Passive income — Latin America

🇧🇿Belize

Qualified Retired Persons (QRP) Programme

Last verified · 19 July 2026

Turnkey Caribbean retirement residence administered by the Belize Tourism Board, with duty-free imports and generous foreign-income exemption.

Duration

Annual renewal, indefinite

Threshold

$2,000/mo ($24,000/yr) from foreign sources in USD, GBP, EUR or CAD deposited into a Belizean financial institution; age 40+

Application fee

$1,000 application + $200 ID card per applicant

Path to PR

NOT a citizenship path (and revoked if you apply for a work permit or PR).

Tax treatment

Full exemption on foreign-source income, capital gains and inheritance.

Family

Spouse and children under 18 (up to 23 if in university).

Required documents

·Duty-free import of personal effects, a vehicle (max 3 years old), boat and aircraft within the first year.
·Minimum presence: 30 days/year.
·Employment in Belize is prohibited; business allowed only with approval (180+ days residence, 5+ Belizean employees).
·Age threshold was lowered — most current sources say 40+; a few older pages still cite 45.

Apostille route

Apostille only — both United States and Belize are parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.

Documents that must be apostilled

Bank statements, employment contracts, photos, passport copies and the application form itself do not need an apostille.

Obtain originals or certified copies of each civil/criminal record (birth certificate, marriage certificate, police clearance, diploma, etc.).
Have each document apostilled by the competent authority in United States (U.S. Department of State — Office of Authentications).
Translate the apostilled document into the official language of Belize — the apostille itself is also translated.
Submit the apostilled + translated bundle directly to the Belize immigration authority or consulate; no further consular stamp is required.

Translation: Most documents must be translated into the local language by a certified translator. Agency translations are usually accepted.

Documents older than 3–6 months are often rejected. Plan to obtain fresh originals shortly before your visa application.

Last verified 19 July 2026 — reconfirm on the official portal before applying.