Hi, so glad I found this site...I'll try and make my ?'s as brief as possible...
I am in my 40's now and considering moving to Belize. Of course I will visit first and would like to eventually buy a home ocean front. I have read that corozal an San Pedro are best? I would like someplace modest but still a good size (2-3 br, 2 bath), with a view and not too far off the grid as I see mixed views on crime and theft on here. My other MAIN QUESTION IS...
What, how and can I...bring electronic equipment into the country? I currently own a recording studio with 3 fully equipped rooms (mixing consoles, computers, keyboards, pianos, other instruments, and lots of music gear. With modern technology, I can scale way down to a main computer, a few laptops, 1 mixing console and about a dozen pieces of Mixing gear (each about the size of a home stereo receiver or large DVD player). How easy/hard is it to move the studio to Belize? And again the burglary notes on here have me worried, I guess bars on windows and doors will be neede but that sucks as it will hurt the view. Any advice is appreciated, Thanks - M
(ps, I will be drawing a small income from the studio, and also look into doing some work locally, even though I have no idea what the media is like there.)
New and considering Belize
It is possible to use your equipment in Belize the practicality's of bringing it down I am not sure of. The Grid electricity is not 100% reliable and the dim outs that occur does over time kill your electronics. Work locally would present a problem as you would have to get a work permit even to be self employed these can take a while to get if they are indeed approved at all, as the administration is slow and there is a lot of red tape to go through. As to security I am not personally knowledgable of Corazol. but Burgler bars are likely to be useful and there are many metalwork companies can make them very attractive. keeping a dog is also a good idea a barking dog is usually a good deterant for the opportunist robber, if not for the determined one who knows what you have that he wants. Same as every where.
If you were a little older (45 Years or older) you could enter the QRP program which allows you to bring up to $15k of goods duty free into the country, plus a vehicle. The taxes are low in Belize therefore most of its income comes from fees, licenses, and duty on all things imported. How much it is, can be dependent on the customs officer on the day your stuff goes through.To get the Self employed permit you would need to show you could and would employ local people in your business, and if you could show the main income for the business was from overseas that would all help. Hope thiis is some way helpful and not too off putting.
Hi, terrific, thanks for the info...I also received a pm from someone that made me aware of the power concerns in Belize. As far as a work permit, etc, the work I do will mostly be for hobby and 2 or 3 freelance jobs I've had in the US for over a decade. The income for this is relatively low (by US guidelines anyway), and I would only consider local work if it's even feasible (and fun). Do you know if I would need a work permit to do a job a couple times a year for US companies? Can I keep dual citizenship? And 45 is only a few years away, so I will look into that as well...
(ps, I can also just fly back to the US to do the jobs, they take anywhere from 2 weeks to a month, will that alleviate the 'self employed' stigma?)...I plan on (semi) retirement and I like to keep those jobs because I am the musical director and still enjoy them very much. Thanks again for all your help! - M
Is anyone aware of an expat newsletter in the San Ignacio area? Thanks!
I live in Corozal, I love the weather, a lot less rain up here. Crime is not bad, most thieves are opportunists, so keep things locked up and out of site. I have been told repeatedly you can work remotely for U.S. companies down here with no problems. So technically - keeping your residency in the US would allow you to work for yourself. If you have any specific questions on the Corozal area let me know.
Is anyone aware of a current (US) Notary in San Ignacio?
go on Facebook and go to Belize expats and Belize expats no holds barred
Hi Folks. Belize is one of our top five destinations.Can we find ememployment with a US based company once we move to Belize??
Bob & mary Jane
Hi Bob. I think the reason that no one has replied to your post is that there are so few US-based companies in Belize. The only ones that I can think of are American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines and the various international real estate companies. The bigger problem is getting a Belize work permit. I believe that it takes about a year, once you have applied, to get a permit. And there is no guarantee that a permit will be granted, especially if you are viewed as displacing a Belizean. If you were starting a new business, employing local workers, I suspect that that would be looked upon in a much more favorable light. Good luck.
Articles to help you in your expat project in Belize
Moving is always a big project, but an international move requires special considerations. If you have decided to ...
If you have pets and are planning to move to Belize or make an extended visit, you will almost certainly want to ...
Belize has a national telecommunications company, Belize Telemedia, Limited, and several mobile phone companies ...
Belize enjoys decent internet coverage. Unfortunately it is slow and expensive. The country has many internet ...
In Belize, you can drive with an international driver's license, and you can often drive with a license from ...
Sport has always been a part of Belizean life. Although the country does not have a lot in terms of professional ...
