| Ambergris Caye Expert | |||||||||||||||
 Pamela Kelley |  Independant Realty AssociatesTropique'l Investments |
 | My other neighborhood pages:Ocotal | ||||||||||||
| "Tropique'l Investments for Offshore Real Estate & Oil and Gas Opportunities | |||||||||||||||
General Background Information:
Known as British Honduras until 1981, Belize is a relatively small English-speaking Central American country situated on the western shores of the Caribbean Sea between Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. It is a politically stable democracy and a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. It is a peaceful nation that has never experienced a war and where even the police don't carry guns.Belize is renowned as a place of great natural beauty with tropical rainforests, thousand-foot waterfalls, exotic birds, beautiful butterflies, and wildlife. In addition, it is also home to over 600 fascinating Mayan ruins.Belize is also famous for the longest coral barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere and its crystal clear Caribbean waters offer some of the best diving, boating, sailing, and sports fishing in the world.Belize has the best postal service in the region as well as a modern fiber optic telephone system and complete Internet access.
International flights by several major airline carriers arrive daily from Miami, Dallas, Houston, and Charlotte at Belize City’s Philip Goldson International Airport. Flying time is approximately two hours. Ambergris Caye is then accessible either by a quick 15-minute flight in a small commercial propeller aircraft or by a one-hour ferryboat ride. To enter the country of Belize, all visitors, including children, must have a return airline ticket as well as a passport valid for at least six months beyond the departure date.Immigration officials grant stays of up to 30 days, renewable for additional 30-day periods by getting your passport stamped again at a local immigration office. You will also have to go through customs at the international airport where all of your luggage is subject to a search.There is a small per person Arrival Environmental Tax as well as a Belize Airport Departure Tax payable at the airline counter.As a foreigner you can live, work and own property in Belize without having to give up your present citizenship. You can become a permanent Belizean resident relatively quickly and easily. And unlike other countries, once you acquire permanent resident status, you may come and go as you please with no minimum residency requirement.
Economic Infrastructure:Belize has the lowest cost of living in the whole Caribbean basin and all foreign income is exempt from Belize income tax.Belize has been called an "entrepreneur's paradise." Here you can start a business without having to deal with mountains of bureaucratic red tape, complicated zoning laws, and expensive permits and licenses. You can even run your business out of your home.The Belizean currency is the Belize dollar. It is exchanged at the rate of $2.00 (BZ) for each $1.00 (US) and has never been devalued. U.S. currency does not need to be converted upon arrival since U.S. money is accepted everywhere. However, you will always be given your change in Belize dollars.Belize’s current mobile cell coverage includes most of the Northern, Southern and Western Highways, plus all of Ambergris Caye. However, cell phones will work in Belize only if you activate to Belize local service at the Belize Telecommunications Ltd. (BTL) counter in the International Airport. BTL also rents cell phones for around $4.50 (US) per day, plus a security deposit and charges for calls. You'll need a credit card and passport to set up the temporary cell phone account. For more information call BTL at 501-2-77960 or e-mail them at sales@btl.net.
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