Moving to Belize as a resident

[Julie Macrae]

We will be moving down from Canada in another month or so. We are driving down thru the US thru Mexico then into Belize and will be carrying some of our belongings with us as well as our dog. If anyone has done this do you know if we need to have a customs broker to get into the US and Mexico as well as Belize or will we be good just finding a broker for Belize? We will have a list of our items with the value as well. Thanks for any insight.
Julie

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Julie,

This forum focuses on info related specifically to Belize. But if you join several other forums, such as the ones at http://www.ambergriscaye.com and http://www.belizeforum.com, that have a broader coverage, you will get more feedback from a larger group of people who live in Belize, or travel here. In the past I’ve seen a lot of info about what to expect when driving through Mexico to Belize, on a variety of forums and websites. Some people have done so with few problems. Others talk about the shakedowns they went through from police while traveling through Mexico.

You will definitely have to pay duty on your goods when you arrive in Belize. And, coming in at the Corozal border the customs people are not very pleasant. We’ve had difficulty there before, when coming back from a trip to Mexico. They are really sticklers at that border.

I think there’s also been a past discussion about this topic on the Expat Exchange Belize forum. Also, if you just Google this topic, I’ve seen this come up on TripAdvisor, and other blogs. It would be good to get a current answer, since things can change a lot, from year to year, driving through Mexico. You might try Googling the topic separately for the USA, then for Mexico, to make it easier.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Julie,

I have some additional info provided by a realtor in Corozal about how vehicles coming into Belize are now being managed:

“If you wish to cross the border, whether as a QRP or Tourist seeking residency, driving your vehicle – you will need to provide your broker or real estate agent a scanned and emailed copy of your vehicle title at least 2 weeks prior to your arrival. Belize is now doing an Interpol verification that cars entering Belize have not been reported as being stolen. Your agent or broker will take it to customs officials at your border crossing and have your clearance secured before you cross. If this is not done, you will be unable to cross the border until the clearance is received, about 3 days and a storage fee of $20 BZD/day.”

So it is not only important to have a customs broker, but also to provide them with proof of your vehicle’s title a few weeks before you arrive at the border. This Interpol verification of vehicles coming into the country is a fairly new requirement.

[Author]

Posts