For people interested in moving to the Belize mainland, one of the first decisions that one often needs to make is whether you will be driving down, shipping a car to your new home, or if you will be buying a car in Belize.
For those heading to the cayes, the islands, having a car is not an option, and recently, it has even been very difficult to get a permit to import a golf cart.
While there are a few towns on the mainland in which one can live without absolutely needing to own a car, in most cases, expats quickly discover that they will likely want to have a car here.
Can I bring my car to Belize?
The short answer to this question is yes. However, one thing that one must consider is that if you drive or ship a car into Belize, you will be required to pay an import tariff on the vehicle, and the tariff can be substantial, depending on the type and age of vehicle you decide to bring into the country.
Importing a car to Belize on the QRP Program
For folks who intend to come to Belize on the Qualified Retirement Program (QRP), it makes a great deal of sense to bring or ship a car with you, as one the major benefits of this program is the ability to import both household goods and vehicles, such as a car and boat, without the need to pay tariffs on these items.
Under the Belize Retired Persons Incentives Act, those enrolled in the QRP Program are entitled to:
Duty Exemptions – QRP’s shall be entitled to import duty and tax exemption on the following, for personal use only, within the first year of acceptance into the program
Belize Tourism Board: Qualified Retirement Program
- Household & Personal Effects multiple entries allowed with no limit on the dollar value of effects
- Motor Vehicle [Model must be within the last 5 years] – QRP’s are allowed to purchase a new vehicle every three [3] years with proper disposal of the previous vehicle
- Light Aircraft [Model must be less than 17,000 kg]
- Motor Boat
Note that to qualify for Tariff-free status for QRP, the vehicle can not be older than 5 years old.
Can I bring a car to Belize if I’m not on the Qualified Retirement Program (QRP)?
Yes, if you are planning a move to Belize, you can either drive a car into the country, or you can make arrangements with a shipping company to ship a car to you in Belize.
Recently, I have also read about a number of services which will drive your car down for you. They will generally meet you somewhere near the Mexican border and drive the car down to Belize.
However, no matter which method you choose of getting your car to Belize, you will be charged an import duty to bring the car into the country. And you will likely need to find a Customs Broker to assist you with importing the car. Even if you drive to the border yourself, you will want to have made arrangements with a broker to meet you at the border to deal with importing the car.
How much is the tariff to bring or ship a car to Belize?
According to both the International Trade Administration and the Schedule of Rates produced by Belize Customs and Excise, the average rate of tariff to import a car to Belize is 45% of the assessed value. On top of the tariff, you will need to pay 12.5% General Sales Tax on the amount of tariff charged, as well as an Environment Tax of 2%-5%, depending on the type of vehicle.
The tariff you will pay can also vary slightly depending on the size of the engine and type of vehicle you are importing, but the most important part of this equation is that how much you pay will be determined by what the Customs officer declares the car to be worth. As a rule, Customs will use the Kelley Blue Book value; however, of course, there is discretion concerning the condition of the vehicle, which will greatly effect the assessed value.
This is why it is so important to have an experienced, respected customs broker meet you at the border if you are driving, as they will be able to negotiate the value of the car and the tariff for you.
If you are shipping a car to Belize, some shipping companies may offer you a quote inclusive of freight, tariff, and other taxes. In this case, the shipping company will contact a customers broker to deal with the import fees.
Buying a car in Belize
Yes, I realize that this article is titled Buying a Car in Belize, and I have already written a good deal without discussing how to go about buying a car here. However, I feel that it is really important to understand the auto import tariff structure here so that you will know that when looking for a car, either new or used, in Belize, in almost all cases, the duty was paid at some point, so your price for the car will have these costs baked in.
When buying a car in Belize, what type of vehicle should I look for?
When I first moved to Belize, I lived in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, and because I was on the island, I needed to purchase a golf cart rather than a car. However, after three and half years in San Pedro, I decided to move to Corozal on the mainland, and I needed to find a car there.
Both after having lived on the island for over three years and having visited Corozal a number of times while looking to purchase a home, I understood that there are both infrastructure challenges, such as the lack of storm drains, and some really rough roads here in Belize, so I wanted an SUV or light pickup rather than a sedan.
I would never consider owning a vehicle which sits low to the ground here in Belize. There may be a few isolated places in which this might work, but I would not feel safe.
When I was looking for a car, I was fortunate in that I had several Belizean friends who had family in Corozal, so they helped me to connect with some local folks to ask about the most common cars found in Corozal, and which vehicles could be maintained with locally-available parts. Both from my contacts and by observation, for SUVs and light pickups, I learned that there were a lot of Jeeps and Toyotas in Corozal, and that there are mechanics in town who can generally get parts and fix them.
Availability of auto parts can be a real challenge in Belize; that’s why it is important to find out the most common cars in the area, as this could vary a bit in different districts here. Auto parts are also subject to a very high rate of tariff, so many auto parts shops won’t stock parts unless they are for commonly owned vehicles.
Where do I look for cars in Belize?
If you are looking for new cars in Belize, first, because of the tariffs, transportation, and the small size of the market here, you need to realize that you are likely to pay far more for a vehicle in Belize than you would for the same model in North America.
When looking for a new car you will likely need to visit a dealer in Belize City, or perhaps Belmopan. Toyota Belize, which is part of Belize Diesel and Equipment, is the authorized Toyota dealer in the country, and they have offices in both Belize City and Belmopan.
BEC is the official dealer representative in Belize for Ford, Kia, Renault, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, International Truck, Cummins Engines, and Hyster-Yale. BEC is the longest standing automotive dealer in Belize with over 55 Years of experience, and they are also located in Belize City.
Where do I find used cars in Belize?
There are used car dealers in nearly all of the main towns in Belize, and sometimes these are small family-run operations with just a half a dozen or so cars on a small lot. Recently, a few online auto marketplaces have also started to trade in Belize, basically these are sites on which sellers can post their vehicles in hopes of attracting more potential buyers. My Belize Autos is one such service.
Finally, in order to look for used cars offered for sale by owner, like for many other purchases in Belize, the best source is likely to be Facebook Marketplace. One simply needs to do a search for used cars in the area in which you plan to live in Belize, and you will find a number of offerings.
Like for anywhere else, when buying a car in Belize, it is a good idea to get the name of a trusted mechanic in the area, someone who has both a scanning device and a current subscription to the service which allows for scanning and interpreting error codes, and pay to have the engine scanned before purchasing.
Why do so many cars from the US have Salvage titles in Belize?
During my search for both a house and a car in Corozal, I rented a car several times from a local rental agency, a family-owned business which has been dealing with cars in Corozal for over 20 years.
The owner of the auto rental business knew some of my friends in San Pedro, and he took the time to explain to me that there is a large network of folks who go to the Insurance Auto Auctions in Texas, purchase cars, and then ship them down to Belize to resell. He explained that for many cars, insurance companies often find that it is less expensive for them to total a car after an accident, pay out the owner, and then repair the car and resell it at auction for a profit.
The advantage of the Salvage Title in Belize is that it allows the vehicle to be assigned a very low value for tariff purposes, regardless of year, make, or current condition. However, there is a risk with a Salvage title that the car has been exposed to flooding or other major problems which could result in very high repair expenses here in Belize.
The risk might be too great for many prospective buyers, but if one is able to purchase the VIN report for the vehicle online, there is a fairly good chance that that you can discover if the the car has been flooded or has suffered major collision damage. Because of the reduced tariff on vehicles with a Salvage Title, these cars are often far less expensive than other used cars in Belize.
After buying a car in Belize, what happens next?
For a new car, the dealer will likely assist with the title, registration, and license plates. In the case of buying a used car, one simply needs to have the owner sign the title over to you, and with the title in hand, you will next need to go and purchase insurance before you can register the car.
Insurance rates are based on the type of vehicle and the size of the engine. For example, in 2023, I bought a six cylinder, 2011 Jeep Liberty which had recently been imported from the US (it had a Salvage Title, see above), and my annual insurance rate was $415 BZD ($207.5 USD).
I recommend taking the previous owner with you to register the car in case there are any problems with the title, etc. If you are living in a town, you will probably register the car at the Traffic Department at the Town Council building, but if you are in a rural area, you will need to go to a national Department of Transport Office.
Even though I live only three miles outside of Corozal, I was told to go the National Transport Office, which is located at the bus terminal in Corozal. My vehicle registration cost $200 BZD ($100 USD) per year.
Because my Jeep had just arrived from the US, along registration and plates, I had to have a new title issued, and this cost $35 BZD ($17.50 USD).
I have recently read, in several places, folks claiming that one needs Permanent Residency in Belize in order to buy and register a car here, but I have personally met a lot of folks who are neither on QRP, nor have Residency, and they have either purchased vehicles here or have driven them down and then registered them in Belize. I have also looked through the Belize Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, and I could not find any indication that one needs Residency in order to register a car.
Final thoughts on buying a car in Belize
There are a number of factors to consider when thinking about buying a car in Belize. First, one needs to decide if it would make more sense to ship or drive a vehicle down rather than look for a car in Belize. If you are on the QRP program, it definitely makes more sense to bring a car into the country with you, as the tariff exclusion is one of the primary benefits of the program.
Next, if planning on buying a car in Belize, unless you intend to splash out on a new vehicle here, you’ll need to start scouring Facebook Marketplace and other sites to find what’s available. Unfortunately, while searching, you will probably discover that like in North America, post pandemic lockdown, prices of used cars in Belize have risen substantially.
If it is an option, renting a car for a month or so while you search for a vehicle might be a good idea because, as with everything else here, patience is often rewarded.
One last caution, I would not skip the step of having a car checked out by a mechanic with modern scanning capabilities, whether buying a car which has been driven in Belize for some time, or purchasing a vehicle that has recently been imported from the US. This could save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs and considerable downtime if parts are not readily available.
If you are thinking about buying a car in Belize, good luck on your search, and if you also have questions about Real Estate in Belize or other topics related to making a move, check out all of our articles on our Blog page.