Retiring in Belize as a French National: QRP Programme, Taxation and Healthcare

The Belize Tourism Board describes the QRP as a residence programme for retirees. The conditions displayed are an age of at least 40, retirement income of at least USD 2,000 a month, or USD 24,000 a year, coming from outside Belize and paid in US dollars, pounds sterling, euros or Canadian dollars, and a stay of at least 30 consecutive days a year. The spouse and children under 18 may be included, with each dependant subject to a separate form and fees.

• Status: QRP resident card allowing multiple entries without a visa, to be renewed every year.
• Customs duties: exemption for personal effects, a vehicle, a light aircraft or a motorboat in the first year.
• Belizean taxation: exemption from taxes and duties on foreign-source income, on capital gains and on inheritances.
• Property: facilities for buying land or housing for residential use.

The Belize Tourism Board page consulted mentions no health insurance requirement; it does, however, require a medical certificate. Conditions change: contact the Board (+501 227 2420) before gathering the documents.

The fees, payable in US dollars and non-refundable, are USD 150 filing fee per application, USD 1,000 per applicant, USD 750 per dependant and USD 200 per QRP card; annual renewal of the card costs USD 25 and requires a bank statement, the passport pages and two photos.

For the applicant and each dependant, the file includes the signed and dated form, the birth certificate and marriage certificate (notarised or certified copies), a criminal record less than six months old, the notarised or certified copy of the full passport, proof of income and a bank statement certifying the pension, the written undertaking to deposit funds in a Belizean financial institution, a medical certificate less than three months old and two 2-by-2-inch photos. The Ministry of National Security carries out a vetting check. The page consulted does not address the right to work: a retiree who takes up an activity again confirms their status with immigration, the employment permit being described in the guide to working in Belize.

France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry) indicates that a French national stays without a visa for less than 30 days, extendable through immigration. The immigration department also describes standard residence, which requires a passport bearing an arrival stamp at least one year old, a medical examination (HIV, VDRL and tuberculosis tests), a Belizean criminal record less than six months old and proof of means of support: bank statements, or failing that a statement explaining access to funds. A retiree who does not meet the QRP conditions, for example because they receive less than USD 2,000 a month, checks these routes with immigration (+501 822 3860).

BOFiP (the French tax administration’s official guidance) lists no tax treaty between France and Belize. No treaty rule therefore splits the taxation of pensions: French domestic law applies, according to tax domicile. Service-public.fr indicates that you are domiciled in France if one of the following criteria is met: home in France, stay of at least 183 days in the year, main professional activity in France or centre of economic interests in France. A retiree settled in Belize who keeps their home or economic interests in France may therefore remain a French tax resident.

A retiree who is a French non-resident for tax purposes is still taxed on their French-source pension: the administration applies a withholding tax, according to a bracket scale revised each year (rates of 0%, 12% then 20%), after a 10% allowance. The exemption provided by the QRP applies only to Belize: it does not exempt from French tax. The tax status is confirmed with the French tax office for non-resident individuals. The guide to receiving your pension abroad explains how pensions are paid outside France.

The S1 form, which keeps a retiree’s French cover in another European State, does not apply to Belize, where there is no social security agreement (CLEISS). France Diplomatie describes the medical infrastructure as underdeveloped and strongly recommends insurance covering hospitalisation and repatriation.

• Public sector: reference hospital in Belize City, regional hospitals; national health insurance covers only certain areas.
• CFE: retirees’ offer (with a contribution that depends on age and the plan chosen) according to cfe.fr; no waiting period if enrolment takes place within three months of settling, then three months, or six months from age 45.
• International insurance: direct access to the private sector and evacuation to the United States, Mexico or the Caribbean; age, pre-existing medical conditions and ceilings are decisive.

See the guide to health insurance for retirees abroad and the page on healthcare reimbursement in Belize. On returning to France, the CFE retains rights free of charge for three months, and a holder of a French old-age pension is exempt from the three-month residence condition (Assurance Maladie, the French national health insurance).

France Diplomatie warns that the cost of living is often high, especially on the islands where goods are imported. The Belize dollar is at a fixed parity of 2 to 1 with the US dollar; as the pension is received in euros, the euro-dollar parity affects purchasing power. The up-to-date indicators appear in the “Economic benchmarks” block above.

• Climate: hurricane season from about June to November; shelters are opened in the event of an alert; follow the National Hurricane Center.
• Safety: whole country under reinforced vigilance; rising crime in Belize City, Dangriga, San Pedro and near the Guatemalan border; avoid walking at night outside the main roads.
• Choice of location: areas differ in safety, access to care and cost; a visit of several weeks before committing and a short lease are useful safeguards.

See the page on living in Belize and the Belize country page.