Residency in Belize

Belize, formerly British Honduras, is a member of CARICOM and SICA. Located in the northeastern corner of Central America, it borders Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the south and west. The capital is Belmopan, and the most populous city is Belize City, which is also the country's main port. Although it is the only Central American country with English as its official language, its population of just over 380,000 speaks mainly 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 it does not speak a Latin-based language (Spanish, Portuguese, French, or Italian, the so-called romantic languages).

How to obtain residency in Belize

A tourist can remain free to travel in the country for only 30 days. Beyond this period, a Multi-Entry Visa (MEV) is required, a temporary visa for any reason other than tourism. Taking up residency in Belize can be advantageous in many cases. Belize is an offshore jurisdiction well-known for its privacy policies, tax advantages for non-residents, and its complete tax exemption for its domiciled international business corporations (IBCs), provided they do not conduct business within the territory. Although its banking sector is not as large as other offshore jurisdictions, it is an option worth considering for asset protection, commercial companies, or investment funds, among other purposes.

There are both temporary residence visas and permanent residence visas in Belize.

Qualified Retiree Incentive Program (QRP).

If you want to enjoy your retirement in Belize and don't plan to work, then the QRP might be right for you. You must be over 45 and be able to demonstrate a monthly income of $2,000 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 QRP include not having to renew 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 Permanent Residency service.

The application fee for permanent residence in Belize varies depending on the applicant's nationality. US citizens pay $1,000 and EU citizens $1,500.

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

To apply for residency in Belize, through the Qualified Pensioner 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 record [original police document or certificate no older than 6 months from the last place of residence of the applicant and each dependent]
• – Passport Pages [Certified or certified copy of a complete valid passport, including all blank pages for the applicant and each dependent]
• – Proof of Income [Certificate of document showing the applicant as receiving a retirement income of a minimum of $2,000 per month or $24,000 per year in an approved foreign currency]
• – Bank statement certifying pension income [original or certified copy of the international financial statement of the financial institution showing the deposit of the above amount]
• – 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 photo and 1 non-authenticated/non-certified passport photo of the same image for the applicant and each dependent] ALL PUBLIC DOCUMENTS MUST BE APOSTILLED AND TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH FOR BELIZE.

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

Obtaining temporary residency in Belize offers the opportunity to settle in the country with minimal requirements. Currently, you need a clean, updated, translated, and apostilled criminal record, a valid passport, a rental or property purchase contract, and water/gas/electricity receipts in your name, and/or proof of investment in the country and a letter to the Director of Migration explaining the reasons for wishing to move to Belize. For proof of investment in the country, the minimum investment required is USD 500,000.00 (five hundred thousand U.S. dollars), whether it be proof of a deposit in a Belizean bank or proof of property purchase in the country.

 Belize Financial Stability Requirements

To demonstrate your financial stability during your stay in Belize, you can qualify in several categories:

• Employee: An employee of a company or private individual based in Belize.
• Self-employed or freelancer.
• Employee or recipient of income from abroad.
• Volunteer or missionary active in projects in the country.
• A pensioner who regularly receives an income or pension.
• Person sponsored** by a citizen or legal resident of Belize.

Requested documents

To certify your financial situation, you must attach bank statements.
You can submit documents from a local bank, a foreign institution, or both.

If you do not have a bank account, you must instead provide a written statement explaining how you will access the necessary funds during your stay.

 If you are addicted

A letter from your employer confirming your position, length of employment, and current salary.
A certification from the Belize Social Security Board showing the social security contributions paid on your behalf.

 If you are an entrepreneur or business owner

Official licenses and registrations related to your business.
The latest corporate tax assessment issued by the Belize Tax Service, indicating the declared income for the most recent accounting period.

 If you are sponsored

You must provide proof of family or personal ties to your sponsor.
The sponsor must have valid legal status in Belize and demonstrate that they can provide for your support.

For a complete list of required documents, please see Belize's official Residency Application Guide.

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 it's a comprehensive process, requiring medical tests, updated police records, and an interview. Citizenship can take years to obtain.

But once you have citizenship, you gain the benefits of Belize's 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 residency in Belize, you will probably be interested in creating a life insurance policy on your tax status by taking up a second tax residence in a country with territorial taxation, such as a Residency in Panama or a Residency in Paraguay.

To begin your residency transfer process, contact us at info@studiopanamaitalia.com, sending us a copy of your passport and the specific dates for starting and taking up residency in the country of your choice, or contact us through the contact form on this website.

The official Belize government website clarifies the various options for applying for or qualifying as an applicant for Belizean citizenship at this page: https://immigration.gov.bz/citizenship/citizenship-do-i-qualify/ .