Hi Everyone,

I am moving to Ambergris on New Year.
I will enter to the country as a tourist. So no QRP or something.
The question is, i`d like to bring; my personal computer, laptop and iPad. Are they going to give me hard time on the customs?
PS: They are all used.
Many Thanks

You will have no problem whatsoever.......new or used. That is not saying that some ambitious customs officer won't try. We had some friends that brought a bunch of snacks and the customs officer wanted to charge them duty. They basically told him to [#%!] up a rope and he backed off.

The other thing to keep in mind is how will you protect them once you are here. These items are the number one choice of thieves on the island as they are easy to sell.

Make sure they all have password screen protectors more than the basic four digit code. Set up at least a six digit number on your iPad which can be done in settings.

You should definitely engrave your name and some other number you are comfortable displaying on the devices. So if by some miracle they are recovered it will be easier to prove they are yours.

Get a good engraver, you will want to do this with anything of value.

Never never never leave them out in your home, even if you are there. Break ins are so common and frequent the police are unable to assist. The thefts are usually inside jobs initiated by people who have been watching your comings and goings.

Unfortunately I speak from experience.

Well, you may be right but this person seems to be violating the law by stating he is a tourist when he intends to move permanently to the island so I think whatever he does is going to be problematic.

Doesn't everyone arrive on a Tourist Visa extending the visa each month prior to Residency and then Citizenship?

I think Computers are Duty free too. So if you were charged on their value it would be just GST and Environmental tax at around 14% total

Agree Phil. Under a tourist visa you can bring in personal property for an extended stay while qualifying for residency and citizenship if that is the plan. The QRP program may have other requirements/provisions.

Dear CapOneIron,
Believe me i would enter to the country if they have Green Card Lottery, Business or Extraordinary Person visa or something we have in the States. So only tourist visa cover me as Phil and iluvbelize wrote. I asked the question not to learn smuggling. Just need to know my rights.
Thanks for all the tips.

I wasn't casting stones just making a comment. What about just asking the right questions of the authorities?

Phil is right on all points. God forbid doing the same into the US without a cavity search. I've been detained for hours by US immigration while travelling with a Belizean that had a recently renewed visa to the point where we had to kill ourselves running to make our connection to Chicago to go see the Cubs (only a San Pedrano would know).

Customs/immigration at the airport has a log book. If you have any problems tell them to log your electronics as you will be coming and going with them. This used to be very useful when I had to take up printers and laptops for replacement or repairs. Anymore everyone travels with these things and they are personal items. I still log everything as a safeguard.