[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Scott,

I don’t regularly watch football games, but I know expats living on the island who gather at local bars that play sports games, including American football. Belizeans actually love American football! What I don’t know is if they only play the big games at the sports bars. I’ll rely on one of our football buffs who live in Belize and frequent this forum to respond. But you could drop by several sports bars and ask. I’d suggest checking out Lola’s, near the Phoenix Hotel, and Carlo and Ernie’s Runway Bar, by the airport.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Thanks, Ron. There are many good dive operators on the island. I have not heard very much about Sea Star. So thanks for your feedback.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Craig,

If you listen to the most recent podcast on this website, Dan Prescher interviewed me for Q&A, and this was one of the questions I addressed. I explained how to find a detailed description of driving through Mexico to Belize. It’s a big time and cost commitment to drive all the way from Canada to Belize. If your main goal is to be able to drive around Belize to check it out, it would be more efficient to fly here and then rent a car for a week or two. The cost isn’t cheap, but in the long run it may end up being less than the cost to drive all the way to Belize,through Mexico. Also, driving through Mexico does have some risks.

I’m not sure if you realize that you won’t be able to bring your car onto Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, two of the most popular areas where expats live in Belize. So you would need to leave your car somewhere on the mainland while you visit the cayes. You can rent a golf cart on Ambergris Caye, but won’t need it the entire time. And you won’t even need a vehicle at all on Caye Caulker. It’s small enough to cover on foot, or on a bike.

But if you do want to drive through Mexico at some point, there is a very good, detailed explanation (5 pages) written by someone who has done it many times, on the Expat Exchange website, in a post. So join the Expat Exchange website, http://www.expatexchange.com. Then open the Belize section. The most helpful post I’ve found was made by a person that goes by the name BelizeIsIt. He posted the driving through Mexico details on February 18, 2014. It’s worth it to copy and save his detailed instructions.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Marc,

The last time we took an ADO bus the temperature was fine. But you should be prepared for a range of temperatures. It depends on the bus driver, the particular bus, and where you are sitting on the bus. Some areas of the bus have much stronger AC drafts. We try to pick seats about mid-way on the bus. Usually it isn’t too bad there, but we are still not too far from the restroom. Also, you can adjust the vents above your seat. So play with those once you take your seat.

We usually where our REI zip off pants when we take this bus. We zip on the legs before getting on the busy. Then can remove them once at our destination. I always bring a sweater and shawl with me, just in case. The bus does not provide you with blankets. Another issues is that at times the lights in the restroom do not work and it is pitch black in there without a light of some sort. So we bring one of those mini flashlights that you can hang around your neck, or keep in your pocket – just in case.

Otherwise the ADO buses are very comfortable. They are a very reasonably priced way to travel between Mexico and Belize.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Robert,

You can bring your boat to Belize, but you’ll need to obtain a license to captain it in Belizean waters. If you obtain the QRP retirement status before you bring your boat then you’ll won’t be charged duty on your boat. But you’d need work with the BTB/QRP manager to get that worked out ahead of time. Here are several links that are helpful. The first one provides the Belize requirements. The second is a blog written by an expat who actually went through the process. It’s very helpful. The third is a back and forth on the Belize Forum, discussing what’s involved.
http://www.firstworldrefugee.com/so-you-want-to-get-your-captains-license/
http://www.portauthority.bz/index.php?section=11
http://www.belizeforum.com/belize/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=246090
I was able to find all of these by Googling “bring boat to belize get license”. Fortunately we have active forums here, and bloggers. So you can usually find this type of info by entering it in a search engine.

Boats often run aground our here where we live, near the reef and the cayes. The water inside of the reef is shallow in many areas, especially during low tide. So many boat owners use a local captain when sailing or boating around the cayes, until they get to know the waters in the area well. Every year there is at least one or two cruisers or sailboats that end up grounded on the reef. There’s a fine for doing damage to the reef…Near the cayes the boats need to be shallow draft. Catamarans are very popular, as are shallow draft motor boats, out on the cayes. Placencia is where the water is deeper and there are deeper docks and larger boats.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Pierre,

Yes, the Immigration Department has now taken a more rigid approach to visas than in the past. It is an evolving situation. In the article I wrote for a recent Belize Insider I explained that you should assume you’ll need to leave for 2 weeks at the end of your six months visa. When you return the visa process will restart. The Immigration Dept. seems to be pushing expats towards becoming QRPs. At least, that is the sense I get from what I’ve heard from various expats who are getting their visa stamped each month. It makes sense, since the Belizean government needs more US dollars to flow into the Central Bank, to support the current rate of 2/1 BZ/US $s. The QRP program provides them with a consistent flow of US $s into Belize.

If you know you plan to become a QRP, then you can start that process immediately. You can get the forms on line and gather the info before coming here. IN particular, you’ll need to get your police report done in your home country. In the past it’s taken about 2 months to complete. But recently I’ve heard it is taking longer. You can do it on your own, without a lawyer. But if you do hire a law firm they may push it through more quickly than if you do it on your own. I don’t know what they charge, as it will vary from one firm to another. But most have an hourly rate of US$300/hr. Courtney Coye herself has a decent reputation as a Belizean lawyer. But I have not heard about the other lawyers in her firm.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

David:

Here is a link with the Immigration offices in Belize where you can renew your visa: http://ins.gov.bz/index.php/department/direction

I did not see one on the Placencia peninsula. But apparently there is one in Dandriga, which is north of Placencia.

I only use US dollars when quoting prices on this forum, or in IL articles related to Belize. But, as above, when someone else gives a number on line, as David did, it might be in BZ dollars. But he noted that he was quoting in BZ dollars.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Scott,

Note that some of the tourist regions also price menus in US dollars, rather than BZ dollars. So always check on the menu to see which currency they use. Here, on Ambergris Caye, an increasing number of the higher end restaurants price in US $s. It can throw you for a loop if you don’t realize it until you pay the bill.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Pierre,

You can call the BAHA office in Belize directly for advice. I have several friends who have done so within the last year. They said that the people at BAHA are very helpful in terms of giving you guidance related to bringing your pet into Belize. There are veterinarians there, on staff.

There is a section in the Escape to Belize Manual about how to move your pets. It’s included in the Moving to Belize section. The manual is included in your Belize Insider subscription. In the manual itself, it is in Chapter 7. Here is a link for BAHA in Belize, with the requirements:http://www.baha.org.bz/index.php/dept/animal-health

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Pierre,

You will not be able to open a local Belizean bank account until you become a QRP retirement resident, or a permanent resident. The first is much faster than the second residency option.

The best thing to do is have your pension cheques deposited into a bank account in Canada and then take out funds as needed at the ATMs in Belize. Many expats do this for years. The other option is that certain businesses in Belize are willing to give you BZ $s in cash for a Canadian or US dollar check.

Do you have a Charles Schwab account? I see that Schwab has offices in Canada. If you have an account with Schwab you can take out money from ATMS around the world using a Schwab debit card. Schwab will reimburse you for any international ATM fees. That is what we do. Schwab is great. They are service oriented. I’ve used them mainly since we moved overseas.

Banking has become much more challenging overseas during the last few years, especially in Belize. New bank regulations have resulted in Belize’s banks tightening their requirements for foreigners who open local accounts. Much of this is a result of the US-based FATCA regulations. But it’s also fallout from expats who have laundered money and evaded taxes, using Belizean bank accounts. So Belize’s banks have come under increased scrutiny. So they are much more selective about accepting new clients who are foreigners.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Julie,

I wrote an article for the Belize Insider that was published in June of 2015, addressing how to find rentals in each region. That is posted on this website, under Monthly Articles.

Also do a Google search for “longterm rentals in Corozal and Consejo Shores”. Both areas typically have decent rentals that are well priced. I’ve usually been able to find examples through this simple on line search approach.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Gary,

There are two restaurant/bars where expats frequent. They are the Jam Rock, right on the water in town, and the Blue Iguana, a few miles north of town, on the bay. If you drop by for lunch or dinner you will see that other expats gather at each place. If you introduce yourself you’ll find that the expats in the Corozal region are very helpful.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Roy,

I am the Belize Correspondent for International Living. In the future, please start a new strand when you are posing a different question on this forum. Otherwise, people will not respond as much to your questions.

It is safe to travel in Belize. This is an English speaking country. There aren’t that many roads. But the roads from Corozal to Placencia are ok. And the drive south along the Hummingbird Highway is very pretty. But if your wife is really nervous, then by all means, fly instead, for her peace of mind.There are no freeways here. The main roads are ok, but not what you are used to in the USA. And people do not have much training in driving etiquette, so you really need to drive defensively in Belize.

If you do drive, just be sure you only drive during the day. There are few lights on the roads here at night. And the roads have two lanes or less. There are no traffic cops around to enforce traffic/road regulations related to how to drive in Belize. So it is safest to assume that others will not drive safely. We also have “sleeping policemen” – bumps in the road to slow speeders down.

Also, when on the highway, if you want to turn left you are supposed to pull over to the right hand side of the road, let any fast traffic pass, then turn left once that traffic is gone. We have a few unfamiliar practices in Belize that the car rental companies seldom tell visitors about. Here, on Ambergris Caye, you can rent a golf cart. But you won’t need one to get around most of the time.

I’ve personally driven in Belize, on the mainland, many times. If you are a careful driver and pay attention, you will be fine. The only danger is in Belize City and you will not be spending time there. The areas you are visiting are nice areas.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Gary,

My understanding is that when you visit Mexico for less than a week, from Belize, then you don’t have to pay the fee when you leave Mexico. For those who travel from Belize to Mexico, and stay more than a week, there is definitely a fee. I think it’s around $20 US, but will defer to someone who had done this recently.

Of course, you are flying into Cancun and then traveling over the border to Belize, rather than doing a round trip from Belize. We have some Corozal expats on the forum who make that trip on occasion. Hopefully one of them can enlighten us. Also, if we don’t have an expert on this forum then you can try the Belize Forum. I don’t fly out of Cancun anymore. And the fees coming from Mexico to Belize change often, without much explanation.

FYI – WE often have Menzies VIP service pick us up at in Chetumal. We take a bus from Merida and then work out a pick up point. They always know what the latest fees are, since they shuttle people across the border daily. If there is a fee, you won’t be able to avoid it.

[COUNTRY EXPERT ANN KUFFNER]

Joseph,

Yes, we use fans a lot to keep the air moving and prevent the mosquitoes from settling! Given how dry it is in Colorado, and cool at night, you probably will need to rent a place with a good air conditioner. It does take a while to get used to the humidity. It gets just as warm in Colorado in the summer as it does here on Ambergris Caye. But the humidity in the Denver area is very low, so it doesn’t feel nearly as warm as it does in Belize, in general.

We spend at least a month in a suburb of Denver each summer, visiting our daughter. I always look forward to the dry weather…

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