Dave B. Says:
I’m considering a move to Belize. My only concern is what would be best for me as residency goes. I heard that to get citizenship I would have to give up my U.S. citizenship, which I don’t want to do. What’s your advice?
IL Belize Correspondent Shane Kenny Says:
Hi Dave,
Great question. First, let me separate citizenship from residency.
Citizenship is a long and complicated process that culminates in you being “Belizean” and having a Belize passport. But Belize does allow dual citizenship, so if you ever do decide to go this route, you won’t have to give up your U.S. citizenship.
Here’s the thing: Belizean citizenship doesn’t really gain you much other than the ability to vote and enter some countries where your U.S. passport is not accepted, such as Cuba.
Residency is most likely what you’re looking for. Residency just means you intend to live full-time in the country, and it frees you from regular visits to a local immigration office to get your tourist visa renewed. It also makes some things a bit easier… like opening a bank account, and using the “local” option to bypass long lines at airport immigration (maybe the best perk of residency).
There are two main paths to residency here in Belize. One is Permanent Residency, the other is Qualified Retirement Program (QRP). Permanent residency is administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, & Immigration.
You can find the details on Permanent Residency here. The QRP is administered by the Belize Tourism Board, and the details can be reviewed here.
My wife and I went the Permanent Resident route as we own a business here and need to be allowed to work. It took us about eight months to get approved for that, and I hear it takes a year or longer right now.
Since QRP is for retired people, you wouldn’t be allowed to do any work, but from what I hear, it’s easier to get approved for. You can also apply for QRP before moving to Belize—so get started as soon as you can as the process may take a while to complete.
You can find more information about visas and residency in Belize in Chapter 4 of Escape to Belize, the comprehensive guidebook available on our Bookstore here.
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