AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life Living in Belize residency program

has anyone used the residency program to move to ac? we are now eligiable and thinking about applying but are wondering about unseem problems, trying to get a container sent to the house etc. do i have to provide reciepts when i send a container? alot of my stuff is 5 to 8 yrs old, just starting to research this so any help is appreciated.

What do you mean you are now eligible?

Your smart to ask first Darrin,
You really need to consider bringing nothing but money.
Containers are a colossal problem and full of pitfalls, in the end you'll discover you could have just sold it there and bought more here saving, money and headaches.

Once you establish residency you are allowed one shipment of your 'used' items duty free.
We had no problem bringing in our container. You can rent them or buy them in the states. We bought ours and once it was unloaded there were people here who couldn't wait to buy it off us (To use as storage).

Just remember that any wooden items you bring in, furniture, picture frames , etc require a special permit from BAHA. You will pay extra fees to have the contianer shipped to your residence and have customs agents come to you to inspect contents. Otherwise they will strip and inspect at the docks and that can be messy. Also you need to inventory every single article. We went through this last year and did inventory by plastic tub(dishes, glassware, books, etc) they required a complete inventory (6 glasses, 18 plastic plates, etc) You also have to have a customs agent to do all the paperwork, you cannot do it yourself any longer. Make sure you get good references and do not go for the cheapest. Just my opinion.

Your best bet regarding bringing in your container under the residency program is to contact a customs broker. I would recommend Milin Gomez at <[email protected]>

JZB Your the first person I heard say that, I might have some old information. how long ago was this positive experience with containers and Customs? I'm serious,I shouldn't speak so negatively about it if its changed over the years.
One of the enigmas of it is you must be a resident and it seems you have to live here a while to do that?
I've listened to lots of folks whining about the container being stuck in customs for months because they (customs)discovered a trivial idem not on the list of things it contained.

We weren't in a rush to get our container but I don't recall it sitting in Belize City too long. The customs guys came to our property to inspect the contents within a few days of it being delivered. I made sure everything was perfectly itemized by the box and in order of how it was packed in the container. This was about 4 years ago so things may have changed since.

Just like me 4 years ago, it sat outside the house for 3 days before customs came to open it.

It was in Belize City for a week.

my understanding is you have to be 45 yrs old to apply.