How do I move my furniture and other stuff to Belize?
Christian Burn
If you are coming from the US, you can certainly drive down to Belize. More and more people do that; drive through Mexico all the way to Belize. However, people who did that say you should not get a shiny brand new truck to make the trip, and instead to get a truck that is not too new. You can certainly drive down to Belize and I think that is a massive advantage in making Belize more attractive to people from the US.
Most people get a container when moving their furniture to...
Most people get a container when moving their furniture to...
If you are coming from the US, you can certainly drive down to Belize. More and more people do that; drive through Mexico all the way to Belize. However, people who did that say you should not get a shiny brand new truck to make the trip, and instead to get a truck that is not too new. You can certainly drive down to Belize and I think that is a massive advantage in making Belize more attractive to people from the US.
Most people get a container when moving their furniture to Belize. They hire a shipping company like Seaboard Marine or Hyde Shipping. You can buy space in part of a container or all of it, depending on how much stuff you are shipping. They put the container on board with all the paperwork intact. If you have your Qualified Retired Person (QRP) attached as well, when the container lands in Belize and it is received by a broker (because you need to hire a broker), your tax exemption is there. Once your items are in Belize, it is just a matter of getting your things to wherever you live.
Most people get a container when moving their furniture to Belize. They hire a shipping company like Seaboard Marine or Hyde Shipping. You can buy space in part of a container or all of it, depending on how much stuff you are shipping. They put the container on board with all the paperwork intact. If you have your Qualified Retired Person (QRP) attached as well, when the container lands in Belize and it is received by a broker (because you need to hire a broker), your tax exemption is there. Once your items are in Belize, it is just a matter of getting your things to wherever you live.
Posted December 2, 2014
Gwido Mar - Grupo Mar Realty Ltd.
Over the years, it has become easier to move your things to Belize. If you are from Canada or from North America, you can get your things shipped to a port. It could be the port in Galveston, Texas or in Miami, Florida. The same things goes if you are going to have your things transported by land. It could either be to Houston, Texas, which is the prime hub, because that is where everything gets packed and ready, and driven through Mexico. In some cases, major shipping companies pick...Over the years, it has become easier to move your things to Belize. If you are from Canada or from North America, you can get your things shipped to a port. It could be the port in Galveston, Texas or in Miami, Florida. The same things goes if you are going to have your things transported by land. It could either be to Houston, Texas, which is the prime hub, because that is where everything gets packed and ready, and driven through Mexico. In some cases, major shipping companies pick up your things if you are in a major city such as New York, Los Angeles, Houston, or Miami. They will drive your things to Houston, pack it up in a container and drive it down through Mexico. I hear that it is now cheaper to ship by water and in some cases, a lot more secure because sometimes, when you ship by land, it could be delayed, it could be damaged or stolen, or it might get in an accident. So shipping your things by water tends to be cheaper, more reliable, and more secure. Once your things are at the port in Belize, if it was shipped by water, or, if it hits the border in Belize, if it was transported by land, all you need to do is hire a customs broker and he will clear your things for you. When you are packing your things, it is very important that you provide a detailed list of your belongings. All items need to be counted and properly documented so when the customs authorities review it, it will be easy for them to understand.
You should also declare the value of your things. For example, if you are bringing several chairs, you have to declare how many chairs you are bringing, a description of the chairs, and the value of the chairs. It is also important to never say that any item is new when it is not because the word “new” sparks the attention of the customs agents and they’ll ask you what’s in the box. Even if it’s new some people say that they had it for a few years or it is just simply not new. For example, you could have something in your garage that you have not opened and have not used, anyway. When you declare something as new, they might ask you to open the box.
Customs agencies do not open every single box because if they did they would be working 24 hours a day. In some cases, if you say that it is a Black and Decker, it’s fine, but then if you say it’s new, they’ll ask you to open the box and they’ll examine the item. They might say that it is new and the value that you declared does not match, which then creates a discrepancy, but you can genuinely say it is not new because what you paid for the Black and Decker blower five years ago, is not the same amount that you would have paid today. So it is better to say, if possible, that item is not new, since the value of that product has now depreciated and it is probably not even the same model as the ones that are out in the market now. This is important because if you do declare that something is new, you would wind up paying an import duty based on the current day value of it. If it is new they are going to assign a higher value to your items and you will pay more.
There is a program called the QRP (Qualified Retirement Program). The people who enroll in that program do get all their things brought into the country duty free, including furniture, household effects, car, boat, and a plane.
Posted April 2, 2015