Is Belize an expat retirement dream location?

If the Caribbean lifestyle appeals, Belize is as good as it gets!

Many people choose the Caribbean as their favourite holiday destination as well as a possible location for their retirement years. Staying full time is very different from a vacation in one of the island’s delectable resorts, but the sun, sea, sand and sheer beauty of the region makes for perfection when the working life ends.

Of course, living on a fixed pension income is somewhat different than spending holiday money, but Belize is surprisingly affordable as regards the necessities of life. Overall, most packaged products cost half their equivalents in Western first-world countries and fruit and vegetables in the local markets are fresher and far cheaper than at home. Eating out is affordable, and the local cuisine is deliciously fresh, as is the seafood.

If you’ve chosen to live in a rural area, your new home doesn’t actually have an address, meaning bills must be paid in person and the mail needs to be collected from the local postal depot. As regards searching for items you used regularly in the home country – if you can’t find it, they don’t stock it and you don’t need it! Living permanently in Belize can be done, although bureaucracy exists even in Paradise.

If permanent residence is your goal, staying for at least a year is a start, and full citizenship can be had after five years’ residency. Another way favoured by male expats is to get married to a Belizean citizen and apply for citizenship just one year later. Sadly, we’re not sure if this applies to female expats, but for those trying out the island to see if they love it enough to stay, the tourist card can be extended monthly at a cost of around $25.