Belize - can we bring $5,000 USD each without declaring?

if you travel as a family then it will be totalled I think. so no it is 10k bze total. There is no problem declaring any amount but if you do have above the declare limit you can be delayed on entry these rules were put in place because of pressure from US govt to guard against money laundering.  If you have a good reason to be carrying very large amounts you will be asked to explain why, If it is to pay a builder or for property purchase these are acceptable reasons but you will have to supply the name of the person you are paying.

OOPs I meant if you have above the limit and dont declare it it will cause delays.

Can a married couple fill out separate custom forms when traveling together or is it mandatory to use one form per family?

one per family if same surname

there have been recent cases recorded in THE SAN PEDRO SUN  where " investors " have been found to have undeclared  funds in excess of the legal amount & were fined , one was considered persona-non grata & was escorted from the island .

In dealing with customs the best way to handle valuables is to let them know what you're bringing in and what you're taking out that you hadn't brought in with you. Anything else and you could be flagged as Suspicious, now you have just gave yourself all the unwanted attention plus delays that you don't want. Yes, do make sure that when carrying significant amounts of currency that the purpose can be validated. Enjoy your trip.

CURRENCY RESTRICTIONS FOR ENTRY:

Currency in excess of $10,000 Belize/USD$5,000must be declared.

You are wanting to know if you can bring in 10 times a Belizean household income?

Just out of curiosity.... Why would you not want to declare what you bring in or what you take out?

Former military. That's a big no no. Even if it is a can of coffee.

Good luck.

No problem with declaring funds...just bought a condo here in San Pedro and wanted to do things right...everything worked out good.

It was for a land purchase and everything worked out great..

Keep in mind that if you bring US dollars to Belize and buy property with US dollars, when you want to sell, you will not be allowed to take the money out of the country.    Most sales are in US dollars.  Most north American buyers are unaware of the issues.   The Belizean sellers know the issues.   since the Belizean dollar is not traded internationally, it is worthless if you take it out of Belize.   When you want to sell, in order to get back the US dollars you paid, the transaction has to be conducted through an account you already have in North America.   In other words you as seller must have a US bank account and the buyer must have a US bank account and the transfer of money must be between these 2 accounts.   Since the US govt is dedicated to get their hands on your money, claiming "laundering" or "terrorism" or fictitious taxes owed, You will have to have all kinds of proof of property sales.   Other possibilities include using a money changer here in Belize (for a fee) or transfers in other countries.  There are still a few countries that do not abide by the FATCA that the USA has imposed on much of the Carribean.     Bringing money into Belize is not a big problem,   There is no reason to bring sums which require declaration.    multiple transfers of small amounts is the easiest means to bring in money.   or one could do what the Belizeans do, bring a canoe over the Rio Honda at night.   Unwise for gringos.   The real problem only comes when attempting to get your money out of Belize.  The easiest way to transfer US dollars to Belize is to keep it in a bank outside of Belize and use your ATM card daily.   I have found that most people selling things in Belize understand the issues and will allow you to pay over the course of a few days while you withdraw the maximum daily until you have the total owing..