Country-wide policy
Belize prices immigration by where you are from
The fee schedule under the Immigration Act is organised around nationality in a way nothing else in the region is. Permanent residence costs BZ$1,000 for a CARICOM citizen, BZ$1,500 for a Central American, Mexican or Dominican one, BZ$3,000 for a Commonwealth citizen, BZ$4,000 for an American, Cuban, Chinese or South American one, and BZ$6,000 for a European. Temporary residence is one fifth of whatever your band is, and a minor pays half. Entry permits work the same way: a visa for a Chinese national costs BZ$3,000 single entry against BZ$200 for most other passports. Work permits are the exception that proves the rule - they are priced by occupation and nationality is irrelevant.
Topics it changes
- Visiting as a tourist
- Residency on passive income
- Residency through investment
- Residency as a student
- Residency under a regional treaty
What it requires
- Permanent residence is charged in seven nationality bands, each granted for an indefinite duration
- Temporary residence is one fifth of the permanent residence fee for your nationality
- A minor pays half the adult fee for the nationality
- A replacement residence card costs BZ$300
- Nationals of China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka pay a non-refundable visa application fee of BZ$200 on top, retained by the consular office
At a glance
- CARICOM citizen
- $1000.00
- Central American, Mexican or Dominican citizen
- $1500.00
- Other Commonwealth citizen
- $3,000.00
- United States, Cuban, Chinese or South American citizen (except Guyana)
- $4,000.00
- European citizen
- $6,000.00
- Minor
- 50% of the adult fee
- Visitor's entry permit, single entry, most nationalities
- $200.00
- Visitor's entry permit, single entry, nationals of the People's Republic of China
- $3,000.00
- Non-refundable visa application fee, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
- two hundred dollars (BZ$200.00)
- Work permits
- Priced by occupation, not by nationality
A six-to-one spread on the same permit
The same indefinite permanent residence permit costs a CARICOM citizen BZ$1,000 and a European citizen BZ$6,000. Nothing else about the application differs: the same year of legal residence, the same medical tests, the same police record, the same financial stability test. Several countries in this reference give nationals of a bloc a shorter route or a lighter file; Belize gives them the same route at a sixth of the price, and charges a European six times what it charges a neighbour. The Immigration Department publishes the bands as a per-country table, and the entries we could read match the Schedule exactly.
The visa fee is where the spread is widest
A single-entry visitor's entry permit costs BZ$200 for most passports, BZ$750 for nationals of India, Nepal, Thailand, Burma, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and BZ$3,000 for a national of the People's Republic of China - BZ$4,000 for a multiple entry one. On top of that, applicants from China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka pay a non-refundable BZ$200 application fee the consular office keeps whether or not the visa is granted. That is a fifteen-fold difference in the price of the same document.
Work permits break the pattern
The one part of the schedule that ignores nationality is the Temporary Employment Permit, which is priced by what you do: BZ$3,000 for a professional, BZ$1,500 for a technical worker, BZ$750 for a general worker, BZ$150 for a seasonal agricultural worker, BZ$200 for a religious, cultural, educational or voluntary worker. A reader comparing Belize against its neighbours should notice that the country is nationality-blind about labour and nationality-conscious about settlement.
What the law says
«For Citizens of CARICOM countries | Indefinite | $1000.00»About this source
Belize's law portal, carrying the Substantive Laws in their revised edition, the Subsidiary Laws volume for each Chapter, and Acts and Statutory Instruments by year.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: A Chapter alone must never be cited for what the law is now. Every Chapter is a revised edition frozen at 31 December 2020 and nothing on the page says so: the retirement Chapter still prints an age that an Act of 2023 lowered, and the free-movement Chapter still lists states an Act of 2026 removed. The law is the Chapter plus every amending Act since. It also publishes nothing about commencement, and many Acts carry no commencement section, so a gazette date is not an entry-into-force date. A batch posting date is not a gazette date either. Its listing is served by a POST endpoint and the filenames carry hash prefixes, so a URL cannot be guessed from a chapter number.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«For citizens of Central American countries, Dominican Republic and Mexico | Indefinite | $1500.00»About this source
Belize's law portal, carrying the Substantive Laws in their revised edition, the Subsidiary Laws volume for each Chapter, and Acts and Statutory Instruments by year.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: A Chapter alone must never be cited for what the law is now. Every Chapter is a revised edition frozen at 31 December 2020 and nothing on the page says so: the retirement Chapter still prints an age that an Act of 2023 lowered, and the free-movement Chapter still lists states an Act of 2026 removed. The law is the Chapter plus every amending Act since. It also publishes nothing about commencement, and many Acts carry no commencement section, so a gazette date is not an entry-into-force date. A batch posting date is not a gazette date either. Its listing is served by a POST endpoint and the filenames carry hash prefixes, so a URL cannot be guessed from a chapter number.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«For Citizens of USA and Cuba and South American countries except Guyana | Indefinite | $4,000.00»Paragraph (e) sets BZ$3,000.00 for citizens of other Commonwealth countries not in another band, and paragraph (d) sets BZ$4,000.00 for citizens of the People's Republic of China.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
Belize's law portal, carrying the Substantive Laws in their revised edition, the Subsidiary Laws volume for each Chapter, and Acts and Statutory Instruments by year.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: A Chapter alone must never be cited for what the law is now. Every Chapter is a revised edition frozen at 31 December 2020 and nothing on the page says so: the retirement Chapter still prints an age that an Act of 2023 lowered, and the free-movement Chapter still lists states an Act of 2026 removed. The law is the Chapter plus every amending Act since. It also publishes nothing about commencement, and many Acts carry no commencement section, so a gazette date is not an entry-into-force date. A batch posting date is not a gazette date either. Its listing is served by a POST endpoint and the filenames carry hash prefixes, so a URL cannot be guessed from a chapter number.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«For citizens of other Commonwealth countries not included in any of the above categories | Indefinite | $3,000.00»About this source
Belize's law portal, carrying the Substantive Laws in their revised edition, the Subsidiary Laws volume for each Chapter, and Acts and Statutory Instruments by year.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: A Chapter alone must never be cited for what the law is now. Every Chapter is a revised edition frozen at 31 December 2020 and nothing on the page says so: the retirement Chapter still prints an age that an Act of 2023 lowered, and the free-movement Chapter still lists states an Act of 2026 removed. The law is the Chapter plus every amending Act since. It also publishes nothing about commencement, and many Acts carry no commencement section, so a gazette date is not an entry-into-force date. A batch posting date is not a gazette date either. Its listing is served by a POST endpoint and the filenames carry hash prefixes, so a URL cannot be guessed from a chapter number.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«For citizens of European countries | Indefinite | $6,000.00»About this source
Belize's law portal, carrying the Substantive Laws in their revised edition, the Subsidiary Laws volume for each Chapter, and Acts and Statutory Instruments by year.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: A Chapter alone must never be cited for what the law is now. Every Chapter is a revised edition frozen at 31 December 2020 and nothing on the page says so: the retirement Chapter still prints an age that an Act of 2023 lowered, and the free-movement Chapter still lists states an Act of 2026 removed. The law is the Chapter plus every amending Act since. It also publishes nothing about commencement, and many Acts carry no commencement section, so a gazette date is not an entry-into-force date. A batch posting date is not a gazette date either. Its listing is served by a POST endpoint and the filenames carry hash prefixes, so a URL cannot be guessed from a chapter number.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«Tourist, visitor’s, student’s and dependent’s permit for nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) | On each occasion (Single Entry) | $3,000.00»Paragraph (c) sets BZ$200.00 single entry and BZ$300.00 multiple entry for nationals of all other countries not listed in 1(a) or 1(b); paragraph (b) sets BZ$750.00 single entry for nationals of India, Nepal, Thailand, Burma, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
Belize's law portal, carrying the Substantive Laws in their revised edition, the Subsidiary Laws volume for each Chapter, and Acts and Statutory Instruments by year.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: A Chapter alone must never be cited for what the law is now. Every Chapter is a revised edition frozen at 31 December 2020 and nothing on the page says so: the retirement Chapter still prints an age that an Act of 2023 lowered, and the free-movement Chapter still lists states an Act of 2026 removed. The law is the Chapter plus every amending Act since. It also publishes nothing about commencement, and many Acts carry no commencement section, so a gazette date is not an entry-into-force date. A batch posting date is not a gazette date either. Its listing is served by a POST endpoint and the filenames carry hash prefixes, so a URL cannot be guessed from a chapter number.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«Visitor’s Entry Permit (Visa) for nationals of all other countries not listed in 1(a) or (b) | Single entry (valid for three months) | $200.00»About this source
Belize's law portal, carrying the Substantive Laws in their revised edition, the Subsidiary Laws volume for each Chapter, and Acts and Statutory Instruments by year.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: A Chapter alone must never be cited for what the law is now. Every Chapter is a revised edition frozen at 31 December 2020 and nothing on the page says so: the retirement Chapter still prints an age that an Act of 2023 lowered, and the free-movement Chapter still lists states an Act of 2026 removed. The law is the Chapter plus every amending Act since. It also publishes nothing about commencement, and many Acts carry no commencement section, so a gazette date is not an entry-into-force date. A batch posting date is not a gazette date either. Its listing is served by a POST endpoint and the filenames carry hash prefixes, so a URL cannot be guessed from a chapter number.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«All applications for Entry Permits to enter Belize from nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, except for holders of diplomatic and official passports, shall be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee of two hundred dollars (BZ$200.00).»Sub-regulation (2) lets the consular office keep this fee to cover its administrative costs, which is why it is non-refundable and separate from the permit fee.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
Belize's law portal, carrying the Substantive Laws in their revised edition, the Subsidiary Laws volume for each Chapter, and Acts and Statutory Instruments by year.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: A Chapter alone must never be cited for what the law is now. Every Chapter is a revised edition frozen at 31 December 2020 and nothing on the page says so: the retirement Chapter still prints an age that an Act of 2023 lowered, and the free-movement Chapter still lists states an Act of 2026 removed. The law is the Chapter plus every amending Act since. It also publishes nothing about commencement, and many Acts carry no commencement section, so a gazette date is not an entry-into-force date. A batch posting date is not a gazette date either. Its listing is served by a POST endpoint and the filenames carry hash prefixes, so a URL cannot be guessed from a chapter number.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
«Permanent Residence for minors | | Fee equal to 50% of the adult fee based on country of origin.»About this source
Belize's law portal, carrying the Substantive Laws in their revised edition, the Subsidiary Laws volume for each Chapter, and Acts and Statutory Instruments by year.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: A Chapter alone must never be cited for what the law is now. Every Chapter is a revised edition frozen at 31 December 2020 and nothing on the page says so: the retirement Chapter still prints an age that an Act of 2023 lowered, and the free-movement Chapter still lists states an Act of 2026 removed. The law is the Chapter plus every amending Act since. It also publishes nothing about commencement, and many Acts carry no commencement section, so a gazette date is not an entry-into-force date. A batch posting date is not a gazette date either. Its listing is served by a POST endpoint and the filenames carry hash prefixes, so a URL cannot be guessed from a chapter number.
We re-read it every 60 days. More about this source
Practical notes
These are the fees in the Schedule as consolidated to 31 December 2020. SI No. 5 of 2021 amended only the wording of item 3(h), and SI No. 47 of 2023 replaced item 4(d), the CARICOM Skills Certificate fees, with effect from 1 August 2023. Neither touched the bands above.
The Immigration Department publishes a per-country residence fee table headed "Fees with effect from 1 May 2020" which assigns each country to one of five labels - CARICOM, Central American plus Mexico and the Dominican Republic, Commonwealth, European, Other. The Schedule's seven paragraphs collapse into those five, and the entries we could read agree.
The Department's published work permit fees differ from the Schedule for two categories; that divergence is recorded on the work record rather than here.
This record rests on the Immigration (Permits and Fees) (Revised) Regulations in the consolidated subsidiary legislation to Chapter 156, SI No. 5 of 2021, SI No. 47 of 2023, and the Immigration Department's residence fees page.