Belize Travel Information

Getting to Belize
Belize City is approximately a 2 hour flight to Houston, Texas. Many international airlines service Belize on a daily basis and fly into Phillip SW Goldson International Airport (BZE) located 9 miles outside of the city. Most airlines in the United States connect through Miami, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles.
Tropic Air and Maya Air are the main local carriers and offer connecting flights almost every hour to most of Belize's major towns and resorts. Keep in mind that they do not fly at night.

Entry Requirements to Belize
Adults and children require a valid passport for at least 3 months after the date of arrival and a return ticket to enter Belize. US citizens do not require visas if they have a passport and return ticket. You can stay in Belize as a visitor up to one month and must get an extension after 30 days.

Time in Belize
Belize is in the Central Standard time zone the same as the United States. Belize does not observe Daylight Savings time.

Belize Currency
The Belizean dollar is the country's official currency but most US visitors use US dollars which are fixed to the Belizean dollar at a rate of approximately BZ$2 to US$1. Most tourist areas accept major credit cards, just note that the transactions fees can be expensive. You will find ATM's throughout the city but most are for the local banks. U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere in Belize.

Departure Taxes and Fees
Departure taxes that use to be collected at the airport are now included in the cost of most airline tickets. 
If you are departing the country through land borders you will be required to pay a border exit fee of US$18 per person. There is a standard 9% hotel tax. A 9% sales tax is charged on most goods and services in the country.

Belize Weather
The hurricane season normally runs from June to November.

Prohibited ExportsPre-Columbian articles, marine products, unprocessed coral or turtle shells.

Safety Tips
According to TravelBelize.org you should follow certain basic safety tips.

• Keep your travel plans, including accommodation details, to yourself.
• Only make reservations with tour operators who are licensed. Ask them for a direct contact in cases of emergency.
• Don't hitch hike.
• Try not to travel at night.
• Avoid quieter areas of the cities you visit, especially at night.
• Ask your hotel manager for advice on 'safe' versus 'unsafe' local areas.
• As a general rule, city streets that include children and women suggest the area is safe for families.
• Carry with you at all times the contact details of your home country embassy click here for embassy listing in Belize. If your country doesn't have local embassy, find out which other country's embassy is available to help you, such as the British or US embassy.
• Keep a photocopy of your passport and all other important documents in a safe place.
• Use ATMs during the day, when there are people around.
• Try to rely more on credit cards and travelers checks than cash.
• If you are mugged, don't fight back. It is better to lose a few dollars and a wristwatch than get injured.
• Avoid incidents such as fights, riots or civil disturbances at all times.
• Report all incidents to the Belize police department nearest to you.