Residency in Belize

Belize, formerly British Honduras, is a member of CARICOM and SICA. Located in the northeastern corner of Central America, it is bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the south and west. The capital is the city of Belmopan and the most populated city is Belize City which is also the main port of the country. Although it is the only country in Central America with English as an official language, its population of just over 380,000 speaks predominantly Spanish and Creole. Its currency is the Belize dollar (BZD), which is currently pegged to the US dollar (2:1). Belize is not part of Latin America, as no Latin language is spoken (Spanish, Portuguese, French or Italian, the so-called romantic languages).

How to take up residency in Belize

A tourist can remain free to move around the country for only 30 days. Beyond this period it is necessary to proceed with an MEV (Multy Entri Visa), a temporary visa for any other reason than tourism. Taking up residency in Belize can be convenient in many cases. Belize is an offshore jurisdiction well known for its privacy policies, tax advantages for non-residents, and its full tax exemption for its domiciled international business companies (IBCs), provided no business is conducted offshore. interior of the territory. While its banking sector is not as large as other offshore jurisdictions, it is an option to consider for asset protection, commercial companies or investment funds, among others.

Qualified Retiree Incentive Program (QRP).

If you want to enjoy your retirement in Belize and have no intention of working, then the QRP could be for you. You must be over 45 and able to demonstrate monthly income of $2,000 per month from a pension or investment fund outside of Belize.

You must also live in Belize for at least 30 consecutive days each year to maintain your QRP status.

The benefits of the QRP include not having to update your visa every month and the ability to import your personal items duty-free. You can apply for QRP status through our Belize Residency Service.

To be eligible for permanent residency in Belize, you must live in Belize continuously for one year without leaving the country for more than 14 days in any 12 month period. You must apply through the Department of Immigration and Nationality Services through our Belize Obtain Permanent Residency service.

The costs of applying for permanent residency in Belize vary depending on the nationality of the applicant. US citizens pay USD 1,000 and EU citizens USD 1,500.

Financial records, health tests, and police records are all part of the required documentation. It takes six months to two years to complete the process. While you wait, you must renew your tourist visa every month or apply for a work permit.

To apply for residency in Belize, through the Qualified Retiree Program, applicants must produce these documents:

• – Application form [Completed, signed and dated for the applicant and each dependent] *includes application forms
• – Birth certificate [certified or certified copy for the applicant and each dependent]
• – Marriage certificate [certified or certified copy]
• – Police document and certificate of pending charges and criminal records [original police document or certificate no older than 6 months from the last place of residence of the applicant and each dependent person]
• – Passport Pages [Certified or certified copy of complete valid passport, including all blank pages for the applicant and each dependent]
• – Proof of Income [Certificate of document showing the applicant as a recipient of a pension income of a minimum of $2,000 per month or $24,000 per year in an approved foreign currency]
• – Bank statement certifying the pension income [original or certified copy of the international financial statement of the financial institution showing the deposit of the sum indicated above]
• – Written commitment to deposit with a financial institution in Belize [Letter of commitment signed by the applicant certifying the deposit of the necessary funds with a local domestic financial institution] *include draft copy provided by BTB
• – Medical Certificate [Original certificate or laboratory report of complete medical physical examination including HIV test results no older than 3 months required for the applicant and each dependent]
• – Two (2) 2″x2″ frontal passport photos [1 recent authenticated/certified passport photograph and 1 unauthenticated/uncertified passport photograph of the same image for the applicant and each dependent] ALL PUBLIC DOCUMENTS MUST BE APOSTILLED AND TRANSLATED IN ENGLISH FOR BELIZE.

The procedure begins remotely, two months in advance, by sending us all the documentation via email in PDF.

Once you have been a permanent resident of Belize for 5 years or more, you can apply for Belizean citizenship.

The fee is $150 and is a comprehensive process, requiring medical exams, up-to-date police records, and an interview. It can take years to obtain citizenship.

But once you have citizenship, you get the benefits of Belize CARICOM Membership. This means you can move freely, live and work in other Caribbean member countries. Obtain your citizenship application from the Department of Immigration and Nationality Services.

In addition to obtaining a residence in Belize, you will probably be interested in creating a life insurance policy on your taxation, taking up a second tax residence, in a country with territorial taxation, such as a residence in Panama or a residence in Paraguay

To start your residence transfer procedure, contact us at info@studiopanamaitalia.com, sending us a copy of your passport, and the precise dates to start and take up residence in the country of your preference, or contact us via the contact form on this website or via whatsapp-telegram at +1 786-623-8177