Housing prices, whether rental or sale, are always quoted in U.S. The countryside homes often include enough land to grow whatever you fancy, and are clustered around the rivers and on hillsides overlooking town. Houses can be found in town, as well as in the surrounding countryside. There is a variety of housing available, but it’s all houses, no condos or apartment complexes to speak of, though you may find the odd second unit. I have recently heard that attaining permanent residency allows you the same privilege, without having to deal with the QRP-mandated challenge of opening a Belizean bank account. One draw of the QRP program is that it allows you to bring your household goods in during your first year in the country. This very new category is in the process of having its administrative bugs worked out. It’s a rare expat house that does not meet the $250,000 U.S. The latest status being encouraged by immigration officials is temporary residency, for which either physical presence or a $500,000 investment in Belize qualifies you. While you used to be able to own a business and at least oversee it, QRP now prohibits any business activity whatsoever. The famous QRP (Qualified Retired Persons) visa has been depreciating in value markedly. Happily, for Cayo residents, it can now be done at the Guatemalan border at Benque, just up the road from San Ignacio and Santa Elena, for periods of two or three additional months at one time.Īfter staying in the country for 50 out of 52 weeks (they are extremely strict and literal about this) with your tourist visa, you can then apply for permanent residency, which can take months to sometimes a year or two. Renewal used to be a daylong ordeal in Belmopan, the undistinguished capital of Belize. It’s renewable indefinitely, for $50 BZ for the first six months and $100 BZ ($50 U.S.) forever after. The easiest way is to arrive and get your automatic tourist visa, which is good for 30 days. The immigration aspect of retirement in Belize can be simple and laidback, though it can require some patience to navigate the bureaucracy. or elsewhere, as it’s one of the closest expat hotspots to the country’s one international airport outside Belize City. It’s ideal for those still working part-time online or via intermittent commuting to the U.S. There’s a sizeable expat community who are friendly but also self-sufficient. San Ignacio is home to banks, the country’s largest farmers’ market on Saturdays, as well as government agencies like The social Security Administration and the DMV. The twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena-joined by the Hawksworth Bridge across the Belize River-are the second largest town in the country, home to about 20,000 people. Several new quasi-American supermarkets have just opened in Cayo. In many ways it’s the commercial center of the country, as the Mennonites of Spanish Lookout are major supplies of goods familiar to westerners-everything from vehicles of all kinds to hardware to building supplies. The country’s second largest grocery store-one of only three vaguely resembling an American supermarket-is also located there. The Cayo District is home to 90,000 people-roughly one quarter of the country’s population. Other resorts offer that commodity so often lacking in the modern world-genuine peace and quiet, often with stunning river views. Herbal medicine trails can be found at many resorts, showcasing the bounty of the rainforest. The area is dotted with Maya ruins, some of them quite accessible. Of the 4 R’s that characterize Belize-reefs, rivers, ruins, and rainforest-Cayo lacks only the reefs. Other areas of Cayo, such as Spanish Lookout, resemble Ohio with palm trees, where the industrious Mennonite population has cleared the rolling hills and planted it with corn, beans, and orange groves. It backs up to the jungle-covered Maya Mountains, and is traversed by three rivers-the Mopan, the Macal, and the Belize River where the Mopan and Macal come together just outside the small town of Bullet Tree Falls. This inland region is both the name of one of Belize’s six districts and the locals’ name for its largest metropolis, the twin cities of San Ignacio and Santa Elena. Cayo, in Western Belize, is a quiet, laidback, and affordable alternative to the more busy areas of Ambergris Caye or Placencia.
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