Difference between revisions of "Belize"
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| − | * Your vehicle will be fumigated, which costs <price cost="10" currency="BZD"/>. Be sure to get a receipt. | + | * Your vehicle will be fumigated, which costs <price cost="10" currency="BZD"/>(suv: <price cost="11" currency="BZD"/>). Be sure to get a receipt. |
* The owner of the vehicle gains entry at immigration (''migración''), including a stamp in their Passport. | * The owner of the vehicle gains entry at immigration (''migración''), including a stamp in their Passport. | ||
* The owner must show the new passport stamp, [[drivers license]] and the original [[vehicle registration]] to customs (''aduana''). | * The owner must show the new passport stamp, [[drivers license]] and the original [[vehicle registration]] to customs (''aduana''). | ||
Revision as of 15:05, 10 February 2013
Currency to display:
Contents
- 1 Entering Belize with a Car or Motorbike
- 2 Driving in Belize
- 3 Gas and Diesel price in Belize
- 4 Safety and Security Considerations
- 5 Camping in Belize
- 6 Navigation
- 7 Special Overland Travel interests
- 8 Vehicle Maintenance
- 9 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Belize
- 10 References
- 11 Helpful External links
Entering Belize with a Car or Motorbike
Correct as of: Feb 2012
Required Paperwork
Updated 9th Feb 2013
- Passport of registered owner (original).
- Vehicle registration (original).
- Drivers license of registered owner (original).
No copy of the documents required!
Process at border
(To check if you need a travel Visa for Belize, application instructions and fees see: Belize Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
- Your vehicle will be fumigated, which costs BZ$10.00 BZD(suv: BZ$11.00 BZD). Be sure to get a receipt.
- The owner of the vehicle gains entry at immigration (migración), including a stamp in their Passport.
- The owner must show the new passport stamp, drivers license and the original vehicle registration to customs (aduana).
- The owner is issued a temporary import permit for the vehicle.
NOTE: You will encounter pushy locals offering to help you with paperwork to get across the border. They may try to trick you into buying insurance from them for a very high price. See Border Crossing Helpers for advice.
Cost of entry
- BZ$10.00 BZD for fumigation. The fumigation station at Chetumal no longer takes pesos. You can exchange pesos for Belizean dollars to the left of the parking area in front of the Aduana office on the Belize side of the border. Look for the guys on the left side of the gate sitting around a bus station bench, they all have fanny packs and gave the exact current exchange rate.
Permitted length of stay
90 days.
Extension of stay
Unknown.
Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.
Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country
(unknown)
Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long.
Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.
Exiting with a vehicle
- People must pay an exit tax of BZ$37.50 BZD per person.
- The registered owner presents the temporary import paper to customs.
- The registered owner is stamped out of Guatemala at immigration.
NOTE: As with entering Belize, you will definitely encounter very pushy locals offering to help you with paperwork to get across the border. See Central America Border Crossings for advice.
Driving in Belize
Insurance requirements
Insurance is mandatory in Belize, and you will be asked for it by Police
Cost of insurance
BZ$46.00 BZD for two weeks for a 4x4.
Where to purchase insurance
There are a couple of offices right at the border. The Insurance Corporation of Belize Ltd. seems to understand the idea of Overlanding and so purchasing insurance there is easy. Large white building just 1/4 mile past the Santa Elena border crossing. They accept VISA/Mastercard.
Driving license
Technically an International Driving Permit is required.
In reality, showing a license from anywhere in the world seems to be good enough.
Driving side of road
Right.
Right hand drive vehicles are permitted without problem.
Mandatory items in vehicle
None.
Roads
General Road quality
Roads in Belize are typically good, though you can expect dirt roads to be impassible mud pits in the rainy season.
Road signs
Road signs are common enough, and are generally good enough to rely on.
Toll roads
None.
Bribery in Belize
Police bribery is uncommon in Belize, but it might happen. See the bribery tips page for advice.
Checkpoints
Police checkpoints are common in Belize, where the Police primarily want to see your vehicle insurance. You'll be asked to show your Passport, Vehicle registration, drivers license, vehicle insurance and the temporary import permit you were issued at the border.
Traveling with pets
As with all borders in Central America, be ready for bribery if you have a pet.
According to travelers in 2012, you need: [1]
- A Health Certificate for the animal in Spanish (updated at least every four months)
- A vaccination record (the European Pet Passport works well)
- You should probably fill out a Belize Pet Passport form to save a fine.
You might not be asked for these, but you should have them ready.
Gas and Diesel price in Belize
Last updated: Feb 2012
Currency and unit to display:
| Gasoline Grade | Price |
|---|---|
| Regular | BZ$12.00 BZD per Gallon (US) |
| Super (90) | ?? |
| Premium (95) | ?? |
| Ultra (97) | ?? |
| Normal Diesel | $0.95 USD per Liter[2] |
| Diesel (low sulfur) | ?? |
- Price Information: gasoline-germany.com - International Gas / Petrol / Diesel prices - Belize Last updated 2009
Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency
Gasoline is common.
Gas and Diesel Quality
Accepted to be good quality. Sulfur content of diesel is unknown.
Safety and Security Considerations
Driving at night
Driving at night is probably OK in Belize, though definitely not recommended in big cities like Belize City due to safety considerations.
- The border with [Guatemala] is known to be particularly full of bandits and people wishing to visit the ruins of Caracol in the area will be given a military escort along the roads.
Vehicle parking
Find a secure parking lot to park in big cities. Price unknown.
Special driving considerations
None.
Security advisories and information
- Country Specific Information - U.S. Department of State
- Travel Reports and Warnings - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Travel advice by country - Foreign and Commonwealth office (U.K.)
- Travel Advice for Belize - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Camping in Belize
Camping is becoming more popular in Belize, and you will almost always find somewhere in the rural areas. Roadside camping is also OK in smaller places.
Camping guide books
The Traveler's Guide to Mexican Camping also contains information on Belize. Information includes detailed maps, GPS co-ordinates, and descriptions of campground facilities.
Drinking water
Tap water in Belize is not safe to drink.
Paper maps
The Mexico Road Atlas also has maps of Belize. It can be bought at gas stations within Mexico for around $20.00 USD. It is updated yearly, and is in Spanish.
GPS Maps of Belize
- Open Street Map: Appears to have good coverage.[3]
- Garmin: Apparently no map of Belize.
- TomTom: No map of Belize. [4]
GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Belize
- Camping Sites: Belize - Detailed list of campsites and propane filling with description, directions and GPS co-ordinates. Some at hotels (lists facilities and price), some roadside and free.
- Central America Camping Locations - List of campsites, with basic directions and GPS co-ordinates. Mostly free sites.
Special Overland Travel interests
None.
Guide Books
Vehicle Maintenance
Dealers
4x4s / Trucks
- Toyota Global Dealer Locator
- Land Rover International Dealer Locator
- Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
- Jeep International site locator
Motorbikes
Local Garages
Add known good mechanics here.
Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Belize
Buy
Unknown.
Sell
Unknown.
References
- ↑ Central American Borders and dogs
- ↑ fuel price - anybody ? - The HUBB
- ↑ OpenStreetMap Belize
- ↑ TomTom Map availability
Helpful External links
- Belize: Visa and Passport requirements | World Travel Guide
- Health Information for Travelers to Belize - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Belize travel guides at wikivoyage
- Belize - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
