Buy Property in Belize and Get Residency

The Belizean residency by investment program is dedicated to businesspersons and retirees seeking to establish themselves there. If you are interested in moving here by buying a house or apartment in Belize, you must do so by applying for ordinary residence.

Below, our agents present the main options for buying real estate in Belize. While we specialize in helping those who want to buy golden passports, we can also advise on other residency matters.

How to buy land in Belize and obtain residency

No matter if you buy a house in Belize or land on which you intend to build one, you will first be issued a temporary residence permit with a validity of one year. The same applies when accessing the Belizean residency by investment. However, in this scenario, you must also:

prove you invested at least USD 500,000 in a local business;
demonstrate you have a monthly minimum pension of USD 2,000 if you want to use the retirement option.

An advantage of buying real estate in Belize outside the golden visa is that there are no conditions for a minimum value for the property.

With respect to obtaining permanent residency in Belize, you can file your application after one year. Please note that according to the Ministry of Immigration, you must live in Belize for at least one year. During this time, the period in which you exit the country cannot exceed 14 days.

How to buy a property in Belize as a foreigner

Since the abolishment of the Alien Landholding Law, foreigners are free to purchase land or other types of real estate in Belize without restrictions. Moreover, they will have full ownership rights after the acquisition, just like Belizean citizens.

The procedure for buying real estate in Belize is the same as in any other country and entails:

market research with or without the help of a real estate agent;
making an offer and agreeing on the price with the seller;
having the sale-purchase agreement drafted;
making a deposit to secure the acquisition;
completing the purchase before a public notary.

As a foreign citizen, you must also consider applying for an entry visa or a temporary residence permit when moving to Belize. Considering there are no restrictions related to applying for Belizean residency by investment and then buying the desired property, you can also choose this option.

If you decide to apply for the golden visa program for Belize, you can rely on our local specialists for support with the application. An important aspect to consider is that no matter the pathway selected for immigration, you will first be issued a temporary residence permit. To obtain permanent residency, you must live here for at least one year. After 5 years, you will qualify for citizenship.

If you are interested in a direct citizenship program, our consultants in the region can offer alternatives in other citizenship by investment countries.

How long does it take to buy a house in Belize?

If you want to acquire real estate within a certain time frame, you should know that purchasing land or a house in Belize can take between 30 and 90 days, with the search and due diligence procedure. The actual closing of the deal usually takes one month. Following that you must also register your name with the local Cadaster and obtain a new property title.

Taxes to pay when owning real estate in Belize

Real estate ownership in Belize comes with specific taxes, among which:

the property transfer tax is 8% of the value of the real estate;
the land tax is 1% of the value of the respective parcel and must be paid on undeveloped plots;
the real estate property tax is levied at rates ranging from 0.75% to 1.50% of the value of the property.

If you want to buy a property in Belize and obtain residency, our agents can help you, so do not hesitate to contact us. We remind you that we can also help you move to other golden visa countries in the Caribbean. Our lawyers can also assist you with obtaining residence in Croatia (which has no golden visa) if you open a company in this country.