Our first 30 days in Belize is just about up, and we were wondering when we should renew our tourist Visa. We arrived here on August 27. Should we shoot for Monday the 26th or is it safer to go on the 23rd? Or play it dangerously and wait til the 27th? We're in San Pedro, if that makes any difference.

Thanks!
Emily

Any of those days are fine...you can live on the edge and wait until the last day in your passport. No reason that can't renew on that day.

Welcome to Belize, BelizeBound.

Be sure and check the expiration date on the Belize stamp in your passport. Depending on how many days in the month, sometimes it's less than 30 days.

You didn't ask but I'll walk you thru it in case you are not sure. Immigration is on the second floor across the street from the airport. First you go into the immigration office and present your passports. The immigration officer will look them over insert a piece of paper into them and give them back to you. You then have to leave the immigration office take a right and go down to the Treasury or collections office? It is about 25' away on the same floor, a few doors down. Present your passports and his piece of paper to them along with the fee required. $50bz/passport for the first 6 months. They will then give you a receipt which you must then go across the street to Mail Box USA and get a copy. Of course you can get the copy where ever you like but that is close by and what I used. If you don’t get the receipt expect a rebuke from immigration for not doing what they asked. I suppose if he is really in a bad move he will not renew until you get the copy.

I'm not telling you to do this but I have been in the office when someone showed up after the expired date. They were asked why they let it expire and received a tongue lashing. Then where told not to let it happen again plus their next 30 days where from the expired date. They were not put in handcuffs so it wasn't the end of the world. I think their excuse was that they were visiting over on the mainland someplace and didn't get a chance. They where at least a week overdue. I always waited till the last day and didn't have a problem but.....

Good Luck and welcome to Belize.

PS Even in February I received 30 days into March.

I had heard so many horror stories about renewing that I had decided to just be an illegal alien and pay my fees when I left the country. I joked with several friends about this and they said "just go pay your fees." I checked the message board and got all my directions. Then I set off for town in time to be there right when they returned from lunch. I was first in line. I went in listened carefully, got the piece of paper, went to pay the fees next door, then went back. When I got back in there I remembered about the copy. I asked about the copy and the two officers looked at each other and sort of laughed. I asked if I had done something wrong and I so appreciated their help because I had heard horror stories about renewals. Then they did laugh. Evidently, there are some hoops that "nasty" people may go through that others don't. One being the "copy." They told me that I didn't need a copy that it was not necessary. I thanked them and jokingly said, you guys have been so great is there any chance that I can get 60 days and they said, no problem. So not only did I not have to return in 30 days, I also did not have to have a "copy." So if you are told you need a copy, you may have to ask yourself, are you one of those "ugly Americans." I was in and out in under five minutes. Very good experience compared to some I have heard reported. That said, my best friend is definitely NOT an ugly American and while she did not have to get a copy, she never wants to stay in Belize more than the 30 days because of her nightmare experience getting a renewal. I just returned to the states six days ago, so this is not old advice.

Good luck.

The reason for the copy is in case of a dispute over the passport stamp and log book, which is what happened to me. Luckily I had the receipt. But sounds like you were a cute American / Brit / Canuck/ Other?, so no shirt no shoes no problem (cash and sexual favors are helpful as well, I understand).

So, good for you for pulling off a 60 day stay for the price of 30 and and shame on them for allowing

wow..Snoopy's Mom got her nose bent.....

Great information, all! We will check our passports, and now that you mention it, I believe they did say September 26, so Monday would be the day to go.

Thanks much!
Emily

Ha ha. This is so funny. I hardly think that the San Pedranos who know me as an obese, 60 year old, graying, wrinkled female would think of sexual favors as their first response to me having a good experience with the immigration office. And I am sorry if I misled you, I didn't get 60 days for the price of 30, I paid for two stamps at once, not just one. But I got a receipt, so I think that would have helped me out if their was a mistake between the logbook and the passport. Where would they be checking for this piece of paper/copy. I mean when you blow out of the country there is no one spending enough time to check for this that I can see.

Okay going to look in the mirror again to see if I am a "cute American/Brit/Canuck/other?" In fact, some people on AC think that the parade on 9-10 was to celebrate me leaving the country, so I guess I am still me.

Janice

Regardless of what is reflecting back at you in the mirror (and what the parade was about), I hardly think yours was the best advice for newcomers to the process.

The guys you dealt with were renegades and extremely foolish. It is simply not worth the risk of non-compliance (and we are not talking tongue lashing -deportation would not be a fun introductory experience to Belize).

I am very happy for you that you had a positive experience, but as an "Ugly American" (ok, SPD, that one got me!), being a badly dressed, good tipper is not helping me.

Snoopysmom,

I don't get why your experience is more valid than mine and that I am giving foolish advice to newcomers. It is posts like yours and others who have had terrible experiences that scare more newcomers (like me) than mine.

I have asked again and again, what is this copy for? No one has an answer. Then you post that I dealt with renegades and extremely foolish officials. Trust me, they were hardly renegades. You have denigrated them and me. Why? When you go in to get a tourist stamp, they give you a piece of paper. Why do you need a copy of this paper? What more does a copy do for you than the original does? I can find no explanation for this. So please explain to me how you had no paper and no copy. Who is the fool here? Further in investigating this a bit further so as not to give false information, you can actually get up to 90 days extension on your first visit, not just the 60 days I got. One must ask what you actually did that your noncompliance led you to more than tongue lashing-deportation talk as in my many many extended trips to San Pedro, I have NEVER been asked to even show my passport or stamp. I have tried to keep this less than bit*chy because Marty likes his arena to be kept friendly, but you really know how to push buttons and call people names (sexual favors is really a stretch) without knowing them at all.

So regulations are varied from time to time at the discretion of the official- a practice that is quite common throughout the world. Perhaps the officer was in a great mood, or perhaps a chuckle made the agent decide to be lenient- and sometimes you may be at the brunt of an "off" day - regardless of the reasons there is no need for folks on this board to take personal digs at one another. You are strangers so you can't really do anything but speculate about the situations surrounding the others personal experience.
Thanks to all of you that are sharing your experiences, lets try to keep on track and be helpful - that is the main purpose of this board.
Emily, don't be late! I suggest you try and renew on Friday because you may find that next mondqay may be declared a day of national mourning since there will be a State funeral for the Father of Belize.

Now that I've slept on it, I do recall renewing a few days early a couple of times. They dated it so that I received 30 days from the expiration date and not 30 days from the date I renewed early.

If that is still the case and it probably is I see no reason not go down early especially if the office may be closed that day. Just ask them the question. They have always been very cordial to me. I did ask for more than 30 days one time and he thought about for a few seconds, I thought he was going to say yes but he said no. There were a lot of people in the office that day and one lady waiting in line was a little mouthy and listening to my every word. I wondered if that was the reason. Technically you can I was told, especially if you own property down there like I do, which I explained to him. I didn’t ask again because the process is quite easy and only takes a few minutes.

Good point about Monday -- we will go Friday to be on the safe side.

Thanks!
Emily

I see that Monday has been declared a national day of mourning so government offices will be closed.

Thank you Amanda! Perhaps they will cut us some slack and give us through the 26th of October since we can't wait until Monday to go for the renewal. Time will tell.

Emily

A follow-up:

We went today to renew our tourist visa, and we were NOT asked to make any copies. There was a notice on the immigration desk about making copies down the road at Mailboxes Etc., but no one told us to make one or asked for one, so we didn't. Don't know if this is no longer a requirement or if we just got lucky.

Thanks for all the assistance!

Emily

I think if you talk with 100 people about renewing tourist cards you'll get 100 different stories. It all depends on where you go, whom you talk with, and the phases of the moon. It's the Belize way.

Good manners and a smile work wonders....

How would you know ?

the extra copy is your receipt for YOUR records, nothing more. It is not a requirement.

But that's odd, because we were given a copy for our records...

Emily

Ragman (and others),

Thank you! I will have to do this for the first time at the end of November and getting the "walkthrough" is demystifying and comforting! I've only been to San Pedro once, for a few hours so it's kind of unfamiliar. How long a walk is it from the water taxi to the Immigration office?

Thanks!

It is a 5 or 6 minute walk from the water taxi dock. Located across the street from Tropic at the airport. 2nd floor
Walk south on Front St. to the very end past the school and take a right up that alley. That will bring you out to the airport.

Thanks Jim! That will be me you see holding up my laptop and navigating dorkily around San Pedro follow ing your instructions

When you get to San Pedro, ask someone where Scotiabank is. There is a sign (or there used to be a sign ) directing you up the stairs on the north side of the Scotiabank building.