Belize
General Information for Belize
Geo-political:
Capital City: Belmopan.
Nationality: (noun) Belizean, (adjective) Belizean.
Population: 307,899.
Communications:
International Direct Dial Code: 501.
Number of Internal Airports: 4.
Major Languages Spoken: Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan dialects 8.9%, English 3.9% (official), Garifuna
3.4% (Carib), German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2% (2000 census).
Economy:
Currency: 1 Belize Dollar (BZD) of 100 Cents.
Main Industries: Garment production, food processing, tourism, construction and oil.
Environment:
Territorial Sea: 12 n.m.
Other Maritime Claims: Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 n.m.
Coastline Extent: 386 km.
Climate: Tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February
to May).
Natural Resources: Arable land potential, timber, fish and hydropower.
Natural Hazards: Frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially
in south).
Terrain: Flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south.
DOCUMENTS:
Ship's documents may be submitted at the Port Authority's headquarters during normal
working hours from Monday to Friday, on weekends and holidays. Arrangements for services
must be made by 1600 hrs. of the preceding work days.
The following documents should be submitted:
1 Application for Clearance
1 Crew List
1 Nil List
1 Notice of Arrival
1 Notice of Departure
1 Passenger List
1 Pilotage Report
Documents available in pdf format at
www.portauthority.bz/
Notice of Arrival:
The estimated time of arrival of a ship must be received by the Belize Port Authority
no later than 48 hours in advance. Under no circumstances must the Notice of Arrival
form be submitted after the ship has arrived.
All vessels carrying dangerous goods should send a list of items or a Dangerous Goods
Declaration no later than 48 hours in advance.
Notice of Departure:
Notice of Departure forms must be submitted no later than 2 hours before departure
and no earlier than 4 hours before departure.
Clearance:
Application for clearance can only be granted if all documents listed below have been
submitted to the Authority in good order at the time of request for clearance:
1 Application for Clearance
1 Crew List
1 Nil List
1 Passenger List*
1 Pilotage Report
* When submitting the Passenger List, only a condensed version is required showing
the distribution by nationality.
Ship's documents should be submitted to the Port Authority via fax or email. Notice
of Departure and Clearance should be hand delivered. Fax: +501 223 0710.
[email protected]
ARRIVAL:
Any ship that enters a port for the purpose of loading or discharging cargo or embarking
or disembarking passengers, or occupies an anchorage or berth within the port, shall
pay to the Port Authority the dues and charges in respect of such ship and for services
performed or facility provided in respect of such ship, in accordance with the regulations.
MEDICAL:
Medical facilities in Belize are limited. Serious medical cases are normally evacuated
to the United States (at the patient's expense). Dengue fever is endemic to Latin
America and the Caribbean and can occur throughout the year. There have recently been
confirmed cases in Belize.
HOLIDAYS:
1 January (New Year's Day); 9 March (Baron Bliss Day); Good Friday; Holy Saturday;
Easter Sunday; Easter Monday; 1 May (Labour Day); 24 May (Commonwealth Day); 11 June
(Queen's Birthday); 19 July (Triangle day); Thursday before first Monday in August
(Emancipation Day (first day of Cup Match)); Friday before first Monday in August
(second day of Cup Match); 10 September (St George's Caye Day); 21 September (Independence
Day); 12 October (Columbus Day); 11 November (Remembrance Day); 19 November (Garifuna
Settlement Day); 24 December (Christmas Eve); 25 December (Christmas Day); 26 December
(Boxing Day).
WEATHER/TIDES:
The hurricane/tropical cyclone season in Belize normally runs from June to November.
National Meteorological Service of Belize.
www.hydromet.gov.bz/
BANKS:
ATMs are readily available in the larger towns and generally accept UK cards. Credit
cards are not widely accepted, but this is starting to change. USD are accepted as
currency.
CUSTOMS:
Comptroller of Customs, Customs House, Port Loyola, PO Box 146, Belize City, Belize.
Tel: +501 227 7092/3. Fax: +501 227 7091.
[email protected]
www.customs.gov.bz/
REPATRIATION:
The departure tax is USD50 which can be paid only in US dollars or with a credit/debit
card. It is included in some air tickets, though by no means all. There is a bank
inside the airport where travellers can convert Belize dollars to US dollars to a
maximum of BZD1,000. Larger amounts require a day's notice. Passengers will need to
provide the teller with their passport and boarding pass.
IDENTIFICATION CARDS:
You are not required to carry identification whilst in Belize, but it can be useful
to carry a picture ID.
