Household goods to Belize: duty-free with a residence permit or the QRP, otherwise you pay duties
Used household goods enter Belize free of customs duties if you hold a Belizean residence permit and have owned the items for at least a year, provided they arrive within three months before or after you do. Without a permit you pay duties, environmental tax and 12.5% GST, unless you are in the QRP programme. Then everything is exempt in the first year, with no value limit.
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Used household goods enter Belize free of customs duties if you hold a Belizean residence permit. The items must have been in your possession for at least a year, not be intended for sale, and arrive within three months before or after you do. Without a permit you pay import duty, an environmental tax of 3% and 12.5% GST. Unless you are in the QRP programme: then your household goods are exempt in the first year, with no value limit.
Who may import what free of duty?
| Situation | What applies | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| With a Belizean residence permit | used household goods, owned for at least a year, free of customs duties | within three months before or after arrival, or longer if customs considers it reasonable |
| In the QRP programme | household and personal effects free of duties and taxes, multiple shipments, no value limit | within the first year; the list to the BTB three weeks in advance |
| Without a permit and without QRP | duties according to the tariff; exemption can be requested from the Ministry of Finance | |
| Always excluded from the household exemption | motor vehicles, office equipment, building materials |
Why is there a problem here?
You only apply for permanent residence after a year of legal stay in Belize. If you come as a visitor and ship your household goods straight away, you will not yet have a residence permit when the container arrives. Customs then charges duties according to the tariff. The exemption applies to goods arriving within three months before or after your arrival, "or within such further period as the Comptroller of Customs shall in the circumstances deem reasonable".
There are three ways to deal with this. You can join the QRP programme; then you can use the exemption as soon as you are accepted. You can request an exemption from the Ministry of Finance. Or you ship the household goods later, and ask customs in advance whether that longer period applies to you. If you get that answer, ask for it in writing.
How does the QRP exemption work?
The Retired Persons (Incentives) Act lets a QRP member import personal effects within a year of first entering, free of all duties and taxes. The BTB speaks of the first year after acceptance into the programme. Ask the BTB which date counts for you. The Belize Tourism Board asks for a master list of your household goods three weeks before import. On that basis the BTB prepares the official exemption letter. Multiple shipments are allowed, but only in the first year. What counts as household goods is decided by customs.
If you later sell or give duty-free items to someone who is not a QRP member, the duties become payable after all (section 4(3)).
What do you pay without an exemption?
Customs charges on the value including shipping and insurance, the CIF value. On top come import duty and 3% environmental tax, and 12.5% GST on the whole. A few rates from the customs list:
| Item | Import duty | Environmental tax | GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator, household type | 0% | 3% | 0% |
| Washing machine, domestic | 0% | 3% | 0% |
| Laptop or desktop | 0% | 3% | 12.5% |
| Television set | 20% | 3% | 12.5% |
| Clothing | 20% | 3% | 12.5% |
| Household items | 20% | 3% | 12.5% |
| Hand tools | 5% | 3% | 12.5% |
| Books | 0% | 3% | 0% |
So a refrigerator or washing machine costs little in duties, a television or clothing does. For a large shipment, have the customs value estimated in advance.
What else do you watch out for?
Wooden furniture requires an import licence from the Ministry of Trade, even when it is part of your household goods. Apply for it before the container leaves.
In your luggage, as an adult you may bring one litre of wine or spirits, and 250 grams of tobacco, or 50 cigars, or 200 cigarettes. The extra allowance for souvenirs and gifts of BZ$ 200 per person applies only to Belizean passengers.
A car is not covered by the household exemption; see car and driving licence in Belize. If you bring a dog or cat, read pets to Belize.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.2: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Belize or go straight to step 4.2 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Customs and Excise Department — household and personal effects, for residents and non-residents — customs.gov.bz
- Customs and Excise Department — the list of conditional exemptions, item 3 — customs.gov.bz
- Customs and Excise Department — the rates for common goods in luggage — customs.gov.bz
- Customs and Excise Department — how GST and environmental tax are calculated — customs.gov.bz
- Customs and Excise Department — the exemptions for a passenger's baggage — customs.gov.bz
- Belize Tourism Board — the QRP exemption for household goods, with the list three weeks in advance — belizetourismboard.org
- Retired Persons (Incentives) Act, Cap. 62, section 4 — duty-free import within a year of first entering — belizetourismboard.org
- Immigration and Nationality Department — permanent residence only after a year of legal stay — immigration.gov.bz
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