Belize Visa Policy

You can visit Belize up to 30 days without a Belize Visa if:

• You hold a valid multiple-entry visa or Permanent Residence Card from the United States of America
• You hold a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa
• You hold a valid multiple-entry visa or Permanent Residence Card from Canada.

If you meet the above-mentioned requirements, you can visit Belize without a visa, and while entering Belize, you must have a return ticket and sufficient funds for your stay in Belize.

If you do not meet the above-mentioned requirements, you will need a Belize visa to enter or transit through Belize. The validity of Belize visas is 30 days from the date of entry.

If you intend to stay in Belize for more than 30 days, you must apply to the Belize Immigration Office to extend your stay. The permit that you need in order to extend your stay is “Belize Visitor’s Permit Extension”. This permit allows you to stay in Belize for an additional 30 days. You can apply for an extension 2-3 days before your visa’s expiration date. Belize Visitor’s Permit Extension fee is 200 BZ Dollars (100 USD).

One-day cruise ship passengers do not require a visa for Belize.

You can apply for a Belize Visitor visa if you want to spend a holiday in Belize or travelling for tourism purposes, temporarily carrying out business, trade or profession activities, or investigating possibilities of settlement in Belize.

Required Documents for Belize Visitor Visa

1.  Application Form

• Duly completed and signed

2. Photo

• The photo should be of passport format, a recent whole-face capture with a light background.
• It must be in the size of 3.5 x 4.5 colored, and the head should take 70-80% of the photo.
• You must be looking straight at the camera with a neutral facial expression (no smile and mouth closed).
• Try to avoid uniforms or colors matching the background.

3. Passport and Copy of the Main Page

• Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the return date.
• It also must have at least two blank pages.

4. Copy of ID Card

5. Residence Permit/Visa Copy

• If your country of residence and citizenship are different

6. Flight Itinerary

       If visiting Belize:

• Flight itinerary must show expected arrival in Belize and return date to the home country.

       If transiting through Belize:

• Flight itinerary must show expected arrival in Belize and date of departure to the country of destination

7. For Tourism:

• Proof of Accommodation
  • Valid (existing) hotel/accommodation booking/reservation with the full address (name, street, city, zip code, contact information, booking ref.)
  • In case of staying at a private house, submit a copy of the house owner’s resident card (both front and backside) and fill out the address on the application form.

8. For Business:

• Invitation Letter from Company residing in Belize
  • Stating the purpose of visit and duration of stay
• Employment Letter
  • Must be issued within the last 6 months
  • Stating employer details, monthly salary, and period of employment

9. In Case of Sponsor:

• Letter of Financial Support
• If the sponsor is a Born Belizean or Naturalized Belizean
  • A valid Belizean Passport
  • ID Card
  • Social Security card
  • Permanent residence (If any)
• If the sponsor is your relative (Parent, children, spouse, sibling)
  • Birth Certificate
  • Marriage certificate
• Invitation Letter
  • Stating the purpose of visit and duration of stay
• Employment Letter
  • Must be issued within the last 6 months
  • Stating employer details, monthly salary, and period of employment
• Banking Financials
  • You and your sponsor must provide banking financials showing the last 6 months transactions

10. In case of Self-sponsored:

• Employment Letter
  • Must be issued within the last 6 months
  • Stating employer details, monthly salary, and period of employment
• Banking Financials
  • Banking financials showing last 6 months transactions

*Additional documents may be required by the embassy.

Processing Time for Belize Visitor Visa

The average processing time for a Belize Visitor visa is 3-7 working days. It depends on your visa application country. Processing of visas that require Belize Department of Immigration approval takes up to 6-8 weeks.

Belize Visitor Visa Fee

Single-entry visa (valid for 6 months from the date of issue):

• Nationals of the People’s Republic of China – 1500 USD
• Nationals of India, Nepal, Thailand and Burma Bangladesh, Pakistan & Sri Lanka – 325 USD
• All other Nationals – 100 USD

Multiple-entry visa (valid for 1 year from the date of issue)

• Nationals of the People’s Republic of China – 2000 USD
• Nationals of India, Nepal, Thailand and Burma Bangladesh, Pakistan & Sri Lanka – 500 USD
• All other Nationals – 150 USD

The fee may vary depending on your nationality and country of submission.

Where to Apply for Belize Visitor Visa?

You will apply for a Belize Visitor visa in Belize visa application centers, embassies, or consulates, whichever accepts visa applications in your country of residence. If there is none of them in your country, you need to apply to the nearest embassy or consulate to your location.

Foreigners interested in education in Belize must obtain a valid student permit before starting a school year or semester.

For students enrolled at the Primary and Secondary Level, the permit is issued for one school year.

For students enrolled at Tertiary Level, the student permit is issued for one semester.

First, you can apply for a relevant Visitor visa from the Belize embassy/consulate to come to Belize, then apply for Belize Student Permit.

Required Documents for Belize Student Permit

1.  Application Form

• Duly completed and signed

2. Photo

• The photo should be of passport format, a recent whole-face capture with a light background.
• It must be in the size of 2 x 2 color, and the head should take 70-80% of the photo.
• You must be looking straight at the camera with a neutral facial expression (no smile and mouth closed).
• Try to avoid uniforms or colors matching the background.

3. Passport and Copy of the Main Page

• Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the return date.
• It also must have at least two blank pages.

4. Copy of ID Card

5. Residence Permit/Visa Copy

• If your country of residence and citizenship are different

6. Letter from Educational Institution

• Stating duration of the study, program, and institutional details

7. Letter of Financial Support

• Must be presented either by the Parent or Sponsor,
• Must be signed by a Justice of the Peace accompanied by $1.50 Belize postage stamp

8. Birth Certificate

• Must be in English

9. Letter of Authority

• Must be presented by a Sponsor if he/she is applying on behalf of the parent or guardian
• Stating that the parent is authorizing the sponsor to apply for the student permit not exceeding one year or semester.
• Parents appearing on the student’s birth certificate have to sign the letter of authority or the legal guardian(s) appearing on legal documents

10. In case of Sponsor:

• Proof of Belizean Identity
  • Belize Passport
  • Belize Nationality Certificate
  • Voter’s Identification Card
  • Social Security Card
• Proof of Immigration Status (For-non Belizeans)
  • Permanent Residence
  • Temporary Employment Permit
• Recent Bank Statement

11. One Year Return Ticket

• If you are studying at a tertiary institution and you from an extra-regional country, you must provide a 1-year return ticket.

*Additional documents may be required by the embassy.

Processing Time for Belize Student Permit

The average processing time for a Belize Student Permit is 6-8 weeks.

Belize Student Permit Fee

One school year or semester:

• Nationals of the People’s Republic of China – 1500 USD
• Nationals of India, Nepal, Thailand and Burma Bangladesh, Pakistan & Sri Lanka – 325 USD
• All other Nationals – 100 USD

Where to Apply for Belize Student Permit?

You will apply for a Belize Student Permit in Belize Immigration Department.

If you intend to work in Belize, you must apply for a Temporary Employment Permit, and you need to be residing in Belize.  In order to submit a Temporary Employment Permit application with the Labour Department, you must hold a valid passport and a valid Belize visa.

Temporary Employment Permit is issued for:

• One week or less
• One crop season
• One year

Note: Below-mentioned required documents will be submitted to the Labour Department by Belizean Employers on behalf of the applicants. If you are self-employed, you must make the submission.

First, you can apply for a relevant Visitor visa from the Belize embassy/consulate to come to Belize, then apply for Belize Temporary Employment Permit.

Required Documents for Belize Temporary Employment Permit

1.  Application Form

• Duly completed and signed

2. Three Photos

• The photo should be of passport format, a recent whole-face capture with a light background.
• It must be in the size of 2 x 2 color, and the head should take 70-80% of the photo.
• You must be looking straight at the camera with a neutral facial expression (no smile and mouth closed).
• Try to avoid uniforms or colors matching the background.

3. Passport and Copy of the Main Page

• Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the return date.
• It also must have at least two blank pages.

4. Copy of ID Card

5. Recent Police Record

6. Proof of Legal Immigration Status

• Residence Permit/Visa

7. Postage Stamps

• Postage stamps with the value of 20 Dollars and proof of payment with the value of 20 Dollars in the form of Government Treasury Receipt

8. Proof of Job Advertisement

• Proof, to the satisfaction of the Committee, that all efforts have been exhausted to employ nationals. (advertisements via television, newspaper, or other means)

9. Agriculture Workers:

• In an effort to facilitate the Citrus, Banana, and Sugar Industries, the processing of applications and issuing of vouchers to the Director of Agriculture Workers and farmers will be done on a day(s) set by the Committee and in accordance with guidelines established for the industry concerned. Such permits will be color-coded.

10. Applications for Self-Employment

• Having an established company:
  • Track record of development
• In case of a new company or investor:
  • A business plan
  • Proof of Funding

*Additional documents may be required by the Labor Department.

Notification of Application Status:

• After submission of required documents to the Labor Department, you will receive a call within 1 month from the Labour Department to inform you about the status of your application.
• If the application is approved, you will visit the Labour Department Office to receive a copy of the Approval Letter.
• If the application is denied, you will visit the Labour Department Office and receive a copy of your Letter of Denial and present yourself to the Immigration Office to update your legal status.

Visit the Immigration Office:

• You will visit the Immigration Office and bring the Approval Letter for the permit to be processed.
• You will pay for the Temporary Employment Permit fee.
• You will be informed to go to the nearest Belize Tax Service to request an Income Tax Letter.

Issuance of Permit:

• You must present your valid passport, proof of payment and Income Tax letter to the Immigration Office as mentioned on the Approval Letter.
• The Permit is issued immediately upon confirmation of payment.
• Then you must proceed to visit the Social Security Office to apply for your card.

Processing Time for Belize Temporary Employment Permit

The average processing time for a Belize Temporary Employment Permit is 6-8 weeks.

Belize Temporary Employment Permit Fee

Where to Apply for Belize Temporary Employment Permit?

You will apply for a Belize Temporary Employment Permit in Belize Immigration Department.

Belize Dependent Permit is issued to who:

• Is of retired age (55 years or older)
• Disabled person
• Children under 5 years of age

The application must be made by a resident in Belize who is able to provide adequate accommodation for that dependent. This person can only apply for a dependent permit if the dependent is an immediate family member:

• Spouse
• Child
• Parent
• Siblings

Required Documents for Belize Dependent Permit

1.  Application Form

• Duly completed and signed

2. Three Photos

• The photo should be of passport format, a recent whole-face capture with a light background.
• It must be in the size of 2 x 2 color, and the head should take 70-80% of the photo.
• You must be looking straight at the camera with a neutral facial expression (no smile and mouth closed).
• Try to avoid uniforms or colors matching the background.

3. Passport and Copy of the Main Page

• Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the return date.
• It also must have at least two blank pages.

4. Copy of ID Card

5. Letter of Financial Support

6. Proof of Relationship (In English)

• Marriage Certificate
• Birth Certificate etc.
• Residence Permit

7. Letter of Authority

• If your dependent is a sibling under 18 years of age, you must present a letter of authority from the child’s parents

8. Proof of Belizean Identity

9. Recent Bank Statement

10. One Year Return Ticket

*Additional documents may be required.

Processing Time for Belize Dependent Permit

The average processing time for a Belize Dependent Permit is 6-8 weeks.

Belize Dependent Permit Fee

• Nationals of People’s Republic of China – 3000 BZ Dollars (1500 USD)
• Nationals of India, Nepal, Thailand and Burma Bangladesh, Pakistan & Sri Lanka – 750 BZ Dollars (325 USD)
• All other Nationals – 200 BZ Dollars (100 USD)

Where to Apply for Belize Dependent Permit?

You will apply for a Belize Dependent Permit in Belize Immigration Department.