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Open BELIZE Bank Account

Belize’s official currency is the Belize dollar, which for many years has been pegged to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 2 Belize dollars to 1 U.S. dollar. However, moneychangers often give a slightly higher rate than 2 Belize for 1 U.S. dollar, sometimes as much as 2.2 to 1, or even higher, depending on the local demand for American greenbacks.

That brings us to a key fact about Belize and your money: Hard currencies, like the U.S. dollar, euro and yen, are good. Soft currencies, and the Belize dollar is one of them, are not so good. The Belize dollar is difficult to exchange anywhere outside of Belize (except at border areas of Guatemala and Mexico).

For years there has been talk of dollarizing the Belize economy, making the U.S. dollar the official currency of Belize, similar to what El Salvador and Ecuador and, to a degree, Guatemala have done, but so far that talk hasn’t translated into action. There are several possible reasons. For one, the Belize government is reluctant to do away with its Central Bank and surrender so much of its financial control to Uncle Sam. That’s understandable. For another, Belize politicians may think that in a tough economic pinch it’s a lot easier to just print money than to actually earn it. That’s also understandable.

Technically, according to Belize law, only the Central Bank of Belize is permitted to deal in foreign currencies including the U.S. dollar. But this rule is widely, almost universally, flaunted in Belize, and businesses routinely take U.S. dollars in payment for goods and services and have been doing so for decades. In any event, U.S. dollars (bills, not coins) are accepted everywhere in Belize, although you often will receive change in Belizean money, or in a mix of Belizean and U.S. money.

Paper-money Belize denominations are the 100-, 50-, 20-, 10-, 5- and 2-dollar bills. Belize coins come in 1-dollar, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 Belizean cent units. The 25-cent piece is called a shilling.
 

List of Belize Banks
Offshore Bank in Belize.

Internal Belizean taxes are moderate, with a small turnover-based tax in addition to 25% corporation tax. Employees pay up to 45% tax on income plus social contributions. There is a variety of offshore schemes, including IBC legislation, a modern trusts law, and an array of free zones and investment incentive schemes. Belize offered 'economic citizenship' until the program was cancelled in 2002, and there is a retired persons regime. International pressure on Belize to moderate its offshore regime in exchange for debt relief seemed to have slackened in 2003

CAUTION: Deposits in Belize banks are not protected by deposit insurance, as they are in the U.S. and in many other countries. All of your deposits are at risk should the bank fail.
Belize Bank has 12 ATMs around Belize that accept foreign-issued ATM cards on the Visa, MasterCard, Plus, Cirrus and Visa Electron systems. Atlantic Bank has 16 ATMs that accept foreign-issued ATM cards on the Visa, MasterCard, Plus and Cirrus systems. ScotiaBank has 14 ATMs around the country accepting foreign-issued ATM Cards. First Caribbean Bank’s six ATMs also accept foreign ATM cards.

You can use these ATMs to tap your bank accounts back home, although you will get cash in Belize in Belize dollars. Alliance Bank (the name is expected to change soon) has ATMs but at present do not accept ATM cards issued outside Belize.

Banking hours are shorter in Belize, typically only until 2 p.m. most days, and in other cases banks close for lunch. Most bank offices have modern conveniences such as ATM machines. While bank personnel in Belize are usually very friendly – this is Belize, after all – you can’t always say the same about bank policies, especially for loans. Loan interest rates are high. Even as the U.S. prime rate was down to 4%, Belize banks were getting 10% to 18% or more on business loans and even higher on some personal loans. And the hidden fees and charges can add several percentage points to the loan interest. Modern consumer protection laws haven’t all made it to Belize yet. 

Nevertheless, privacy is a biggest attraction in these 'Tax Free Zones' of the world.

We make offshore bank account setup easy: Just a copy of your passport "legalized" or ID required.

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