Moving to Belize solo

:) Hello Glady

So what are you looking to do until you move there im looking for a small place. :)

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to the subject "duty on vehicles"
a few years back i hellped a friend to bring an rv from texas to belize. the rv was 800 worth on paper.. the tax was 3500 for bringing it in ...  but because i didnt let it happen it became 2000 - why? because they made the price up.
there is a book on how much they can charge but they choose the highest price .. of course.. so i spend about 1-2h on reading it ( u have the right to read th ebook )
and althou the price could be 1000 they didnt want to go lower then 2000. but what i learned is that ambulande and firetruck cost nothing - no tax- no duty! so if you are planing to to come down in an rv, buy any of thous 2 and convert it. or make your car look like any of the two.
and if you dont want to do so, you dont need to pay import tax until 30 days later, so bring all the things you need, hide them well in the car , on the border they will ask for some money if you dont want them to look inside.. and when you are in the country take everything out and then go to import it. i mean take everything you can

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@Ali.Gray. Hi name is Fab. I am moving to Belize from CANADA tomorrow and I am looking for Rentals and advice on The best places to live.  And anything else. I can learn.  Thank you Fab! I'm

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@Dean Baines hi my name is Fab I'm moving from Canada to Belize and also want to rent how have you find found the information that you need? I am looking for a place to rent and a place a lot like you one bedroom I like slow paced not sure where I wanna park my hat if you could share with me I would really appreciate it thank you .

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@uuujunglelife also my attourney  says instead of doing the qrp thing  go every month renew visa at an entry point...if do this for a year then apply  for permanent  status...avoid all the intrusive  stuff for the qrp....no way would give personal banking information or anything else  that they ask for  then have the gallery to charge  1k belize dollars 

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@helenhmja
You don't have to renew your visa at a entry point. Any Office of Immigration in any town will process.
I have no faith in the QRP. Anything that the gov of Belize can create they can alter or amend at the stoke of a pen.
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@uuujunglelife
Your advice re making your vehicle look like an ambulance or a fire truck will only lead people into problems that they don't need as a new arrival. The Belize Customs guys may not be card carrying Mensa members but they are not stupid and are pretty good at what they do.
I have been crossing the boarder to Guat as well as Mx for 30 years. There are things that are possible and things where the risk is too high.
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@fayeseida
Hello.
We are also moving to Belize. We have done a lot of research & find that the district of Corozal is the best. It has everything we need, close to the boarder, shoppping & restaurants.
Plus 80% of the population are expacts.. Canadian & American
If your planning on coming, immigration will not allow you in unless you have a paper copy of where you are staying. Also, if you don't have a return ticket you need confirmation of income you receive. Ie: bank letter & copy of bank account.
This comes straight from an immigration lady I have been speaking with.
Hope that helps😊
Terry… fellow Canadian
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@fayeseida
Hello.
We are also moving to Belize. We have done a lot of research & find that the district of Corozal is the best. It has everything we need, close to the boarder, shoppping & restaurants.
Plus 80% of the population are expacts.. Canadian & American
If your planning on coming, immigration will not allow you in unless you have a paper copy of where you are staying. Also, if you don't have a return ticket you need confirmation of income you receive. Ie: bank letter & copy of bank account.
This comes straight from an immigration lady I have been speaking with.
Hope that helps😊
Terry… fellow Canadian
- @terrysnewglc
Hi Terry,
You'll find that doing research online vs being on the ground is vastly different. Lots to learn and find out online for sure, but come with a totally unbiased view and explore all Districts before settling on Corozal.
Being close to the border, for us anyway, would not be a criteria. Exit tax every time you leave, duty on what you bring back.
Pretty much everything you need, and likely lots of wants, are available in most towns, or at least somewhere in every District.
Not sure 80% of Corozal population is expat 😉.
You will have to stay at a BTB registered place. Your reservation or rental confirmation on your phone will work.
Immigration at airport will likely not ask for any kind of financial information. But immigration in your District likely will, once you start extending your stays after the initial entry stamp in your passport expires.
The airlines are much more likely to deny you boarding with out a return ticket.
Don't forget to have your vaccination record on your phone, as well as a receipt of your insurance policy, if still applicable when you arrive. Of course printed copies work as well.
Happy planning!
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@uuujunglelife also my attourney  says instead of doing the qrp thing  go every month renew visa at an entry point...if do this for a year then apply  for permanent  status...avoid all the intrusive  stuff for the qrp....no way would give personal banking information or anything else  that they ask for  then have the gallery to charge  1k belize dollars 

- @helenhmja
If you apply for residency, you will have to supply immigration with all the “intrusive stuff” as well, like bank statements etc.

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@ChicanoBatman93

Let me know if you need any help.
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@Dean Baines

I have a Single's Retreat planned in Belize
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@Brigitte B
Hello
Thanks for your thoughts. I actually talked with immigration in Belize asking about a “no return ticket”. She is the one who told me that a financial statement would be needed… to prove we can support ourselves while we were there. Also, staying at a private residence it does not have to be gold standard … that only applies to hotels, according to immigration
Also, spoke to our airlines about boarding without a return ticket… they laughed at me when I asked that question.. their reply was “of course you can board”. So that answered that .. lol.
The 80% of expacts in the Corozal district I learned from other expacts,, on line research & three different real estate agents.
We will be definitely checking out all the districts in Belize. Liked Corozal because of the prices on houses & there seems to be quite a bit there. If there is other places that you would recommend, please let me know, as we have 6 months to make up our mind.
Was your move from Canada hard? 
Did you do the retirement thing or did you just pay duty on the things you brought in?  If you did the duty, was it a lot?   Where abouts in Canada did you live?
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@Brigitte B
Hello
Thanks for your thoughts. I actually talked with immigration in Belize asking about a “no return ticket”. She is the one who told me that a financial statement would be needed… to prove we can support ourselves while we were there. Also, staying at a private residence it does not have to be gold standard … that only applies to hotels, according to immigration
Also, spoke to our airlines about boarding without a return ticket… they laughed at me when I asked that question.. their reply was “of course you can board”. So that answered that .. lol.
The 80% of expacts in the Corozal district I learned from other expacts,, on line research & three different real estate agents.
We will be definitely checking out all the districts in Belize. Liked Corozal because of the prices on houses & there seems to be quite a bit there. If there is other places that you would recommend, please let me know, as we have 6 months to make up our mind.
Was your move from Canada hard? 
Did you do the retirement thing or did you just pay duty on the things you brought in?  If you did the duty, was it a lot?   Where abouts in Canada did you live?
- @terrysnewglc
Just don't want you to have to scramble to get a return ticket at the airport. It is ultimately the airline's responsibility to ensure a return ticket, simply because if one is refused entry, they don't want to be responsible for the return. People do get denied boarding. On some airlines more than others. Just a heads up.

Ahhhh, real estate agents 😉

I would definitely check out Cayo.
Mountains, jungle, rivers, wildlife, archaeology, fabulous markets, Spanish Lookout.

We've been part timers since 1998. Sold our place on the Placencia Peninsula and moved to Cayo in 2011. Now we are here full time.

The only thing we brought down over the years were sheets, pillows and small household stuff from our home in Canmore, Alberta.
All our furniture, appliances etc. were bought here in Belize. Things have come a long long way in terms of getting “stuff”.

We've been driving the last few years so bringing a few things each time was easy.
And we were never charged at the land border, even though we declared.
Flying in we'd declare and be charged duty.
It's s crapshoot.

So no, for us the move was not hard.

We'll be renewing stamps every 30 days, or every 3 months, depending on how immigration feels that day 😉






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Lol. That's what I heard about immigration for duty… depends on who you get & how much they feel like charging!!!
The airline thing is weird… I've had a few people tell me the same, that why I called them directly… after what you said, now I'm a little concerned.
We are flying out of Toronto using American Airlines. Hopefully we won't have a problem🥴
Thanks for the info on Cayo… we will definitely check that out.
Our daughter is coming to visit over the Xmas holidays, I know she wants to snorkel, so we will be heading over to the island to do that, plus check out San Pedro.
Wow! You guys drove down.. good for you!  We can't, plus my hubby wouldn't drive anyway… lol
Thanks for all the info.
Can't wait to get there!! November isn't far away
Have a great rest of your day
Terry
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Lol. That's what I heard about immigration for duty… depends on who you get & how much they feel like charging!!!
The airline thing is weird… I've had a few people tell me the same, that why I called them directly… after what you said, now I'm a little concerned.
We are flying out of Toronto using American Airlines. Hopefully we won't have a problem🥴

Terry
- @terrysnewglc

Guy I wish you well, and have been suppling you with factual information. I understand you don't like it
I do think it is cute, that you called around and finally found a voice on the phone that told you exactly what you wanted to hear.🥴

However, all the written references I can find, and my own personal experience say something like the following.
Passport valid for the length of your stay, proof of an onward or return ticket, and sufficient funds to cover the cost of the length of stay.
In my many trips to Belize since 2008 I never had to show a onward or return ticket. That CHANGED in 2019.
This site says in the FAQ section that the onward ticket could be A Bus Ticket, Plane Ticket Or cruse ship... food for thought....   https://www.belizeadventure.ca/travel-t … uirements/

Here is an interesting link from American Airlines.

My last input on this subject is to suggest  you to contact the Canadian Government and ask them. Contact them while you are still in Canada, because a few years ago Canada temporarily  closed the Canadian Consolette in Belmopan. The closest one to Belize is in Guatemala. 
Again I wish you well and safe travel, and do come back and let us know your experience.
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only the US asks for Belize visas and or onward or return ticket
they like to stick their nose in every business
better transit through Panama
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only the US asks for Belize visas and or onward or return ticket

- @triffic
I understand you do not like the US or Belize, but please stop making things like this up.

Airlines are asking about "onward or return ticket" BECAUSE Belize immigration is asking for proof of  "onward or return ticket".

Airlines do not want to be caught in the middle, so they follow the rules of the country they are transporting people to.

Between 2008 and 2019, I made about 22 flights to Belize, I don't recall being asked by an airline, or Belize Immigration about  "onward or return ticket". However in 2019 I was asked about  "onward or return ticket" in New Zealand, Fiji and Belize on entering the countries, and when extending at Belize immigration . i Only made one international trip last year, that was to Belize, and both Southwest Airlines and Belize Immigration asked about  return ticket.
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We'll be renewing stamps every 30 days, or every 3 months, depending on how immigration feels that day 😉

- @Brigitte B
Very accurate description.

In addition to the above for the Big Creek office,  I learned the hard way, it is best to call the day before taking the Hokey pokey and cab ride, to inquire if they are out of stickers to put into your passport, or if they have empty pages in the receipt book, else one might be making a wasted trip over....😉
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@Aerodex
why do you write this I live in Belize
and deal with tourists on a daily bases
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@Aerodex
why do you write this I live in Belize
and deal with tourists on a daily bases
- @triffic
I apologize for misunderstanding some previous posts of yours on Belize.
Below I corrected my previous post.
@Aerodex
only the US asks for Belize visas and or onward or return ticket

- @triffic

I understand you do not like the US, but please stop making things like this up.

Airlines are asking about "onward or return ticket" BECAUSE  Belize immigration is asking for proof of  "onward or return ticket".
Airlines do not want to be caught in the middle, so they follow the rules of the country they are transporting people to.
Between 2008 and 2019, I made about 22 flights to Belize, I don't recall being asked by an airline, or Belize Immigration about  "onward or return ticket". However in 2019 I was asked about  "onward or return ticket" in New Zealand, Fiji and Belize on entering the countries, and when extending at Belize immigration . i Only made one international trip last year, that was to Belize, and both Southwest Airlines and Belize Immigration asked about  return ticket.
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any forum
just read and take what suits you best
no need to attack any messenger
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any forum
just read and take what suits you best
no need to attack any messenger
- @triffic

                  Most folks come to this forum for accurate/factual information.😃
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HI all,

TJ here.

I'm new and this is my first real step to making my dream of retiring to Belize in the Ambergise Caye area a reality.  I am 46, retired from the US military, and recently divorced (kids all grown). I've let my hair grow out, learned to relax, and seek the slow pace beach culture that I have read so much about.  I have concerns about moving there alone.  Worse even, I don't want to get in a rush to find someone to move with that doesn't work out.  Is moving there alone and not knowing anyone as bad of an idea as it seems?  I've been all over the world but never alone so it is a little intimidating.  Do other Expat openly welcome new Expats?  Having a jump on what to exspect would be great..  Of course, keeping an eye out to get taken advantage of exists everywhere but this really does seem like a huge leap of faith.  I easily meet the financial requirements (not rich by any means).  I mean I do ok. I'll basically be showing up with a suitcase wearing flip flops and a smile on my face.  I'll be reading the forums and checking things out but any info is greatly appreciated.
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HI all,

TJ here.

I'm new and this is my first real step to making my dream of retiring to Belize in the Ambergise Caye area a reality.  I am 46, retired from the US military, and recently divorced (kids all grown). I've let my hair grow out, learned to relax, and seek the slow pace beach culture that I have read so much about.  I have concerns about moving there alone.  Worse even, I don't want to get in a rush to find someone to move with that doesn't work out.  Is moving there alone and not knowing anyone as bad of an idea as it seems?  I've been all over the world but never alone so it is a little intimidating.  Do other Expat openly welcome new Expats?  Having a jump on what to exspect would be great..  Of course, keeping an eye out to get taken advantage of exists everywhere but this really does seem like a huge leap of faith.  I easily meet the financial requirements (not rich by any means).  I mean I do ok. I'll basically be showing up with a suitcase wearing flip flops and a smile on my face.  I'll be reading the forums and checking things out but any info is greatly appreciated.
- @Toro TJ
Hi TJ, 
Happy Easter!,
Thank YOU for your Service!!

You did not say if you had ever been to any part of Belize previously. My standard advice, is try several areas for a few months during both high and low seasons before buying property.

You are young, in a great position to do almost any thing you want, even if you make a few errors along the way.  You have probably heard the old saw "“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did." I am 79, its accurate. 😉
I  had been going on 1-3 week vacation's in several different parts of Belize prior to my retirement from a major airline in 2015.  At that point, I sold a house in the middle of the DFW Metro-Mess, and bought a Condo on a lake in Texas, and a small home in Placencia Village, Belize.

Prior to covid, we spent about 6 months in both areas each year. Are just now getting back into that pattern again. I only explain, because we are not full time and live in a very different part of Belize from Ambergise Caye.
IE. 75% of tourist tend to  go to Ambergise Caye, the rest go to the many other great parts of Belize.

Now onto some of your questions😉
I find Belizeans to be some of the most truly friendly folks of any part of the world I have visited, only Fiji comes close. Most of the time, if I meet someone not so friendly, it turns out they are not from Belize. Expats are for the most part very open to new folks, sharing advice, offering a hand, sharing experiences/new guy problems they had.

Not wanting to be alone....  Yikes, I can relate to that. I meet my wife on a popular internet site. We did not live very far apart In Texas.  We met about a year after I bought my Placencia house.  Luckily she loved Placenca, and we were married in Belize our next trip down.  WOW what an adventure that was administratively/governmentally. It is no wonder to me, most Belizean couples never formally marry. 🙄

I think your asking about meeting someone in Belize. If so, cant help you there, except I have observed many Belizean men treat their wives different than I was raised. I have seen expats get into a relationship, then have relatives suddenly living with them. Others seem to work out really well. As you said, it is a huge leap of faith.

This forum has lots of folks asking the same questions, many threads are old, just look at the date before expecting an answer from a person that has not been on for a long time. I'm not saying previous info is not still revalent, but lots of things have changed with time.

Suggested Reading:
Great Blog by Taco Girl https://tacogirl.com/
Several other TV and radio outlets have interesting websites google can help there.
Take Real Estate web sites with a grain of salt. No license needed to call ones self a realtor in Belize. 😁
Google this phrase, Belize government website
In Belize locals tend to use Facebook over websites. Even if they have a website, its often out of date, but facebook is current 😀  BTW i am not a fan of facebook, but when in Rome....
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@Cheryl it's doable.  I did but I'm much older than you.  Most of Belize is very safe for a single lady.  Had no problems blending n meeting people.  I encourage everyone to travel the world.  Transportation is easy n accessable.  I prefer the Cayo district. 

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@mschionesu


I do am a single female and I'm planning to move to Belize. I'm just wondering if you ever made the move if so, what did you do as far as work and all that? Did you get a job and or place to live before you went there or did you just go and figure it out if you got there? please get back to me with any information and if you are currently living there, perhaps you'll see me there within the next year :)

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@Staycie not the person you asked your question (and she posted last over 2 years ago..), but since you are asking about working in Belize, please do a search (magnifying glass top right of website) on the condition for working here. In short, you cant, if you are not a Belizian or permanent resident.

And yes, to find a place to live, nothing is better than be looking for it once you are on the ground here...

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