[Country Expert laura diffendal]

Hi Pamela, thanks for reaching out! Belize being a young country, one challenge can be consistency. With the importance of the 30 day stamps, this is a topic readily discussed in the Facebook Groups. There was recently some chatter in Belize Expats (if you are not already a member, this is the best group, it has a deep well of knowledge from a range of expats, and they quickly correct anything posted that is NOT correct!) about expats being allowed a 60 or 90 day stamp. It is generally thought that several years ago, there was a “crackdown” on ANY extensions or other special privileges after some government workers were found to have been giving some foreigners their residency without these individuals following exact protocal. The agencies got more strict for a long time – and this giving of “extended” (over 30 day stamps) is a new practice. It is not something that you can ever count on and it is not regular protocal. If individuals were allowed these longer stamps, they may have had a connection or some other way of getting this granted, but it would not be considered something that would be the norm. The vast majority of expats only get the 30 days stamp and are never offered any other option, and are probably going to be told a firm no if they ask. I have not heard any change in the regular 30 day stamp, I am sure if you were accustomed to getting 60 or 90 days and then told you can only have 30, this would be a big letdown! As long as you provide your reason for being in the country, such as you are working on residency etc, it is very rare to have a big problem. The agents do want to make sure that you are not working while you are on a tourist stamp and that can be one of the only reasons they will ask more personal questions about working or finances. Hope that helps and I will keep my ear out for any changes!
Laura

[Country Expert laura diffendal]

Hi Toby and Sheri, I would consider working with Macarena Rose, who is well known throughout the country for real estate. She is very easy to find online and very well known in the country. She is an expert on all things real estate in Belize and has many connections here. Macarenarose.com There is a Harley Davidson store at the Belize International Airport now, and a yearly-ish Harley bike rally in Belize. I looked into this and there are a few active motorcycle groups on Facebook, if you search for motorcycle mechanics there were a few good leads, the group Belize Expats is also helpful for niche information. Let us know if you have any other questions!

[Country Expert laura diffendal]

Hi Toni and Sheri, congrats on your decision! I am always partial to say that you are better off purchasing a Mahindra in country as service is so accessible, and service and parts for most any imported car is going to be more difficult. Medications – you don’t need a prescription for many meds in country, and many are cheaper than in the US, and you should be able to email or Facebook message the pharmacies (or pay a visit when you are here) to inquire about specific medications. Housing – it will be in your contract how long, but you may not get the land certificate/transfer documents for many months after closing. You may read about impatience with the land department, but you can move in based on terms in your contract, 30-60 days is the norm. Living in Belize now, you can get about anything and or use the various shoppers to get anything from the states, so no worries on any can’t miss items!

[Country Expert laura diffendal]

Definitely do the puddle jumper. If you were coming for a couple weeks it might be cheaper to do some combination of driving/shuttles/water taxi, but the puddle jumper between the two is efficient, quick, and easy. You will land in Municipal airport in Belize City for a brief stopover between the two. You can book this right on either website for Tropic or Maya Island Air.

[Country Expert laura diffendal]

Hi Diane, I have heard about three places in Belize City that might be able to help:
Hoy Eye Center – http://www.hoyeyecenter.bz/
BCVI Eye Clinic – https://www.bcvi.org/
And you already reached out to the below, but sometimes in Belize calling is the only way to get a hold of people. It is somewhat like the 1950’s here, still!
BELIZE VISION CENTER – try calling them at 011-501-224-5038

If you do not find the resources you need, another option is to check out Chetumal or Merida, Mexico, which are close enough by that expats often go there for medical care, and it is a quick flight or ADO bus away! Hope that helps,
Laura

[Country Expert laura diffendal]

Hi Angela, great question! Most people have a hard time finding a US OR a Belize bank to finance property here. Most buyers use cash, an equity line, or will buy a property with seller financing. This last option is something you may want to check with your real estate agent; because of the difficulty getting financing this is becoming a very popular option for sellers and the terms can be negotiated. This allows you to buy in for a negotiable down payment and make monthly payments on your terms. There are many lawyers in Belize who can set this up and your real estate agent usually recommends a trusted lawyer. Thanks and best of luck!

[Country Expert laura diffendal]

Hi Tami – it is such a small population in Placencia that the school options are limited – the only schools I know of other than above are St John’s for really young kids: http://www.anglicanschoolsbz.com/st-johns-memorial-preschool-placencia.php or Independence High School for high schoolers – this is located a water taxi ride away, mostly local kids, not as many expat kids – https://www.ihs.edu.bz/ The contact info for the schools is on these sites depending on how old your kids are.
The school year is roughly the same as the US. While this is not my area of expertise as I don’t have kids in school here, I can definitely direct you to the right places to get this info. If you are not on Facebook – this is an excellent source of village info – I highly recommend you join the group Placencia What’s Happening as this is a great place for questions about school, that will get you in direct contact wiht parents in the village. The Placencia Village Council is another good source of information and you can contact them here: https://www.facebook.com/PlacenciaVillageCouncil/ Thanks!

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Country Expert laura diffendal.

[Country Expert laura diffendal]

Hi Tami, congrats on your move here! There are a couple school options on the Placencia Peninsula, if you are talking about the Peninsula International Academy, which is wildly popular with expats, here is the link to connect right to the school, you can also email them at info@PeninsulaInternationalAcademy.info.
If you are referring to a different school let us know! Thanks and see you in Belize soon!!
Laura

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• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Country Expert laura diffendal.

[Country Expert laura diffendal]

Hi Neil, thanks for your question – in the past several years that has been talk of and movement towards international airports both in Placencia, and more recently, in San Pedro, up north on the island. The Placencia project was almost completed (there is a runway and shell for a terminal) and there were even some international private planes that landed a couple years ago, but the process was never completed and is a bit of a mystery. You will hear a lot of stories and reasons why – some say there needs to be a full hospital/ambulances close to the airport (Placencia only has clinics, nearest full hospital is about an hour away in Dangriga.) While ambulance projects have been worked on, and Placencia now has an ambulance, the full international regulations for an airport have not been met, and unfortunately the airport now seems to be a far off project that may not see completion for some time, if ever. San Pedro is a newer project and may have slightly more credibility at this point – but there is still many steps before this could conceivably be realistic. Latest news is that the Belize government is very pro-airport and is raising the funds necessary to begin, and this is within the last year.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Country Expert laura diffendal.

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