My husband and I want to move to Belize (specifically Ambergris Caye) this winter with our two little girls. We are having trouble figuring out if it's possible to find work there for people from the US and how hard it is to rent a house. If anyone has any information or knows anyone who might be able to help us it would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

It is fairly hard to get a job there. Lots of laws...have to be there atleast 6 months before applying for a "work permit", you can't get a job (take a job) that a "Belizean" can do...etc...although, if you own a business, that would be different. Renting something would be easy, but a bit pricey.

Jones family,

If you will send me your e-mail address, I'll e-mail you (in Adobe Acrobat pdf) the text from a chapter of my new book, Adapter Kit: Belize (to be published in August by Avalon) on living/retiring and investing in Belize. The chapter will explain the rules for working in Belize.

In general, as was stated, it is not easy to get an official work permit. Salaries are low, and good jobs are few (and the goverment naturally saves those jobs for Belizeans, just as the U.S. government tries to save U.S. josb for Americans).

Renting is fairly easy, but it's something best done after you arrive. Keep in mind that Ambergris Caye has artificially high costs for most things -- it is an island, it is the main tourist center, and it is popular with expats. Other areas of Belize are much cheaper. Nice rental houses in places such as Corozal Town are available at a fraction of the cost of those in San Pedro.

--Lan Sluder
Belize First Magazine http://www.belizefirst.com/

jonesfam, i am planning to move to belize as well with 2 kids, however i am going first to hopefully find employment, but it's not a panic for me. i have a small residual income to keep me going. leaving the beginning of august.

Thank you so much for the input. We have been looking around and have decided that the mailand might be easier for us to tackle in the beginning. We will probably start out in Placencia or Corozal town for the first few months...if anyone has any info. about that it would be great. So does the work permit difficulty mean that everyone who does relocate to Belize has enough put away to survive without working for six months? Or are there jobs working in hotels/restaurants that you may not need a permit for? Thanks.

we have been told to bring enough $$$ to hold us over for atleast 6-12 months. Have all of you been to AC before? Geez, so many people moving there, may need to find a new place??? LOl NOT....again, buying/employing Belizeans is another story!

Placencia is probably more expensive than Corazol Town. We went to Placencia last summer and most of the property was already bought by investors/private folks! Corazol is more of an established township than the resort environment of Placencia.We spent our first night in Corazol and a day or two later in Placencia. Dangriga may be a good place to consider. Less of a resort town, but large enough to sustain a residencial situation. Had a lot of waterfront access too.Met a few expats there too. SP is expensive! Electricity was 42cents /KWHr Bz!,that's 21cts us!! Don't know about the mainland but it's bound to be cheaper cause it's not diesel generated. Land is definately cheaper on the mainland, except for Placencia. Plan on doing a lot of looking. Good luck...Richard

You all that want to move there, you need to know the in's and out's before going, if you have never been there take a few trips, meet the locals, and see if you all would like it... A lot a pirates there (No pun intended)... Just don't want you all to be back in the states in 6 months.... AC is great but you have to know how everything works... Thanks. Rick

Amen!

Living here and vacationing here is not the same thing.

That holds true anywhere you go though.

Cayo District is nice too.
You can find a nice house in San Ignacio for less than $500 BZ a month. On the island...you probably wouldn't want to live in anything that was $500 BZ a month.
Food and supplies are also cheaper there.
Beautiful area too.

thanks for the warnings about moving there. i have been there to check it out about 1 1/2 years ago. have been dreaming about going back ever since. got to give it a try. i want to get sick and tired of something else like heat and sun instead of 20 below weather and three feet of snow, and if i do come back it will be to the US and not canada! i'm also fed up with "gotta have this, gotta have that!" "work to get ahead of the jone's" attitude in our country.