QRP Personal Belongings Inspection

[Scott Humphrey]

When entering the country with personal items, under the QRP is there an inventory taken at the border to ensure everything is legal?

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Scott,

My understanding is that you need to have a detailed inventory of all the items you ship to Belize under the QRP program. There is a section on the Belize Insider website that details how to ship your belongings to Belize, so read that section in detail.

It’s important to have a good customs broker to handle receiving your goods on the Belize side. Typically you would ship your goods into Belize City and they are put into storage until your customs broker handles the inspection locally. Then he can have your goods shipped to wherever you want them to go in Belize.

Since you are a QRP, contact the QRP office in Belize and ask which Customs Broker they work with and recommend. It’s best to let the customs broker handle everything. I have heard that sometimes the inspector won’t even open a container. At other times they may go through the goods with a fine tooth comb. But talk to your QRP contact and ask her for advice on how detailed the inventory needs to be, and who they are currently recommending as the preferred customs broker. Whomever they recommend is used to working with QRPs and the customs inspectors.

[Scott Humphrey]

Thank you. I have studied the information regarding shipping personal belongings in a container. We plan on driving and pulling a trailer from Texas through Mexico to Belize with our personal belongings. Should I assume that hiring a customs broker would be a smart move at the Belize/Mexico border also?

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Scott,

Yes, I would definitely talk to a customs broker, and to the QRP contact. Typically belongings come in through Belize City. The customs people at Corozal can operate differently. In other words, you many encounter more problems there if they are not as used to dealing with QRP goods coming through that border. Not many expats move their goods through Mexico. If you deal with the brokers yourself, they will likely expect more incentives… That’s why it’s better to deal with a good broker.

I strongly suggest that you call the QRP office and talk to the person who manages that department, to get their advice. They are typically very helpful. If we are lucky, someone who has done this before may chime in on this Forum. But most of our members are expats who are getting ready to move to Belize, or whom recently moved there, not expats who have have lived in Belize for a while. That being said, we may have a few recent Belize expats in Corozal who have moved their goods in through Mexico.

[Scott Humphrey]

Great advice Ann. Thank you.

[DAVID L.]

We are getting ready to move to Belize, soon (actually, not soon enough!). We purchased a house in Consejo. I have applied and been approved for the QRP program. I have not paid the $1000 fee yet since you have only one year to move your domestic goods to Belize from the time you are officially enrolled in the program.

We are selling as much as possible in the States. One, because we have too much stuff! Two, because certain things do not fare well in the tropics. Remember that you cannot import food items or alcohol (like many bottles of wine) and, interestingly, you’ll pay duty on permanent fixtures (like ceiling fans, toilets, etc.) but not movable items (refrigerator, kitchen appliances, clothing, etc.). We will be using a professional mover into Belize (trough Belize City). The mover will create the inventory which must be at the QRP office several weeks in advance. Remember, you must have a clear title for your car (no liens) to bring it into Belize under QRP.

Mexico creates its own set of challenges. We know multiple people who have come through Mexico with varying degrees of ease or turmoil. Map out your route with places to stay during your travel. You will be questioned going into and out of Mexico, as well as, entering Belize. We know one couple that spent 3 days trying to get out Mexico at the border.
I totally agree with Ann. Know your QRP rules (enforcement will vary), talk to the people at the QRP official (they are very helpful), and get a broker to help.
There is paperwork to get your QRP. From start to finish it took us about 2 months to get approval. Most of the time was spent on my side getting the paperwork together.

Good Luck.

[Belize7for7]

Am planning on moving next summer and since I will be just short of the
2000 month income level, does anyone have an estimate of duty charges
on household items?

[Belize7for7]

Sorry, still playing with this site – name is
Howard Jones

[DAVID L.]

I believe that duty varies by item, like, tools, vehicles, stationary appliances (ceiling fans, toilets, etc.) versus non-stationary appliances (washing machines, refrigerators, etc.), etc. I think a lot of it is at the discretion of the customs official. As a side note, be careful what you try to bring in. For example, state-side wood furniture generally does not fare well in ‘tropical’ climates. It is not expensive to have furniture made locally using local wood. Food item also generally cannot be brought in. Certainly, no alcohol (except for a couple bottles of wine). As Ann stated above, getting a good broker is very wise decision.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Yes, duty varies significantly by the type of item.

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