Living in Belize: residency status, QRP program and taxes listed on official websites

Belize's immigration service requires one year of legal residency for permanent residency and proof of an investment of at least 500,000 BZ$ for temporary residency. The Qualified Retired Persons program is for individuals aged 40 and older. BELTRAIDE, a government agency under the Ministry of Finance, reports a tax rate of 25 % for resident employees and a GST of 12.5 %. This page does not define Belizean tax residency.

Permanent and temporary residence: what the immigration service says

The immigration service pages, as amended on December 2, 2020, set out the following conditions.

The fees and documents to be provided are not listed here: the page reading schedule dates from 2020 and should be checked with the immigration service.

QRP Program: Conditions and Announced Exemption

The Belize Tourism Board presents the Qualified Retired Persons (QRP) program. The undated page states:

• be 40 years of age or older; ;
• receive a pension of 2,000 per month or 24,000 per year, from abroad, in an agreed currency (US dollar, British pound, euro, Canadian dollar); ;
• commit to depositing the required amount with a licensed financial institution in Belize; ;
• to be able to stay at least 30 consecutive days per year in Belize.

Holders are exempt from all taxes and duties on income received from a source outside of Belize. The page also mentions capital gains and inheritance taxes, under the Belize Retired Persons Incentives Act. This exemption is specific to Belize. It says nothing about taxation in France, which depends on tax residence as defined in Article 4 B of the French General Tax Code (CGI).

Local taxes according to BELTRAIDE

On its "Taxes in Belize" page (published on May 13, 2025, modified on May 19, 2026), BELTRAIDE, which presents itself as a statutory body of the Ministry of Finance, states:

• An income tax of 25 % on the taxable income of employed residents. The page gives two thresholds: annual incomes exceeding 26,000 BZ$, with a basic allowance of 25,600 BZ$, and, in another passage on the same page, "25 % on incomes above BZ$ 29,000 per year." We do not take a definitive stance: the threshold should be verified with the Belize Tax Service. ;
• a Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 12.5 %, with mandatory registration beyond 75,000 BZ$ of annual turnover; ;
• a transfer tax of 5 % of the value of the land exceeding 20,000 BZ$ for Belizean nationals and CARICOM nationals, and 8 % of the value of the land for other persons.

BELTRAIDE is an investment promotion agency, not the tax authorities. Another of its pages specifies that sole proprietors whose business is their only source of income are required to register for business tax if their annual income exceeds 75,000 BZ$, and self-employed professionals if their income exceeds 20,000 BZ$.

Typical case (fictional profile): a French retiree in Belize

Situation. A French retiree, a fictitious profile, receives a French pension and is considering the QRP program.

Issue. He wants to know what the announced exemption changes for his tax in France.

Strategy. He distinguishes between two questions: his tax residence, judged according to article 4 B of the CGI, and the source of his income.

Result. According to the French tax authorities (BOI-INT-DG-20-10-10), a person domiciled outside France is taxable in France only on their French-source income. The QRP exemption applies to Belizean taxes and duties. No specific figure is given; it depends on the individual's circumstances.

What this page does not cover

It does not define Belizean tax residency, nor does it specify the rules applicable to a resident's foreign-source income, withholding taxes, capital gains, inheritances, or social security. These points fall under the Income and Business Tax Act and its amendments; they should be verified with the Belize Tax Service. Local taxation is best confirmed with a professional based in Belize. The French context, including the absence of a tax treaty and the exit tax, is addressed on our page regarding the lack of a tax treaty with Belize.

What changes depending on your situation

• Your project: retirement, investment or local business.
• Your length of stay in Belize, month by month.
• The nature of your income: pension, salary, rent, capital.
• Your tax residence in France, whether maintained or not.
• Your departure date.

The rule depends on your situation. No results are guaranteed.