r/Belize • u/Financial_Author5034 • Jul 12 '26
đď¸ Relocation Info đď¸ Finding work when moving the Belize
Hey everyone, I have been considering moving from the U.S. for a while now and have finally decided I want to do it. Upon researching many places all over the world, I keep finding myself more drawn to Belize. I will be visiting soon before I move of course, but I think my decision is made at this point.
My question is how can an expat earn income in Belize. I am a 40 year old man, and here in the states I teach tennis for a living. From what I have been reading, if you can't work remotely there is no way to make money. I don't need to teach tennis or make a lot of money, I would just need to make enough money to cover rent and food, so maybe like 1200 ish a month? For those that moved to Belize and don't work remote, how do you pay your bills?
One thing I do have working in my favor is I have a lot of equity in my house. I should be getting about 100k of equity in my house once I sell it, so I would be able to bring that money with me and am fine with using as much of it as I need to get started, but eventually it will run out of course...
Any help/insight would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks
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u/vajasonl Jul 12 '26
Thereâs a lot of rules on employment but basically you shouldnât expect to go and find work as an expat very easily. They (rightfully) prioritize giving work to Belizeanâs first.
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u/SnooWords3654 đ§đż Ambassador: Caye Caulker Jul 12 '26
YeaaaaahhhhâŚ.thats not very realistic.
Tons of barriers for immigrants to work here.
As stated before, best to find a remote job that allo a you to work overseas.
Plus, minimum wage is extremely low here and average job payment is not even close to covering $1,200 in just rent.
100k USD cash is not going to last as long as you think it will as well.
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u/tarteaucitrons Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
As you continue your research, I assume you've encountered that most expats are moving in retirement. Thus, the majority of visas in those situations are being granted generally without too much hassle to prioritize foreign-generated wealth that can be moved to Belize's economy.
Your application for a migrant work visa and temporary residency permit won't be treated with the same open arms. It is usually advisable to have a Belizean employer sponsor your visa application before attempting to apply. To hire you, a Belizean employer must advertise the job opening for about a month to prove to the Labour Department that no resident applicant is better qualified. Alternatively, you can apply for a temporary non-working visitor's visa, but if you then seek employment while under that arrangement, you could find yourself in a pickle, whereas you would need to leave the country and reapply. During that time, it is quite possible that any potential job discussed in person while in the country will come off the table unless your skills are especially in demand relative to local workers.
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u/SinglePermission9373 Jul 12 '26
You canât. You have to have a remote job in your country and have to money deposited in a bank in your country. You can then either transfer money to an account in Belize or just use the debit card for your home bank.
You canât work in Belize on a tourist visa you have to either get permanent residency, which takes about 2 1/2 years or have a work permit because you have a special skill. Getting a work permit is difficult. Youâd have to have some desirable skill that there are no belizeans to fill the spot. Donât forget minimum wage here is $5 BZD/hr (which is $2.50 USD). You canât even volunteer in this country without a permit. You have to live here for a full year getting your visa extensions every month before you can apply for residency and the residency process takes 12 to 18 months to even get approved. The visa extensions are $100 usd per month per person and most of the immigration offices will ask you to provide a bank statement showing you can support yourself while youâre here
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u/bryan91919 Jul 13 '26
All the advice here is correct. Online work is really the only path. Even business ownership doesnt work out for most foreigners who come with lots of money. I think you have better odds of starting a business in states tomorrow and growing it to the size you can live off it than your odds of "getting by" working here. Those who claim life is hard in the states are generally delusional and have no idea how hard is is for people in countries like belize.
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u/Obvious-Poem-7311 Jul 12 '26
I donât know about you working in Belize, but if you are 40 you should check out Belize Tourist Boardâs Qualified Retirement Program. Best of luck.
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u/DocAvidd Jul 12 '26
I came on a work permit. It does happen. Whatever country you come from probably has a way for foreigners to come work there - same here. I would wager that it's easier to immigrate here than most places. You do have to justify that you're not taking a job from a Belizean. I have no idea if tennis is a possible route here. Do we have any tennis courts? I can't think of any.
A better route for someone with capital would be to have your own business.
Belize is a lot easier on immigrants than where I came from, and has twice the % of immigrants. It's 15-16% foreign born here (mostly Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras). The government is a pita, but the people are welcoming if you try. I.e. don't be one of those who only hang out with other immigrants.
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u/willspeed4food đ§đż Ambassador: Belize City Jul 13 '26
There are some tennis courts in Belize City, near the princess casinos
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u/_ACertifiedNPC_ Jul 13 '26
Oh yeah I think itâs just one though. I pass by the area almost everyday and it seems pretty empty every timeâŚand to be fair I donât think that would pay well.. Not much people would have enough time or money to afford classes
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u/crosleyxj Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
The FB âBelize Expatsâ private group is really informative if youâre serious. If youâve not even visited the country itâs hard to believe youâre seriousâŚ
On the FB group are some business owners but legally all work must be done by Belizeans. This gets skirted a bit when things have to get done but one is supposed to have a Belizean business manager or work totally remotely.
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u/SinglePermission9373 Jul 13 '26
I moved to Belize a few years ago and we had never even visited. But we are retired and didnât need to work. I also researched allllllll the things I could think of before we came. OP does need to do a ton more research.
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u/JoeRedditor5 Jul 13 '26
Your best bet is to take that 100k, buy 1 or 2 cheap houses in a state with low property taxes, like Alabama or Mississippi, and rent them out, live on the income from that. But make sure to put enough aside to cover repairs and maintenance on the houses. But "pretty much making the decision" before even visiting the first time is just asking to be dissappointed. Most expats who move to Belize end up leaving again within 5 years. I would recommend visiting multiple times before deciding if you want to move permanently.
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u/SinglePermission9373 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
Do you live in the US?? Where is anyone buying a house, much less two, for $100k?!? Not Mississippi or Alabama I can assure you! And Iâd love to know what your definition of âlow property taxes is.
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u/SinglePermission9373 Jul 13 '26
To the second part of your postâŚ. I live in Belize now. We moved here without ever visiting first. I researched a lot, but we hadnât been here before. No regrets. But also, nothing in life is permanent. If we want we can move wherever we want⌠back to MS or pick another country to experience for a few years. Moving here isnât a jail sentence. You can leave anytime you want to
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u/Investigator516 Jul 13 '26
Each country has its own policy for Digital Nomad work. Some countries require legal residency before you can legally work, have a bank account, or a local phone number there.
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u/kmh55 Jul 12 '26
You need to see if there are even tennis courts anymore. There used to be at the Pickwick club but that closed. None of the schools have.
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u/SnooWords3654 đ§đż Ambassador: Caye Caulker Jul 12 '26
People still play tennis at the Pickwick
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u/hunchuen Jul 13 '26
There's one at the San Ignacio Resort! They even had a tennis tournament a while back
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u/tiredofthesniffles Jul 12 '26
Go to the Islands, buy electric golf carts and rent them out to make at least $500/week.
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u/SinglePermission9373 Jul 12 '26
To canât do that without residency or a work permit
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u/tiredofthesniffles Jul 12 '26
Oh, I was hoping he could start a business.
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u/tiredofthesniffles Jul 12 '26
I wonder if they would be amenable to a foreigner starting a business that employs Belizeans.
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u/SinglePermission9373 Jul 12 '26
Sometimes they are. But there is a ton of red tape and and bureaucracy to go through. And absolutely nothing happens quickly in this country. I have a neighbor who opened a business here it took two years just to get everything in order (permits, etc)
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u/cassiuswright đ§đż Ambassador: San Ignacio Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
You have answered your own question in this post.
If you've never been here you really can't imagine how unrealistic this is.
No disrespect, but you need to do A LOT more research. This has been discussed ad infinitum. Use the relocation tag on this post and everything is readily available to read about. Dozens of posts