MAKING THE MOVE TO BELIZE

Destination content © Lan Sluder, used from Living Abroad in Belize, 1st Edition.
Maps © Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.

"You can ship bulky items by sea or overland. Small items can be shipped via the postal system. You can drive your vehicle down through Mexico or ship it by sea."

Prime Living Locations

WHAT TO BRING
SHIPPING OPTIONS
Ocean and Overland Freight  •  Ferry  •  Customs Brokers  •  Storage in Belize

WHAT TO BRING 
 Foreign residents in Belize are split on how much to bring to the country. Some see a savings in bringing everything you may need, especially if you have a duty exemption on household goods.
  On the other hand, many who have moved to Belize say it's best to bring as little as possible with you. After all, you won't need a lot of clothes. You can buy furniture cheaply in Belize, and you can find appliances and other household goods either in Belize City or Chetumal, Mexico. Amazon.com and other companies will ship books, CDs, and other items to Belize. You may want to store most of your household goods in a storage facility back home. Then, after you've been in Belize for a while, you can return to your storage space to pick up the items you decide you really need.
  You will probably want to bring the following items to Belize if you are setting up housekeeping, as these are hard to find or expensive there, or will be expensive to ship later.
 •good-quality sheets and towels
 •high-quality mattresses
 •dishes
 •high-quality pots and pans, silverware, and other kitchenware
 •hobby equipment
 •specialized hand and power tools
 •fishing and diving gear
 •top-end electronics
 •books

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SHIPPING OPTIONS
  You can ship bulky items by sea or overland. Small items can be shipped via the postal system. You can drive your vehicle down through Mexico or ship it by sea.

Ocean and Overland Freight
  Sending goods in a 20-foot container from Miami is likely to cost you about US$2,000, not including import duties. A 40-foot container may cost you US$4,000 by the time you get it to your home in Belize, again not including any import duties.
  Hyde Shipping is probably the most used and recommended shipping company serving Belize. It offers freight sailings from Port Everglades near Miami to Belize once and sometimes twice a week. Both 20-foot and 40-foot containers are available. Tropical Shipping also offers weekly freight service from Miami to Belize.
  There are freight consolidators in Miami who will assemble your goods, crate them where necessary, and put them in a full or partial container-for a price. Small items can be shipped to Belize by air or surface mail, which is fairly dependable, or by fast but expensive airfreight services such as FedEx or DHL. Speed Cargo in Miami can ship small boxes via freighter: A 20-cubic-foot box might cost under US$100.
  You can also move goods to Belize overland from Texas. One recommended mover is Elbert Flowers at Cayo Adventure Tours.

Ferry
  Yucatan Express has offered on-again, off-again pedestrian and vehicle ferry service on the Canadian ferry ship Scotia Prince. For a short time, it ran in the winter from Tampa, Florida, to Mérida, Mexico, and to Puerto Moreles near Cancún. However, this service has at least temporarily been discontinued. It is possible service will resume in late 2005, but this time from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Veracruz, Mexico.

Customs Brokers
  Customs brokers in Belize can be very helpful in smoothing the way and getting materials quickly released from customs. They will meet your goods when they arrive in Belize, fill out the paperwork, and have the goods forwarded to their final destination in Belize. It will make your life a lot easier if you have a local customs broker working for you. Be sure to check references.

Storage in Belize
  If your home isn't ready for occupancy yet, what do you do with your goods after you get them to Belize? Storage facilities in Belize, other than those owned by the government, are few and far between. Edgar's Mini Store in the Vista Del Mar area of Ladyville, near Belize City, was the first ministorage facility in the country. Dave Edgar established it in 2002. As of press time, it was for sale. Another storage facility is on Ambergris Caye. Caye Mini Storage offers monthly storage for US$.15 per cubic foot-an eight-foot-wide, 12-foot-deep, and 10-foot-high container is US$144 a month.

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