Belize retirement visa (Qualified Retirement Program)

Applicants must be 40 or older and the beneficial recipient of retirement income of at least US$2,000 a month or US$24,000 a year, generated outside Belize in US dollars, pounds sterling, euros or Canadian dollars. Pensions, annuities, social security, investment accounts, inheritance, reverse mortgages, savings and retirement plans count. They must give a written undertaking to deposit that amount in a Belizean bank, credit union or licensed institution, pass a security check by the Ministry of National Security and stay in Belize at least 30 consecutive days a year.

The Tourism Board lists qualifying countries as all Commonwealth countries except Belize, the United States, EU member states, the Asia-Pacific countries it names (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam) and all South American countries.

A new application includes the completed form for the applicant and each dependant, notarised or certified birth and marriage certificates, an original police record no older than six months from the last place of residence, notarised copies of the complete passport including blank pages, proof of retirement income, an original or certified international bank statement showing the income deposits, the signed undertaking to deposit funds in Belize, a medical certificate including an HIV test no older than three months, and two 2 x 2 inch photos (one notarised).

All fees are paid in US currency and are non-refundable: US$150 per application, then US$1,000 for the applicant and US$750 per dependant, US$200 per QRP card and US$25 for the annual card renewal.

Accepted members and dependants receive a QRP resident card allowing multiple entries without a visa, renewed annually; the card is used together with the passport at borders. During the first year they may import household and personal effects, a motor vehicle no older than five years, a light aircraft or a boat free of duty and tax. Income from outside Belize, capital gains and inheritance are exempt from tax. A QRP who wants to run a business needs Tourism Board approval, a business plan, investment capital of at least BZ$1 million and five Belizean employees.