbour)
Phone: 445-6781, 445-6780
Work Hours: Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
BANCO DE LOS TRABAJADORES
Location: Roy Mart, between Diamond Rock and Oak Ridge
Work Hours: Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
There are two ATM's in West End, one outside of the Coconut Tree Store and the other next to Angelo's Gelateria.
There is one ATM's in West Bay and it is located at the Mayan Princess Hotel.
Opening a Bank Account
You’ll need two letters of recommendation from local people to open a bank account on Roatan and in any other bank agency in Honduras, which usually takes a couple of hours in the bank.
Honduran banks offer accounts in U.S dollars and Lempiras and it is advisable to open account in both currencies. The dollar account can be used to deposit monthly income from a U.S checking account (by writing a check) and thus avoid the expense of bank transfer fees; as well as pay bills charged in U.S dollars. Traveler’s checks may also be deposited in dollar accounts. Just remember, it takes around 30 days for most U.S checks and/or traveler’s checks to clear.
Once you have your dollars credited in your dollar account you can transfer these funds into your Lempira account. Get online access to do this and print out the transaction or have a bank clerk do it for you and obtain a print-out. The print out may be necessary for your residency requirements.
It is also advisable to obtain a debit card for the lempira account so you can use ATM’s instead of going to the bank every time you need cash. Not all banks accept utility payments, so don’t assume you can withdraw money and pay your bill right there. You might have to go to the bank next door. As there are only five banks o Roatan and these are often full to the brim, going to the ATM is much easier. Mailing payments through the Honduran Postal System is not an option.
Wire Transfers are another option for transferring money from a U.S bank account and usually entails sending the U.S bank a signed authorization so they’ll wire the funds to your Honduran bank account. Ask at the bank where you open an account for specific procedure. It is also advisable to set up with your bank at home before leaving to do wire transfers down to a Honduran bank.
Credit Cards
All major international credit cards such as VIsa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and stores on Roatan.