Considering moving to Belize

email me at**** and i will answer your questions.

@lannerath

hello and welcome !

Till members guide you, feel free to read the Living in Belize guide for expats to gather as much info as possible.

@John Acott, we would greatly appreciate if you could share some info on the forum itself for the benefit of all members.

All the best

Bhavna

Belizeans are some of the most generous,  welcoming people I’ve ever met.That being said they are a poor country, still developing. You are welcome, your dollars are welcome. Unless you work totally remotely or have very special skills, you cannot work in Belize.  Anything that would take a job away from a Belizean. Even a lot of volunteer jobs are prohibited. You can start a business as long as you hire Belizeans. The minimum wage was just raised to $3 an hour I believe.

Untill you are a resident or unless you come over on the QRP program, you must stay in housing that is approved by the tourism board. There is no MLS yet. Choose a realtor or builder carefully. Time is very slow in Belize. Plan at least three times longer to get anything done. If you haven’t been to Belize yet, plan to visit severa different areas to see what best suits you. Bring bug repellent or buy the local stuff. If you accept that Belize is a different way of life than the US you will love it 

Also note there are zero big box stores, zero big grocery stores like in the US. You have to go to Mexico for that. Medical care for serious health issues are limited. All things to take into consideration.

When you arrive, it will likely be on a 30-day Visitor's Permit. You can extend this by checking in with immigration (whether or not you cross a border). There is a long-stay permit and getting permanent residency is relatively straightforward if you're willing to put in the time and pay attention to the requirements. Employment is much harder unless you are working remote or plan to start your own business and have enough financial reserves to get it going. If you are starting your own business, you will be "self-sponsored" for the temporary employment permit or employment visa. Immigration has helpful information online:  https://immigration.gov.bz/permits/visitors-permit/

Basic and routine healthcare is fine, specialty healthcare can be harder to find. Many people travel out of the country for surgeries and for specialists.

There are two real estate associations in Belize that are merging: Association of Real Estate Brokers of Belize (AREBB) and the Belize National Association of Realtors (BNAR). AREBB started a country-wide Belize MLS last year, has an ethics committee that deals with all complaints on agents or brokerages, and has been working to improve standard practice within the industry. Not all people working as agents are created equal, but that can be said in our home countries as well. Big name real estate companies don't mean better agents, just that someone is paying for the name recognition.

In Belize one agent can represent both the buyer and seller, which may be different from where you live now. Because of this, some selling agents won't post their properties on a Multiple Listing Service because it encourages working together and a greater likelihood of having to split a commission. Unless you have signed a contract with a buyer's agent and agree to pay them an additional commission, the commission generally comes out of the seller's proceeds and is split by the agents involved in the sale (based on the terms of the agency).

Belize charges a conveyance tax/property transfer tax/stamp tax on real estate transactions plus some small filing fees. Under a previous version of the act it was 5% for everyone (long-time expats will remember this). Under the current act, the tax is set at 5% for Belizean citizens and 8% for foreigners based on the assessed value of the land. While the selling price can be used, the ultimate valuation is determined by the Lands Department. There is a process to appeal the valuation that they set, but it is lengthy. The act is currently being revised and will likely be updated in 2024.  There is no capital gains tax in Belize, so you only pay a tax when you buy the property.

AREBB is recommending that all purchase and sale contracts have the following clause added so that the buyer is aware:

LANDS DEPARTMENT: Buyer understands that if the Government of Belize,  Lands Valuation Department, re-assesses the value of the Property to be greater in value than the agreed upon price between the Parties, the anticipated 8% stamp duty shall be higher than previously declared.  The final value of the Property and any related taxes are subject to the sole and exclusive determination of the Belize Lands Valuation Department and are based on the value of the Property on the date of title transfer.  Any increase in Stamp Duty will be the responsibility of the Buyer."

In Belize, a closing attorney is not required, but many people choose to use one. They generally charge 2% of the purchase price to complete the closing documents (unless it is a small sale and then they may charge a flat fee). Some real estate agencies will work with a paralegal instead that charges a flat fee.

The Country of Belize recently went through a simplification of the land recording and ownership process in portions of the Country.  These are referred to as ‘registered areas'.  If the land you are buying is within a registered area, it is a very simple process for you to view the register and know if the land you are considering is owned outright, and if it has any mortgages or encumbrances on it. If the land is not within a registered area, it is a bit more complicated process and would be worth your while to retain the services of a title searcher which will average around $250. Title Insurance is available for 2% of the cost of the land.

Jobs are tough for immigrants anywhere. Belize is no exception, unless you're from one of the Caricom group of nations. If you have extraordinary credentials, there may be a spot for you, but in general you either need to create your own job (as a business owner) or work remote. Or be retired/wealthy.

Cost of living really depends on you. Average income is $6630 US equiv per year. Minimum wage is $5 per hour and a lot of jobs pay at or near minimum. So if you're willing to live like a Belizean, it can be done on the cheap. If you want to keep the AC low, have imported food/drink, servants, etc. the cost will go up pretty fast.

Not every rule gets enforced. We rent a home in a Cayo District village. It's not BTB. No one cares and how would they ever know? That could be different in more expat-oriented areas, where the 9% extra tax could add up to be worth enforcing.

Health care is crazy cheap. One of us saw a specialist and filled a prescription for $119 BZD. That's 1/15th the cost we paid in the US. Not every service is available, and it's not state of the art. Several Belizeans at my work have taken time off to go to Mexico for surgery or advanced procedures.

I work for a government entity here (the position I filled had an open search for a couple of years and requires credentials that are uncommon). The bureaucracy is awful. It has the complexity of UK/EU, but it's a developing nation. To get my work permit took 2 full months, even with a dedicated HR clerk, and despite the fact I work for Belize. An example -- I spent a couple hours sitting in the parking lot at Immigration. Finally got my turn, and was then told that on that day they were unable to accept electronic payments because they ran out of paper for the credit card machine. No sign, no announcement. If you didn't have the full amount in cash, you're asked to come back later. Obviously instead of sitting in the parking lot I could have gone to get cash and been back before my number was called. Customer service is so far out of their consciousness they never think of it, and at times it seems like they must get bonus pay for wasting your time.

In short, there's a reason there's 100s of Walmarts in Mexico and Guatemala but zero here, nor any other big chain. Between corruption and bureaucracy, it's just not worth the trouble. They won't touch Belize.

I never got an anti-US vibe, except maybe in one office. I have definitely seen some well-deserved backlash to "Karen" style immigrants. E.g., at immigration an American woman kept complaining about having to wait for her number. It was hot in the parking lot (August in the tropics, go figure!).  Entitlement and privilege are still foreign concepts here, so leave your attitude behind.

You seem to try to bring your US-attitude to Belize. Nobody questions that Belize isn't the US or Canada (although most of your listed issues here looks familiar to me in Canada lol). It's a country that is part of the Commonwealth and tries to adapt to their expectations wihtout loosing it's identity. No need for WALMART or any other junk stores that ruined the US and Canadian private sectors. I am looking forward BLENDING into the relaxed vibes of Belize, knowing that I too might hit the "wall" as I did moving from Europe to Canada. It's still an un-Belizeable country. Love it or leave it - that's what the Canadians told me all the time. So I might.

@travelbeat

I think you're mistaking what I meant. Belize is awesome. I would not cheer to see big chains come in from north America. My point was the government is heavily wrapped in red-tape and corrupt self-servers, to the point even big corps don't want to do business here.

I work for a gov't agency, so I see it on the inside routinely in my everyday life. For most immigrants, you will deal with the government periodically, but not on a daily basis. It's not a deal-breaker that it's inefficient, but something to keep in mind, such as "get to Immigration before 8 so it doesn't take your whole day," stuff like that.

When I was choosing a place to live, Belize was top of my list. Search the planet for the best people, culture, landscape - none better!

@lannerath

My husband and I are looking to move to Belize from the US as well and we have the same questions. We are also looking for the good, the bad, and the ugly truths.

I'd love to know opinions on best expat communities. We are not big party goers, and are interested in finding a quiet place with good internet, as my husband will work online. Any suggestions?

Consejo shores is an expat comunity not far from corozal and its only 30 minutes from mexico border ,quite living ,nice water,lots of comunity acrivities ,good place to live and retire here in consejo shores…..I just bought my house in consejo shores Feb.2024

@Simplelifeusa would you like to give me a call or text?  I can send you my info....I have a house in Belize

@lannerath If you are looking for answers to that, please respond here and I will give you my phone number and you can text or call me ...I have a house in Belize

read the

Ultimate BELIZE Guide

Why Belize

Known Challenges

choosebelize.com

@Simplelifeusa

hi! hope you and your husband are doing well, my name is Michael Sosa im with prestige realty and developement, I currently reside in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. i moved  here when i was just  5 years old that's when the golfcarts only had 3 wheels and where always leaning to a side. for my 21 years thats i have been here i have noticed so many changes good and bad, but mostly good well all of Belize is so beautiful the beaches, the forests, the wildlife and especially the people and we are well known for that. i noticed you said you are looking for a nice place to move and some where there is good internet connection. San Pedro has one of the best internet connections in the country and it has a party life but certain areas are very nice and quiet. i have so much to tell you about my beautiful home ***

Hello, we are Mike and Jo.  We visited Belize (San Pedro) and loved it.  In fact, we are seriously considering moving there next year once we retire.  We realize San Pedro and Cay Caluker is pretty touristy and want to move somewhere where there's not too much tourist.  We  have researched Plancenia and San Ignacia.  We just read in this forum that Consejo is nice and quite with a huge expat community.  We are planning another trip to Belize early next year and wanted to visit other places that we will consider moving to.  If we visited Consjo, where would you recommend staying while on vacation?

We are a low key friendly couple.  Like meeting new people and socializing.

Thanks in advance for the information prodived.

@micle64

Hi Mike & Jo,

Check out Tilt-Ta-Dock in Corozal.  We stayed there, since we also wanted to look in the areas, & some homes in Consejo (shores & landing).  It's maybe 15 min, depending where all you go. Then my husband suggested we try Sarteneja, about 30 min away (if the bridge is completed by the time you go). Once we saw the water, we were just amazed it could be so beautiful, yet so close to where we were!  We stopped in a bar for the restroom, had a beer, & met the nicest group of expats sitting around.  They treated us like good friends!  We loved it, a lot, but it was time to catch our plane.  Once home, I saw a house for sale on that very same street!  I contacted the owners, & we ended up flying back as soon as we could.  We were sold, so our closing is later this month!! Our first trip was to Placencia, which is where we fell in love with Belize.  I told everyone back home that the people had to be the nicest I ever met in my life. But healthcare is much worse there, & that is important to me.

Tilt-Ta-Dock is amazing.  Just a few cabanas, private, and so clean & nice.  With a great pool!  Marina & her father are so friendly!

We too are VERY concerned with the election outcome, but even just these past 3 yrs have been getting crazier & more chaotic.  We do live in a very safe area...but fear for the future. 

Jani & Reed

@jani1622

Hi Jani and Reed,

Thank you for the information.  It is so great to meet and interact with nice people, sadly which seems to be becoming the exception rather than the norm.  We will start looking into your recommendations/suggestions immediately.  We just feel the need to get away, its almost like the walls are closing in.  (lol).  Health care is also important to us as my wife has some back issues, but not to the point where she uses a walker or anything.  But, we current live in Arizona and the flight is not long at all and even closer to to Texas (Houston). 

We wish you guys all the best on the closing of your house.  We only wish we could be that lucky when we are ready to move.  Thank you once again and if there's anything else you can/feel like sharing we would greatly appreciate it.

Mike & Jo