The thought of moving to a new country can be varying parts terrifying and exciting, but it can be hard to get your bearings unless you have a comfortable understanding of the place you’re looking to move. Belize has been gaining traction over the past few years as one of the hottest new spots for Americans to retire, but is this tiny Central American nation right along the Caribbean Sea everything it’s cut out to be? Here are the facts so you can judge for yourself.
A Familiar Way of Life
Belize was once known as British Honduras — and it occupies a unique role in the region as the only mainland Central American colony to have been overseen by the United Kingdom. That legacy continues today. While Belize is a rich and multi-cultural country with influences as diverse as the Amish, Chinese, and Garifuna, English is still the native language here. Belize has even developed its own English patois known as Kriol. Also borrowed from the English are the fundamentals of real estate law. If you’ve bought or sold a home in North America, you should be pretty comfortable with the process of purchasing real estate in Belize.
A Government Eager to Help You Move
Belize is one of a rare few countries that actually allow foreigners to buy land rather than investing in a long-term lease, but that’s just one way that the government is incentivizing foreigners to make Belize their new home. The Qualified Retired Persons Plan allows you a fast track to gaining residency in Belize, and you can have your customs waived if you qualify. As long as you’re 45 or older and can demonstrate $2,000 in income a month, you should be good. And since Belize is widely recognized as a tax shelter, your money will be safe whether you’re trading in your primary home for a house in Belize or simply looking for a vacation property.
A Wealth of Housing Opportunities
Belize is the second smallest country in Central America in terms of geographic area and the smallest in terms of population size. But it’s stunningly diverse throughout. Hundreds of islands dot the shore of Belize and border the magnificent barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea, while many expats have made homes for themselves in the sleepy towns and villages near the shore. But there’s just as much appeal to the wild jungle landscapes of the Cayo District in the west. Much of Belize is still being developed, and that makes it easy to get a great deal on the ground floor.
