A small country Belize , located in Central America, is relatively new to tourists, but is very popular. It arouses interest even among the sophisticated travelers who visited many countries. This is due to the fact that Belize is truly a well of natural, cultural and architectural attractions. The location on the Caribbean coast makes the holiday unforgettable. For those who decided to go to this amazing place for the first time, the question is urgent: is it necessary to have a visa to Belize?
Visa Options
Tourists who want to visit Belize need to know that visa requirements depend on factors such as the estimated time that they plan to stay on the territory of that country. Depending on this visa can be issued in different places:
- If the period is less than 30 days - there are 2 options for issuing a visa: in the British Embassy and consulates or at the border located at the entrance to Belize.
- If the period exceeds 30 days - visa is made in advance, it is possible to carry out in the embassy and consulates of England.
Visa at the border
A variant that is not mentioned in official sources, but information about which people who have checked it in practice, is considered to be a visa at the border. Travelers from Russia or the CIS shared their impressions of obtaining such a visa at land checkpoints located on the borders with Mexico and Guatemala. It is with these states that Belize borders on the north and west respectively.
The list of documents required for registration includes:
- a valid passport, at the same time it is necessary to remove a copy of the first page;
- one color photograph measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm;
- The visa application form, which is filled in English.
You should also pay a visa fee, which can be paid in Belizean or American dollars. The fee is about 100 BZD.
The very process of issuing a visa is very fast, it takes from 20 minutes to 2 hours. As a result, you will get a one-time visa. The period of its validity will be 30 days.
The visa in Belize looks like a sticker, the size of which is equal to the passport page. The information contained in the visa includes: the date of issue, the validity period, the tourist's data.
Why is a visa more suitable for a consulate?
The described method of obtaining a visa at the border can be attributed to extreme, since most travelers still prefer not to risk and formalize it in advance, using the services of the consulate. This is explained by the following.
All existing international airlines use the TIMATIC help system. In accordance with it, when passengers are boarded, the visa requirements of a certain country are checked. When the flight to Belize is expected, information on the possibility of issuing a visa upon arrival will be absent.
Therefore, tourists who are going to make a trip to Belize, it is strongly recommended to conduct serious training and pre-arrange a visa.
Registration of a visa at the consulate
Such a reliable and proven method of obtaining a visa, as its registration in the consulate, involves the provision of the following documents:
- a valid passport, while the validity period should extend not only at the time of obtaining a visa, but also at the time of entry into Belize;
- Copy of the first page containing the owner's personal data;
- A questionnaire filled out in English on the website of the English Migration Service. This involves a certain procedure: the information will be encrypted using a special bar code, and the applicant will be assigned a registration number. When all the fields of the questionnaire are filled out, the questionnaire should be printed and signed in it;
- one color photograph measuring 3,5х4,5 cm;
- confirmation that a person has the necessary means to carry out a trip to Belize. In this case, cash or certificates from exchange offices are not taken into account and are not considered appropriate confirmation;
- a certificate from the place of employment on the relevant form of the organization or enterprise in which the position and salary are indicated;
- pensioners, students, schoolchildren - it is necessary to provide a photocopy of the certificate, a ticket, a certificate from the school, as well as a statement signed by the person who will pay the costs of their stay in Belize, a certificate from the place of employment of that person;
- in case of availability it is also necessary to provide an old passport;
- invitation from the host country.
The visa processing period will take from 10 days to 2 weeks, and it will operate from 6 months to 1 year.
How to apply for accompanying documents?
The accompanying documents include:
- certificates from work and study;
- references from banks;
- power of attorney;
- letters from sponsors;
- other documents.
They will all need to be translated into English. Translation must be made to each document and separately attached to it. It should contain such information:
- date of transfer;
- information about the translator: his name and surname, contacts, personal signature;
- confirmation of the correspondence of the translation to the original.
To make a transfer, you can use one of several options:
- make him personally by the applicant himself. In this case, in the translation it is necessary to indicate personal data and write the phrase: "translated by applicant";
- To use the services of an employee of the Translation Bureau;
- to resort to the help of any person who speaks English sufficiently.
Extension of a visa
There are cases when the visa needs to be extended. This can be done by contacting the immigration office in Belize . The visa will be extended for 30 days, but the number of renewals is not limited. To do this, you will need to pay a fee, which, depending on the purpose of stay is from 25 to 100 US dollars.