I have a one-way ticket to Belize on June 1st, but someone advised that I check to see if I can enter Belize on a one way ticket. I intend to stay for quite some time. I have read that all I need to do is get my passport re-stamed every month. Do I just need to tell this to the immigration people, or do I need to buy a return ticket and just keep changing the date so that I use it when I want to return? Can anyone point me in the right direction with regards to this information? For the time being I just want to have the status of perpetual tourist (I don't want to work, I just want to party and scuba dive and stuff). How do I go about doing this?

i'm not sure if you have to have a return ticket, but it's not a bad idea...i went to belize for a year in 2004 and nobody asked for a return ticket...they asked how long i would be staying, and it was suggested on the board to just say "a couple of months"...i fly down on continental, and for a few hundred $$$ more, i had the comfort of knowing that i had my return ticket, and i could change it whenever i wanted to with no penalties...only problem was i could only reserve up to 3 months, then i would have to contact the airlines and pick another departure date...very easy...not sure if the rules are still the same for long term stays, but this was my experience...
i'm sure u will have a great time!!!!

If you do not have a return ticket you have to have enough money to buy one. The last fellow I know that did this had to take $1,800 (I can't remember it that was BZ or US $) everytime he got his pasport stamped; every 30 days. AND that is not once a month. It is really 29 days as you must go in the day before your 30th day.
The good thing about this it keeps some of the vagrants out.

So to enter the country I just need to have enough cash on me to show them that I can buy a plane ticket home? That should be easy enough. But will they want me to give it to them to keep on deposit or something? I'm not sure they'd ever give it back...

i never had anyone ask me to show proof of funds when i went to have my passport stamped....and they didn't know if i had a return ticket or not, just paid them and they stamped the passport....but then again, as i said above, the rules may have changed...which they tend to do

You most definitly need a return ticket,unless you have residency, or you are flying TACA, they get around that somehow because they fly into San Salvador first, and they are not a US based airline. Oh the stories I have heard about people having to buy last minute return tickets$$$$$$ We always fly back on one way tickets and are always asked this, but they check our passports and residency and let us go. Heres what we used to do. We would buy a bus ticket from Belize City to Chetumal that is acceptable instead of the return ticket. I would imagine you could contact a travel agent here via email purchase a bus ticket and have them fax it to you. Cost is $10 US

Also, check with your airline. I originate my travel in Belize to the US and am often asked by the airline (TACA) when I check in with my US passport on my return to Belize for my proof of return travel to the US until I show my proof of residency for Belize.

Just wanted to add this has nothing to do with entering the country, nothing to do with immigration or how much cash you have, this will be checked at the airline ticket counter when you check in for your flight in The US, I am sure some folks got by somhow but for the last 8 years we have flown here on one ways about 12 times and except for TACA, it has always been a issue.We have flown, Delta, American, US air, Continental

Info off of TACA's web page.

Immigration requirements

USA - Belize
TIMATIC-2 / 30MAY07 / 1308 UTC
NATIONAL U.S.A. (US) /EMBARKATION U.S.A. (US)
TRANSIT BELIZE (BZ) /DESTINATION BELIZE (BZ)
ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW

VISA TRANSIT BELIZE (BZ)

...... NORMAL PASSPORTS ONLY ......
VISA NOT REQUIRED.

PASSENGER MUST HOLD:
- RETURN/ONWARD TICKET; AND


- USD 50.- PER DAY OF STAY; AND
- ALL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR NEXT DESTINATION.

NON-COMPLIANCE WITH TRANSIT REGULATIONS MAY RESULT IN FINES FOR
CARRIER VARYING FROM USD 500.- TO USD 2,500.-. PASSENGER WILL
BE DEPORTED TO POINT OF ORIGIN.

VISA DESTINATION BELIZE (BZ)

...... NORMAL PASSPORTS ONLY ......
PASSPORT (MUST BE VALID FOR PERIOD OF INTENDED STAY) REQUIRED.



VISA NOT REQUIRED FOR A STAY OF MAX. 1 MONTH.

(EXTENSION IS POSSIBLE BY PERSONAL APPLICATION TO IMMIGRATION
DEPARTMENT.)

MINORS:
PASSPORT NOT REQUIRED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16 YEARS PROVIDED
THEIR NAMES ARE REGISTERED IN PASSPORT OF ACCOMPANYING PERSON.

PASSENGER MUST HOLD:
- USD 50.- PER DAY; AND
- RETURN OR ONWARD TICKET; AND


- ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR NEXT DESTINATION.

THOSE OF FOREIGN NATIONALITY BORN IN BELIZE MAY TRAVEL ON A
ONE-WAY TICKET.

NON-COMPLIANCE WITH ENTRY REGULATIONS MAY RESULT IN FINES FOR
CARRIER VARYING FROM USD 500.- TO USD 2,500.-. PASSENGER WILL
BE DEPORTED TO POINT OF ORIGIN.

SIMPLIFY YOUR REQUEST USE TIFA, TIFV AND TIFH
FULL TEXT AVAILABLE USE TIDFT
CHECK TINEWS/N4 - GREEK PASSPORTS

We have found that is is the airlines that will hassle you for the return ticket not Belize Immigration. Several times the airlines have forced us to buy a return ticket before they would let us board. Since we got our residency it has not been an issue.

The situation with Taca from SFO is you are not flying USA to Belize you are Flying USA to El Salvador, different rules when flying El Salvador to Belize as this case is. However I know the majority of Tacas flights go to El Salvador first which changes immigrations rules I expect not all flights do. So if you are on a direct flight on TACA from US to Belize they may also want the RT ticket.

Oh and yes it is rules set by but not inforced by immigration, it is inforced by airlines at departure.

When I check in for flights from the US to go back home to Belize I usually travel on my UK passport. The airline ticket desk always asks why I don't have a return ticket (to leave Belize) and I have to provide proof that I can legally reside in Belize before they will check me in.

So, the airlines do enforce the immigration protocol - chances are most folks don't realize it because the ticket counter knows whether or not your have a return ticket.