Bringing a car

I've heard you can only bring in a car that is not over 3 years old.  How does Belize determine the age?  By model year alone or when it was purchased?

This only applies if you are entering under the QRP program. QRP has restrictions for the duty free aspects of the program. The model/year  number is what is used on the import documentation.

The Belize Tourism Board administers the program and it is separate from the Immigration Dept.

Link for QRP - http://www.belizeretirement.org/pdf/brip.pdf

Some people start out thinking that they will come in under QPR, then decide later that the benefits are not that beneficial to them.

If you are looking to stay on a permanent basis, or looking to bring in vehicles or household items, you have to make a decision as to which way you want to apply before everything arrives. The rules and procedures and benefits are different for both routes.

If you choose the Permanent Residence route - or if you are doing a straight import of a vehicle then you simply pay the duty based on the value of the vehicle and the number of cylinder etc. There is no restriction on the age of the vehicle.

Link for Belize Customs :  http://www.customs.gov.bz/customs_duties.html

You can bring in a car as old as you want...they will then determine its worth and you will have to pay the import fee at that time.

Nichi:

I have had several people recommend that one spouse comes in under the QRP program, and the other to become a permanent resident. Certainly the one person is still under all the rules of the QRP program, and needs to do the yearly paperwork.

I think that both ways of coming into the country have their advantages.  Tough to decide, certainly deserves investigation both ways.