AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Thinking of moving to San Pedro

You need to do a lot more research. What tax advantages? Property tax is minimal...that's it. If you're retiring and have guaranteed income of at least $2000/mo US, you can consider living in Belize and come in under the QRP program. If you come in as a tourist you cannot get a work permit nor can you work as a volunteer. If you are able to get a business and trade license you have to hire Belizeans to run the business...you pay all of their taxes (a version of ss)...you have to pay a tourist visa every 30 days until you get Permanent Residency which under very stringent guidelines takes close to 2 years. The path to citizenship is much longer. If you're from Canada you may pay high taxes, but you get great healthcare and retirement benefits....the taxes in Belize are minimal and services, healthcare, infastructure are equal to the amount of money taken in. 'Nuf said. Living on an island is expensive...remember everything has to be imported. Freshness and availability are equally affected. Do your research. The search function on this board is highly effective.

You all really know how to make a person feel welcome.

Hello Strazz,
i am Canadian ,can't not send you PM ,send me PM...

Love to welcome newcomers. However, given the pie in the sky descriptions in International Living, a little reality on top from the board, newcomers should be able to realize that living in Belize is somewhere in the middle of those two descriptions.

That being said, when individuals do some really good research they should be well prepared to live in Paradise!!

Although I am no where near the point of being able to, I too have dreams of moving to AC, I do so appreciate both points of view the realistic and the dreamy and find them both very helpfull when having to weigh the pro's and con's thank you.

Here's an interesting point of view (also from living on the mainland)

http://belize4me.blogspot.com/

Starzz- If you want to move to San Pedro then you should. Don't listen to all the really surprising comments. I have lived here only 2 and a half years we have had a few hurricane threats but what it ended up being was wind like we got in Alberta, and a lot of rain and a mess. Nothing scary or damaging to us. I don't know of a particular site but you can find a place pretty easy. I really would suggest coming down if you haven't been here yet and stay a month or so if you can before uprooting yourself and make sure this spot is a good fit for you. It works for us- but it isn't for everyone. Hope this helps.