Hi

I am a UK citizen, planning on an extended trip to Belize and potentially hoping to extend a stay beyond 6 months. My partner and I are 42/43 years and are looking to Belize as somewhere to 'semi-retire'. The retirement program only seems to be open to those "45 and over" - so we were hoping to be able to extend our stay until we can qualify for the program.

We are trying to make sense of the visa regulations. It seems we get a 30 day visa on entry and then can renew monthly for $BZ25 but only for up to 6 months. We can only apply for residency after living there for one year.

I am just a little confused how we manage one year residency when we can only renew our visa for up to 6 months?? If we leave after 6 months ( and say go the the States for a visit) and then return to Belize......how do we then qualify for residency? Does a break in the year not count?

Any help to make sense of visa and residency regulations would be much appreciated! Thanks!

After 6 months you go over the border to Mexico or Guatemala overnight, upon your return you can have a visa for 1 month then keep renewing for a total of 6 months again.

If you plan to stay, you can probably get away with applying for residency after your first 6 month anniversary.

You are allowed to be out of the country for a total of no more than 14 days in a calendar year to be elligible for residency.

As UK citizens on arrival, your passport will be stamped allowing you to stay 30 days. After that, you can go to the nearest immigration office for an extension of another 30 days. I think the current fees for extensions are BZ$50 for the first 6 months, and BZ$100 thereafter.

After 12 months of being in Belize, immigration may say that you have to leave the country, and re-enter. I said I was applying for permanent residency, and did not have to leave the country. I continued with the monthly extensions right up until my PR was final, and never left Belize. If things have changed, all you have to do is visit Chetumal - it's a nice place, you might want to stay a weekend.

There is a "List of Requirements" for applicants seeking PR. On the bottom of the list, there is a statement, "Leaving the country for more than fourteen (14) consecutive days at any one time disqualifies the applicant". You should confirm this sometime when you're at immigration.

Hi there

Thank you all for the very clear information, this has certainly clarified our understanding.

:-)

If you have to leave for business or medical reasons, you can get an exemption to the 1 year requirement. Also, since a lot of countries just scan your passport, you need to keep your airline receipts so you can prove that you where here the whole time. You won't have the stamps in your passport to prove when you arrived and left. Been there and done that.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE

This program is for persons who have resided in Belize for one year and have not left the country for more than 14 days at any one time. If you have left the country for more than permitted, the application will not be accepted, and you will need to start the process over.
Documents and Application
1. Application Form
2. Passport Copy of all Pages along with Original Passport
3. 3 Recent Passport Photographs
4. Authentic/Original Police Record in Belize for applicant, wife and children 16 years and older.
5. Medical Examination (Get Form) including original HIV and VDRL Test Results (Must be done in Belize)
6. Birth Certificate (Original and Copy)
7. Marriage Certificate (Original and Copy)
8. Current Work Permit (Original and Copy)
9. Recent Belize Income Tax Return (Personal and Company)
10. Sworn Declaration of Support of Wife/Husband and children
11. If Husband or wife and children are to be included, they will require # 2 - 6.

Other documents required

12. Monthly Returns to Sales Tax, Business Tax and Social Security
13. List of Company's Assets and Monthly Expenses
14. Recent Business/Personal Bank Statements
15. Employee Information Sheet
16. Recent Business Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss Statements
17. Company Documents and recently filed Annual Report
18. Evidence you & your family are legally in the country, by proof of extended time of stay or other documentation.
19. Title of Land or Lease of Land Property (if applicable)
20. Photocopies with Original Documents (Originals will be returned)

General Information

Valid Passport
Meet twice with an Immigration Officer for the Application Interview
All family members must attend the interviews
All documents must be completed before applying
You must not leave the country for more than 14 days
Your company must be operating in Belize
Residency Fees
Application Processing Fees BZ $ 3,000.00
Estimated Out of Pocket Expenses / Miscellaneous,
Including trips to Belmopan, telephone, fax, e-mail, photocopy, postage stamp, courier and other office supplies BZ $ 400.00
Sales Tax ( 9% of $3,400.00) BZ $ 306.00
TOTAL DUE BZ $ 3,706.00

Government Fees to be paid depends on Applicants Nationality BZ $1,250 - 3,000
Plus Cost of Permanent Residence Card BZ $125.00 per person

This may be stating the 'bleeding' obvious but the terms of the QRP (retirement plan) are different and we have signed up for that several years ago as we see it being more flexible for us, who are not going to be working in Belize.

Does anyone know if you can apply for the QRP before being the age of 45? My partner is 43, and we are considering the QRP as we do not intend to work in Belize.

I dont beleive you can but try emailing Romy Haylock at the BTB because she manages the QRP programme and is helpful. romy@travelbelize.org

Okay. Thanks Nick!