Does Belize still offer the retirement deal, or has the quota been filled? Thinking of coming down next year about october.

I have no problem with them having gauranteed income requirements. But having to deposit $24,000/year in a BZ bank is kinda high.

No it is not-consider this
costs: Rent 1500bzd
per mo.Utilities 500bzd
food 1000bzd
Entertainment 3000bzd

Total cost with no travel is 6000bzd per month,and this is realistic.

Three times the amount spent on entertainment than food? Perhaps we live different lifestyles. Except, wait a minute, is Belikin food or entertainment?

If I may borrow from the wonderful, informative and funny "Belizenorth.com" website:

http://www.belizenorth.com/our_budget_vs.htm

You have got to be kidding- that is only 50 beers a monthand what do they eat at 30 dollars per week

well, that budget is probably a little on the tight side as far as food and some other things go. I do drink beer but I can live on a budget also. My income should also actually increase once I get there because I will be representing a company in Belize, but my retirement income is only $1300/month from the Army. Probably have to just pay the visa fee's to start.

Does a running business offer the same type of benefits like being able to import your household goods?

You guys use butane for cooking? Any other natural gases in Belize? I ask because we have a process that turns raw sewage and contaminated oils into a form of hydrogen. Clean up the environment and get gas almost free.

To have a business means you do not fall into the retirement category-no retirees are allowed to have an income that is derived from business in Belize (except a Bz savings acct. but no-one is silly enough to change a large amount of U.S. into Bzd-that really would be crackers.).
1300usd per month is honestly not enough esp. on the islands-however it is a good start -the trick is to find a business to start or buy that can double that income(in a short period of time)
Yiou will have to form a company in belize which will allow you to apply for a work permit (cost 1500BZD)-once you have that you do not need any visas-after one year you may apply for residency which costs 1500bzd and you will have to apply for a further 6 month work permit whilst your residency goes through at a pro rata cost (750bzd).
we use butane although I believe someone is trying to start up an alternative gas supply.

Well, the company I represent should be able to generate 5 times as much as my retirement pay once I can get established.

Guess I'll have to figure out the business aspects now, but I have at least a year to do that.
BTW, the manana attitude works great with me. I'm one of the worlds greatest procrastinators.

After you get your residency are there any limits on how long you may be out of the country? That is before your residency status is affected.

Once you have residency you can leave any time for any amount of time.
--Lee
www.cybercayecaulker.com
www.caribbean-colors.com

Actually, Pedro, I was told by a government rep that you CAN earn income from a business activity that takes place within Belize and still participate in the "QRP" program, so long as your income is from a passive investment, like real estate (something that you do not need a work permit to make money from). Of course, that is a matter of "interpretation," and could change at any time (including retroactively). The possibility that the government may change the rules in the middle of the game may not be a big deal unless you have something expensive, like a boat, that the government would dearly love to charge you 100% duty on, thereby creating an incentive to decide you are not "qualified" after the fact. If you are not in that situation, it might not matter much.

We are retired Army also and are coming down to live on retirement pay. You would be surprised how thrifty you can be after living on military pay and getting sent to expensive locations. Our entertainment is going to be the water and photography. Or hiking, etc. When we were stationed in Hawaii with 2 young kids, money was very tight. You learn to be creative. The same as when we lived in Alaska 100 miles away from anything. But we are also saving as much as we can now to use as back-up.

With all due respect to my friend Pedro, his expenses are for the Jetsetters. Those of us who slug along in the slow lane, don't need that much money. Property can be had on the backside of San Pedro at a reasonable price. Eat alot of nice freshly caught fish and Red Beans and Rice. Stay away from the overhead, like telephones and cable TV. Bicycles instead of golf carts, which are expensive to maintain. The trap which many ex-pats fall into is sitting around bending elbows all day. That is expensive and unhealthy.

All I need is fast internet access if that can be had. I am also a programmer and a CCNP so I do earn a little doing database and web stuff on the side.
Can you get cable internet there or is it all dialup?

Bill -I have only managed to get one thing right in my life and that is bending my elbow-joking aside-people who wish to move here and envision living on a budget which is far lower than would be possible in the U.S.generally do not stay for long in SP.
My advice is for the islands not places like Dangriga/ Hopkins/PG etc.
A list of what I consider a must for two people to live on San Pedro with costs
Medical Insurance(with evac) 4600usd
A decent place to live(rent) 9000
Golf cart(if out of town) 5000
or Boat 9000
running expenses 2000
Trips back to U.S. x 2 2000
Food per year 12000
tel/tv/util(incl a/c) 2500

While I accept people can ride around on bikes-if as most people do want to live out of town a GC is a necessity,as it is just to hot and dusty to ride the bikes.
Your idea to buy land and build a house is a good one but you are looking at around 120.000usd to build a concrete house (2bed/2bath)-remember wooden houses cannot be insured against hurricanes.
As we know most people come down here thinking they can make a fortune.The only way I know how to make a small one is to start with a large one.
As you will see from my costings a min for 2 people is 30k (rem I do cook at home/and I am a good cook-food is just bloody expensive).
To Susan-the advice from Belmopan and anyone in the know is if you are going to invest become a resident because,you are right as usual,the laws on passive investment do not make sense and are going to be changed(I originally bought the Internet cafe as a non resident-it was impossible to legally control with no papers).I will give an example I as a retiree invest 250k in a restaurant with my new found friend he takes all the profits, leaves all the bills and goes to live in Florida-I now have no more savings and cannot work in my delapidated restaurant until I get papers which now take a lot longer to get(even with connections)
SP according to Pedro

Believe me, I am listening to all advice given here. One question is the medical. I have champus which is from the military. I know that there must be some sort of agreement between the US and Belize because there is an embasy in Belize City. Since there are marines at every embasy along with staff I would assume that the hospitals know about champus.

My friend Pedro runs a tight ship if he can get by on $30K. I figured the year or so I lived there it cost $75K per year. We did take most meals out, utl ran about $400us, golf cart forever in the shop. Entertainment was HUGE, had more guest from the states than expected. If you must go to SP on a tight budget, think again !

Holy shit I would never be able to get by on 30k-my costs,last year were 55k (that included 2 trips to S.Salvador) and I own a bar and have,not surprisingly to those who know me,no wife.

We spend little on entertainment now, so it won't change there. Living on a budget can be done anywhere and it doesn't neccesarily mean life will be dull or miserable. All I need is a good book, snorkel gear and my family.

Hi Mark Porter,
I just got some info on military insurance in Central America. It is available for retirees or active duty through Tricare. You can email me if you want to know the details. woodlandbotanical@msn.com

Pedro1,
AAHH, now I see, the costs I was quoting was for up in Corozal Town. Unlike the Caye prices. Makes more sense now. Better selection on a lot of things up there with the proximity to Chet.

I have lived in Belize on and off for 4 years and have been able to get by on a farely tight budget. When I moved to SP in '98 I rented a 2 bedroom house for $500 a month US including utilities. It was a nice place, but not luxurious. At that time I spent about $500 per month on food and entertainment. In '01 I spent 6 months in Placencia, rented an apartment for $250 a month and spent another $400-$500 on fun and food. Last year I spent 2 months in SP, rented the same house as before (costs $750 now)but has been referbished. Spent another $750 per month on living expenses. After those 2 months I spent 5 in Placencia and rented a groovy little place near the beach for $450 a month. It is very possible to live in Belize, have much fun and still hold on to some money, but, like anywhere else, you can spend an infinite amount on luxury and comforts.

Most of my Belizian (and some gringo) friends would think they had died and gone to heaven if they had the kind of money some people on this board seem to need to live in San Pedro! It is all about life-style, and yes there are cheaper places to be than San Pedro, most of the country actually, and they are all wonderful! Look around before you decide! Bottom line is, if you do want to retire here, you will need to be able to show that x amount of dollar monthly income!

Pedro: $2,oooUS for running... those are expensive running shoes.

The fact is that living an American (or Western European) lifestyle in San Pedro is expensive, certainly as expensive as or even more expensive than, say, doing so in most of Florida. But San Pedro is not representative of Belize in that respect.

Quite a few Americans, Canadians and others live pretty well on US$1000 a month in Corozal or in most any rural area. I interviewed a number of expats who were living larger in Belize than they could have back home for my book on living/retiring in Belize (Adapter Kit: Belize).

Belize City (the nicer areas) and PG are also expensive.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of Belizean families, even those where one or more in the family has a good job, live on less than US$10,000 a year.

But Belize is not and never will be a really cheap place to live. For cheap in Central America, look at Nicaragua or even Honduras or Guatemala, but there are other problems there.

One real problem that keeps Belize from becoming more a retirement haven is lack of high-quality, state-of-the-art medical care. If you have a serious problem such as cardiovascular or peripheral vascular disease, cancer or diabetes or other fairly serious chronic illness, it's going to be difficult to get the kind of care you need in Belize. For somebody 45 and in good heath this is not a consideration, but as you age and develop more health problems this becomes a real concern. This is in contrast to other places in the region like Costa Rica that do have sophisticated medical systems. And Medicare and military-related coverage do not apply in Belize.

--Lan Sluder

Corozal Town is for living is a lot cheaper than San Pedro. Going shopping to Chetumal is not much worth it anymore as the prices in Mexico are many times higher than in Belize.

Lots of help on this board. If Tricare is available like one of the responders says then I don't have much to worry about as far as medical goes. I will most probably live in a cheaper area to start anyway as I don't really need much of anything to be quite comfortable. I'm more looking to get out of america because I don't believe that being a good consumer and buying things will make me any happier.
The blatent commercialism of the US just irritates me, and not because I can't afford some of the stuff. Here in Arlington, TX. everyone has to own an SUV even though they have never used 4WD in their life. One thing that makes me smile though is that most of them will encounter a $2000 bill in a couple of years when the seals rot on the front transaxle. <g>
Thanks for all the help.

Here's the number for Tricare Overseas- 1-888-777-8343. We can't get Tricare prime, just the basic. There is no monthly/yearly premium. There is a deductible- $300 per family. And then 25% of the cost after that. You pick the doctor you want because they don't have a network of providers there. The deductible is less than what we pay now for Tricare Prime, so very reasonable and we are all healthy. We are also looking to getting back to having less "stuff".

WHEN DISCUSSING MEDICAL CARE, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ALMOST ALL OF NORTH AMERICA AND EVEN THE RICHER CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICANS GO TO THE USA FOR CARE. BELIZE MAY BE SMALL; BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A THRIVING MEDICAL COMMUNITY SOON. REMEMBER THERE ARE TWO MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN BELIZE...ONE EVEN ON SAN PEDRO. I REALIZE THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO VISIT SP ARE TOURISTS; BUT ANYONE CAN BECOME ILL OR INJURED ON VACATION. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS COMING A TIME THAT SOME SMART HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES OR EVEN LARGE HMO'S WILL FIND THE JEWEL SOON ENOUGH. THIS THEN WILL LEAD THE WAY FOR "USA" STANDARD MEDICAL CARE AND THIS WOULD BENEFIT ALL!!

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT EVEN IN THE US EVERYONE WANTS TO BE TREATED BY A US TRAINED MD; EVEN IF THE MD IS NOT ORIGINALLY FROM THE US.

BELIZE, I BELIVE IS UP AND COMING. IF YOU TRULY WISH TO RETIRE THERE THEN RESERCH AND KNOW THE LAWS...KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. REMEMBER FINANCES ARE AN ISSUE NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE.

I would not count to heavily on U.S. insurers in the near future. Many locals and expats go to Guatemala, Merida or Chetumal for care as well. For basic care , it is available.

Tricare is provided by the US government only to government employee's and retiree's. It is used worldwide by the staff of embasies and soldiers and each foriegn government signs agreements that it will be accepted.

As far as BZ modernizing, it is inevitable that it does, but I believe they are better off adopting national coverage right from the start. Privatizing healthcare leads to the bloated and expensive system we have in the US, and that congress is trying to modify right now.

AMEDEX is a US medical insurance company. It writes an excellent policy specifically designed for North Americans who live in the Caribbean, Mexico & Central America.
Check it out at: <amedex.com>

BMA and Universal (both in Belize city) are very good medical facilities.

I'm afraid our local a medical college has little to do with improved medical care - this is primiarily "bookwork", not teaching hospital-level stuff. Most students are foreigners and few if any intend to return to Belize to jump through the necessary hoops to be able to practice medicine here. You must be a Belizean citizen to be licensed to practice medicine in Belize.

In contrast to the US, most medical professionals here do not expect to get rich, nor do they expect to get sued by their patients. With those factors in play, you can get excellent private care at affordable prices. An office visit (private clinic) - $20-25 USD. A full check-up including lab work, x-rays, blood tests (mamograms, sonograms etc,)etc. - about $350 US.

AND - dont' forget the marvelous local Maya herbal healers that are truly able to keep you healthy.

I am glad to hear about the herbal healers. We tried to go to doctor specializing in herbal treatments here in Washington, but our insurance company wouldn't pay. We have found a natural cure for strep throat, allergies and migraines just by reading.

woodland,
i am very interested in info on migraine pain relief. i take way too many imitrex in my opinion, but, as you can see there is no md behind my name. i don't like taking too many meds.
gay

I got my mom taking feverfew. It has a cumulative effect, so it took a couple of weeks for her to see results. It has shown in studies to reduce or eliminate migraines in a good percentage of people. You can get it at the health food store. Hope it works for you.

>>In contrast to the US, most medical professionals here do not expect to get rich, nor do they expect to get sued by their patients. With those factors in play, you can get excellent private care at affordable prices. An office visit (private clinic) - $20-25 USD. A full check-up including lab work, x-rays, blood tests (mamograms, sonograms etc,)etc. - about $350 US.<<

Thats just the place I want to be. I don't agree with people suing over the drop of a hat. The legal system in America is run by greed and fueled by greed. It is singly responsible for all the exorbitant costs of medical care in America. We need tort reform like 50 years ago!!

I've had Amedex, as have many of my friends, and we swear by it. I know people who are alive today only because they were air lifted out in an air ambulance. Amedex also reimbursed me for treatments from Rosita Arvigo, the herbalist/healer in Cayo. Now that's cool.

jperdomo@fandginsurance.com for info. 227 7493

thank you woodland, i am going to check into the feverfew. if anyone has ever had a true migraine, they know why we desperately look for relief.
gay

I know exactly what you are referring to, but always check your medications/doctor advice, before taking something extra.
You could ask your local pharmacist.
Dr. Nygal,

I looked it up, by the way.

thx ny, very good advise, actually i was going to call the doc today. i get very excited about alternate remedies.
gay

Retirement and migrane headaches are not exactly the same thing - BUT - FYI - Rodale's "Prevention" magazine reported that migraine sufferers who went in for "botox" treatments for wrinkles on their foreheads, notices substantial relief. Some study or another showed that about 60% of the migraine sufferers benefitted and that the benefits lasted as long as the wrinkle relief - 90+ days per injection.
Now you have an excuse for cosmetic procedures - go for it.

Oops, we did stray, sorry

not the same, however, there could be a cause and effect relationship between the two.

DIANE IS RIGHT!!! THE NEW TREATMENT FOR MIGRAINES IS BOTOX. WE ARE FINDING THAT BOTOX NOT ONLY HELPS IN WRINKLES; BUT ALSO IN MIGRAINES, CHRONIC NECK PAIN AND TOR DE COLLES (SEVERE SPASM OF NECK MUSCLES). OF COURSE EVERYTHING IN MODERATION....EVEN TO MUCH WATER CAN KILL.

Botox can work for lots of things if you stick the needle in far enough

thank you for the info. again if you have ever suffered true migraine pain, you will do almost anything for relief. i have been told that the injections are a bit painful, especially the ones on the forehead. if i can get thru it, i can maybe stand to get a tattoo too.
gay

ok, here is how it applies to retirement package. by the time my house is built and i get there, i want to be migraine free to ENJOY!!!! thanks for the advise.
gay

It may also create a wrinkle free retirement.

maybe a lil lift and tuck as well

Make mine rolled and pleated!!

Early on someone quoted the need for $24,000 US be deposited in a Belize bank. That is necessary only if you do not have a guaranteed monthly income. On my last day in Belize I went to an agency where I filled out all the paperwork to move to Belize on the retirement program. All I had to do is have my bank here in the US write a letter stating how much money was automatically deposited in my account each month from my retirement and from Social Security. I have to bring $2,000 US with me when I return to open an off shore banking account. I was surprise to learn I can make money in Belize if I do work as an independent, but not as an employee. Fortunately I won't need to.

I have stayed in San Pedro several times for two months at a time. I spend much less there than I do here.
How much it will take an individual to live there is as varied as it is in the US. People are shocked at the cost of living in New York or California if they move from the Midwest. I think Belize may be as varied as the US in housing and food costs. I know it will cost me much less to live in San Pedro than in the San Francisco Bay area. No car payment, no car insurance, on gasoline, auto repair, etc. Utilities do not cost more there than here and there are fewer of them. The food is fresher, healthier and cheaper. Nothing, absolutely nothing tastes as good as rain water. And it's FREE!

Sitting on the beach is FREE, snorkeling is FREE, and watching the sunrise or sunset, the moon and the stars is all FREE! And most important, talking to the wonderful people who live there is absolutely FREE.

I'm on my way back to my paradise.

Harriette

Harriette - Who did you meet with regarding the QRP Program? I am on my way down this week and would like to meet with someone regarding the particulars.

Tanya

I'm working with Santiago Gomez
General Manager
International Services Ltd.
http://www.belizepassportoffshore.com

They are located at #62 Gabourel Lane (Opposite Central Bank Building)
Belize City, Belize
Tel: 011-501-223-2077

They have been very helpful.

Harriette

Let me get this straight...so, you went right to the horses mouth and someone from the program told you all you need is confirmation of the income being directly deposited. This can be deposited in a US account? Or must it be Belizean?
I would think a stable pension (like a govt. one) would be looked upon favorablely.
If I am not being confused (again) it would seem that they want to confirm that you HAVE money to support yourself (and spend it) in BZ but you don't have to convert $2K each an every month by putting it in a local bank.
Am I interpretting you corrrectly?
Boy, my spelling and typing sux before coffee....

We first went to the Department of Tourism in Belize and obtained the application. You can also find this on the internet and for the life of me, I don't remember the exact web site/sites.

You need a letter from your bank stating that you can meet the $2000 month requirement. We obtained that letter plus a letter of credit from our bank showing average deposits and balances over a three month period. I also took copies of bank statements for the past six months showing deposits. When you are approved for the QRP and get to Belize, then you must deposit $2000 US a month or $24,000 US a year. The way I understand it, is you must show prove of those deposits each year and if you don't, theoretically, they can revoke you QRP status and make you pay duty on items you have brought in to the country. I don't know how well this is enforced though. In order to open an account in a Belize bank, you must have two letters of introduction from your bank/banks here in the US. We also sent a letter of intent to purchase our house signed by the seller and us. This also is taken into consideration for financial stability.

You have to submit a copy of your passport including blank pages and need a physical exam that can either be done by your physician or one in Belize. You need to have a criminal records report as well.

We also are working with an agent in Belize City who is handling all our paperwork for us. They know exactly what you need and how to submit it, so nothing is missed. There a few hoops to jump through and by the time you're finshed, I think they probably know when you went to the bathroom last but it's worth the headache.

I'd just say that in Belize everything is subject to change, depending on who you are, who is in charge at the time and other factors which are beyond my comprehension.

I've talked with and interviewed many, many retirees, real estate people and BTB officials over the past three years regarding the Qualified Retired Persons program and over those years the conditions and rules have changed somewhat,. And what is or is not required at a given time, such as what you have to deposit or how you prove that or to what degree it is monitored certainly varies a good deal from situation to situation and from time to time.

Overall, though, I'd say the BTB administration of this program has been pretty good. They want retirees and they make the process pretty quick and easy (compared to usual government bureaucracies).

I personally don't see the benefit of paying an agent to help with this process, but maybe in some cases it makes sense.

--Lan Sluder
Adapter Kit: Belize

I agree with Lan.

We dealt direct with the BTB and got our QRP approval in about 3 months during last year- all very helpful there and the process was straight forward - no need to use an outside adviser! I would recommend that you go in and meet one of the QRP team (part of the BTB)in the Central Bank building in BC, if you are down there because it helps if you know who you are dealing with and I mean for QRP team as well as the applicant(s)

Mark Porter please contact James at magicman@texas.net I would like to get more info on your waste conversion system. Thanks

feverfew is a bloodthinner, that is why is helps migraines, it has natural aspirn in it. my question is, how come there are no narcotic pain meds besides codiene, if thats what your even getting, or demerol, which when i tested it it was mostly a mix of sugars,.{this was all purchased legally from a local DR.}I have a ruptured disc and pinched nerves,and when my back goes out its days in bed, unless some type of strong narcotic is taken, this has happened many times in SP and a few times my script from the states had run-out,decent medication was hard to find, any input? or should I just make sure I never run out of my lifesavers?

I have lived in Belize several times, from 1976 to 2002 and beleive me, if you are on a budget I would reccomend you look elsewhere to live. Belize is not cheap anymore. Try Honduras (main land not Bay Islands.) Or try Panama, they have a special retirement deal, just show $500 @ month income, and it's cheaper to live on their islands.

Jvid. Also suffer from a herniated disc. Went back to the States 2mo. ago and had an epidural. So far it has done well. Also brought back a Tens unit which I use occasionally. The Tens is by prescription and isn't all that expensive.

lovey and Thurston, Are you still in Indiana? If so would you call me? Pam Morrill 317 974-0169

Hi Pam. No we are on the island right now. If you want our email, it is rbmernitz@hotmail.com. Here you have had a lot of rain.

Lovey, it's spelled "HEAR".

Pedro 1 :rolleyes:

immissing, better leave the English lessons to Pedro. Her statement was "Here you have had a lot of rain." If she had written "here you have had a lot of rain?" ? ending, your correction would be appropriate. As written, although I will concede not with perfect grammer, and probably not what she really meant,the use of here is correct.

Lovey, I will add one Beliken to your tab.
immissing, if you start a tab for me, I will refrain from commenting on your comments.

I would rather owe you than that reprobate Pedro ! Bytheway, Bywarren, Lovey is a good and close friend.

Ernie

What can I say?? A typo, I meant to say "hear". bywarren , I will buy you a beer at B.C.'s!! Ernie, when are you coming down again? Lovey