Brian and MariLynne Craig
@bmcraig
Canadian expat in Belize
Forum posts
67
Contacts
5
About me
Canadian
Lives in Unitedville Village
Speaks English
Registration: 06 October 2012
QRP Clarification by BCLawrence
In regards to the qualifications for QRP ... is it a combined income of $2000 US per household or per person?
Here are the answers to your questions: 1. Fee payable at application submission: USD $150.00 鈥� Application Fee (non-refundable) Fees payable at acceptance: USD $1,000.00 鈥� Applicant Program Fee USD $750.00 each 鈥� Dependent ... Read More
QRP Clarification by BCLawrence
In regards to the qualifications for QRP ... is it a combined income of $2000 US per household or per person?
Basically per household. One person in the household is the holder of the general QRP and the others are dependents. ie. Husband or wife signs up and the other spouse and children under 18 are dependents, so the $2000 US per month covers all of ... Read More
Residency by cayecaulkergirl
There are a few of us US expats living in Caye Caulker that would like to get the residency. I will be here a year on August 1, 2019. My friends have contacted some legal folks about the requirements and are being told they must get a work permit ...
You don't need a work permit. Read More
Safety? in 2019?? by EliseLouise
Hello everyone :-) I need your help please, your honest unreserved opinions. I would so appreciate it. We鈥檙e a farming family of four, from Alberta Canada. Our two boys have always been homeschooled and they鈥檙e 8 and 10 yrs old. ...
Thank you Will the Old! Read More
Safety? in 2019?? by EliseLouise
Hello everyone :-) I need your help please, your honest unreserved opinions. I would so appreciate it. We鈥檙e a farming family of four, from Alberta Canada. Our two boys have always been homeschooled and they鈥檙e 8 and 10 yrs old. ...
That's fear mongering Susan. This report was just recently issued regarding a community near where I live in Canada. Do you think I should run away from there and warn people not to come to Canada? "Four people have been arrested in ... Read More
Safety? in 2019?? by EliseLouise
Hello everyone :-) I need your help please, your honest unreserved opinions. I would so appreciate it. We鈥檙e a farming family of four, from Alberta Canada. Our two boys have always been homeschooled and they鈥檙e 8 and 10 yrs old. ...
Hello EliseLouise, We are from a farming background in Alberta, like you, and came to Belize looking for a more laid back (and warmer) place to retire. We have settled near Spanish Lookout in the Cayo District (the breadbasket of Belize). We ... Read More
importing a vehicle into Belize by Philagree
What is the procedure to import a vehicle into Belize from Canada? Have bought a property near Dangriga and will be building a home there. Need answers to questions like: Where to find a reputable broker? How do I register the vehicle with Belize? ...
The trip through Mexico was great. We crossed from the US at Del Rio. Stayed overnight there and bought Mexican insurance for the vehicle (this is a must). we left early the next morning to avoid line-ups at the border. Once you get into Ciudad ... Read More
importing a vehicle into Belize by Philagree
What is the procedure to import a vehicle into Belize from Canada? Have bought a property near Dangriga and will be building a home there. Need answers to questions like: Where to find a reputable broker? How do I register the vehicle with Belize? ...
Just brought my car from Alberta to Belize. Drove it down. At the Belize border I got a broker who was there at Customs. He did a good job for me. If you are shipping it in a container you would need to find a broker here before you ship it. It is a ... Read More
Driving from Canada to Belize with 2 dogs towing an RV by the mcconnells
Hi everyone Thought that maybe some people will find this post interesting.. My husband and I with our 2 small dogs drove with our Van towing our 27 1/2' travel trailer from Kelowna, BC Canada to Hopkins, Belize in October, 2015. If bring ...
For an older vehicle, yes, it was worth it, but we have decided, in the long run, if we want a newer vehicle, we would buy here. North American vehicles are made to run on low sulphur fuel. The fuel here is high sulphur and within two months the ... Read More
Driving from Canada to Belize with 2 dogs towing an RV by the mcconnells
Hi everyone Thought that maybe some people will find this post interesting.. My husband and I with our 2 small dogs drove with our Van towing our 27 1/2' travel trailer from Kelowna, BC Canada to Hopkins, Belize in October, 2015. If bring ...
I did not pull an RV, but I drove my car to Belize from Alberta 9 months ago. I crossed into Mexico at Del Rio, Texas (Ciudad Acuna, Mexico). I followed toll roads all the way and except for a couple places where there was construction, the roads ... Read More
QRP Program by gillianfaro
Does anyone have experience with the QRP program and could provide a list of pros and cons?
You would have to ask that question to the Belize Tourism Board. They are the only ones who can make that decision. Read More
QRP Program by gillianfaro
Does anyone have experience with the QRP program and could provide a list of pros and cons?
You have to submit this information once a year when you apply for your renewal in late November/December. We almost lost our QRP status last year because the agent (and his supervisor) we had the previous year told us that we did not have to put ... Read More
QRP Program by gillianfaro
Does anyone have experience with the QRP program and could provide a list of pros and cons?
You have to show your US or Canadian bank statements along with the Belize bank statements to PROVE that the money in your US or Canadian bank came from a retirement or annuity program. Read More
Drive to Belize by Brigitte B
I will be driving from Calgary to Belize sometime between mid August and end of September. If you're driving in that direction, from Alberta or from anywhere on the route, and would like to drive along, let me know. I will be crossing at Del ...
toflyaway - I drove down from Edmonton last October - followed the same route you outlined above and used my Canadian Tire Mastercard for all gas purchases except one, which was a small place we fueled up south/east of Villahermosa. Surprised yours ... Read More
QRP Program by gillianfaro
Does anyone have experience with the QRP program and could provide a list of pros and cons?
We are on the QRP program. Pros: *Getting QRP status is quite fast (took 3 months for us to be approved). *You don't have to go down to get your passport stamped every month. *You can bring personal goods in without duties the first year; also ... Read More
Drive to Belize by Brigitte B
I will be driving from Calgary to Belize sometime between mid August and end of September. If you're driving in that direction, from Alberta or from anywhere on the route, and would like to drive along, let me know. I will be crossing at Del ...
Wish I were driving again Brigitte! I would love to follow along with you. I drove down last October and the drive was awesome! Thank you so much for all the helpful advice you gave me. It made the trip a breeze. I'm leaving for Belize next week ... Read More
driving from canada to belize by heatherklynch
Hi there, I am planning on driving from nova Scotia to Corozal Belize. I am wondering if anyone knows what have to do to bring my car to Belize?
Just brought my car in from Alberta one month ago. Are you bringing your car in to stay or just for a vacation? First of all, to go through Mexico, you need to get Mexican insurance before you get to the Mexican border. Check out ... Read More
From Oregon to Belize by car by Jcronin1964
We just traveled from Oregon to Belize by car. I wanted to share some of our experiences. We crossed over into mexico at McAllen. They are currently working on it so it was somewhat confusing, but easy cross over. The roads a whole other subject. ...
I just travelled from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Belize by car. We stayed in Great Falls, MT the first night, Casper, WY the second, Amarillo, TX the third, and Del Rio, Tx the fourth night of the US portion of the trip. Crossed over into Mexico ... Read More
Sending a gift? by BCLawrence
I want to send a friend in Belize a gift ... $50 US max ... should I expect to pay duty? If so how much and how would I do that? I don't want the recipient to have to pay. Also ... any advice on mailing from CANADA?
Canadian Post office should be able to help with answers regarding paying customs before sending. Expect your parcel to take a minimum of 30 days to arrive in Belize. We don't send mail because of the time frame required. At one time, I sent a ... Read More
Driving from Canada to Belize with a trailer of belongings
I am thinking of driving to Belize from Alberta this summer with a small trailer of the last of our personal belongings. While researching on-line I keep running across sites that say I have to cross Mexico as a "transmigrante" and that a ... Read More
Container shipping by bwd61
Hello, In a couple months I will be shipping a 20' container with my household possessions. I have a bunch of hard plastic bins that stack very nicely. My question is can the bins be strapped to pallets and then pallet wrapped? Somewhere I have ...
We moved furniture (including sofa and bed frames) to Belize by container in February of this year (2018) with no problem. Just had to give our broker the list of everything before hand and indicate what had wood in it and he got the permits. Read More
Doctor fly bites! Help! by teed62
Hello! Well, we've been down here in Consejo for 4 weeks now and we are really enjoying ourselves, even while living through renovations! The only fly in the ointment appears to be that my body is not a fan of the doctor fly bites. Not ...
Vicks Vaporub works for my husband and me as well. Also camphorated oil mixed with equal parts of coconut oil works. I also use a mixture of camphorated oil, sea buckthorne oil and coconut oil (all equal proportions). Camphorated oil takes away ... Read More
Moving cats to Belize from Canada by afedave
Does anyone have any experience at moving cats to Belize from the Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal Airport ? I have three indoor cats that I would like to bring with me when I move to Belize and currently live in Ontario. West Jet seems to be the only ...
We moved 3 cats from Edmonton to Belize in 2013. At the time, only United flew from Alberta, so we had to use them. They stayed one night in a vet-run kennel That works with United at the Houston International Airport. They were well taken care of ... Read More
Banks in Belize by Bsimpson
We bank with Scotia Bank in Canada, are they also located in Belize and if so, can you transfer Canadian Currency via the local Scotia Bank and or ATM. What other banks are currently in the country?
We are Canadians and have been banking at ScotiaBank in Belize since 2013. Last summer and this spring (January - March) transferring money in from Canada has been impossible! When the money is transferred from a Canadian bank it has to go through a ... Read More
Realtors by Shangri-laa
Hello everyone; Writing from Northern British Columbia, where at the moment it is -25 degees! Sun is shining and it is beautiful. Some time ago we decided to move somewhere else and have a completely new experience. So..... We will be moving to ...
We looked at both Plett's and Linda Vista in Spanish Lookout. We plan to purchase from Linda Vista - Cost for the home we want is about $2000 more, but both design and workmanship is far better. As people who have been building and renovating ... Read More
Solar and LED Lighting by GuidoBisogno
In the week I drove around Central and southern Belize I saw only a very few solar installations, one advertisement and absolutely no LED lighting. Anyone know more about why this is? I just completed an 80 unit project with ALL LED lighting, ...
Like your reply Bill. Very practical. Just thought I'd put my 2 cents in re power costs. I am from Alberta, Canada. A few years ago, the government decided to privatize power there and private companies took over. It was supposed to lessen our ... Read More
In retrospect, would you move again to Belize? by Christine
Hi all, If you had to look back on your expat experience in Belize, would you heartily say "let聮s do it again"? From the preparation stage to your actual everyday life in your new country, what did you enjoy the most? Would you do certain ...
Hi Christine, Yes, I would do it again. We don't live in Belize full time - just during the winter months. However, in retrospect, I would make the complete move and do it at a much younger age (I am now retired). From the preparation stage to ... Read More
Driving from Alberta
Keep us updated on your trip, Brigitte. Will see you in July or August for a short visit! Read More
I am from Belize and looking for to immigrate to Canada
You can go to the Canadian Immigration website - http://www.cic.gc.ca - and look at immigrating to Canada. It will give you all the details on how to apply to immigrate to Canada. You do not want to just come without having the proper paperwork or ... Read More
Opening a Bank Account - Be Aware - Information by 2flyaway
Opening a Bank Account in Belize is not as simple as in North America or Europe. As a non-resident or citizen you need to apply to the central bank for permission to open a bank account. In this application you must: 1. Provide a utility bill to ...
The advantage we found for using Scotiabank in Belize was that you can transfer Canadian money direct without having to pay exchange fees twice. When we transferred money to another Belize bank, we had to pay to exchange from Canadian to US dollars, ... Read More
Pensions and tax
According to what Revenue Canada told us, yes, the 25% is with held as income tax. Read More
Long haired dog in Belize
We took our 60 lb dog to Belize last year. We were there for 4 months. Our dog is a German Shepherd cross. In addition to the long guard hairs, this type of dog has an undercoat of fine wooly hair next to his skin for insulation. Dogs native to ... Read More
Menonite houses on Caye caulker by Cayegal
Hi can anyone tell me if they know of a Mennonite home builder that does this on Caye caulker island? I have heard good things about Linda vista but they only build on the mainland.
Good Luck. I bought one of his houses 9 months ago. Read More
Menonite houses on Caye caulker by Cayegal
Hi can anyone tell me if they know of a Mennonite home builder that does this on Caye caulker island? I have heard good things about Linda vista but they only build on the mainland.
Erix Tobar is Belizean (not Mennonite). He has a house building yard at Iguana Creek, half way between Blackman Eddy and Spanish Lookout. Currently he is out of business. Read More
Bringing my cat to Belize by Touqimonster
Hiya everyone, I want to look at moving to Belize but wanted to ask others opinions on bringing my cat. I recently moved him from South Africa to Canada but wanted to see how easy it would be to move him to Belize Thanks so much! Darlene
Hi Darlene We brought our cats to Belize from Edmonton back in August this past year. Go on-line to BAHA (Belize Animal Health Authority) and print off the form they have there for moving cats and dogs to Belize. It will tell you the health ... Read More
Looking for small truck/jeep Rental For Apr 19- May 4th
We have rented several times over the last couple of years and have found Crystal to be the most reasonable and reliable of all the rental companies. Read More
Belize vs USA - Cost of Living by MyBetterHalf
I've read articles stating the cost of living in Belize is essentially the same as living in the USA. For those who have taken the plunge and made the move, can you give the rest of us an idea of what it takes to live there. I'm not looking ...
Hi Love2Travel4Sure - I am really interested in how your friends set up their own LAN. Is this something that can be done without going through an internet provider? Is it costly? Read More
Belize vs USA - Cost of Living by MyBetterHalf
I've read articles stating the cost of living in Belize is essentially the same as living in the USA. For those who have taken the plunge and made the move, can you give the rest of us an idea of what it takes to live there. I'm not looking ...
Thanks Stacman. I, too, appreciate negative comments when they are pertinent to the conversation. My original intent was just to point out that there is a positive side to moving to Belize as opposed to other countries. The personal attack was ... Read More
Belize vs USA - Cost of Living by MyBetterHalf
I've read articles stating the cost of living in Belize is essentially the same as living in the USA. For those who have taken the plunge and made the move, can you give the rest of us an idea of what it takes to live there. I'm not looking ...
That response does not deserve an answer. You are just being negative about everything. It is that negativity that prompted my comments in the first place, so I will not bother to respond to you or read your negative comments again. ML Read More
Belize vs USA - Cost of Living by MyBetterHalf
I've read articles stating the cost of living in Belize is essentially the same as living in the USA. For those who have taken the plunge and made the move, can you give the rest of us an idea of what it takes to live there. I'm not looking ...
Popeye1, From what I gather from many ex pats on this forum, is that they are moving to Belize because they WANT to live a simpler lifestyle, as well as the fact that English is spoken there. I know that is the reason why we chose to retire here. We ... Read More
we are thinking about moving to belize but i do have tons of questions by tammyann
hello everyone i am very new here.......and i do have questions about belize... my husband is being force to retire from his job becouse we want to keep our medical benifits.....so at end of this year he would be retiring and we cant afford to live ...
Yayy Doglady! Thank you for that blurb! I grew up in rural northern Alberta, Canada in the 1950s and 60s. We lived on a homestead. The nearest town was 35 miles away by dirt trail, with a river to cross by ferry. The nearest hospital was 50 miles ... Read More
Driving down with my dog and cat. by Artena
Greetings all, I am a widow and I would very much like to drive from BC, Canada to Belize with my animals. I realize it will be quite a trip, but I want my SUV and I want my Bull Mastiff and I am not leaving my 30 pound cat behind! I want to live ...
I am a Canadian who recently moved from Alberta to Belize. You will not loose your CPP if you leave Canada. But your CPP cheques will be deposited in a CANADIAN bank, not directly deposited in a Belizean bank. Also, if you spend more than 1/2 the ... Read More
Driving down with my dog and cat. by Artena
Greetings all, I am a widow and I would very much like to drive from BC, Canada to Belize with my animals. I realize it will be quite a trip, but I want my SUV and I want my Bull Mastiff and I am not leaving my 30 pound cat behind! I want to live ...
yes there are pitbulls and pitbull crosses in Belize. Most people keep them as guard dogs. A lot of people sell pitbull puppies. The Belmopan Humane Society rescues abandoned dogs, many of them pitbull or pitbull crosses. Cayo resident. Read More
Belize vs USA - Cost of Living by MyBetterHalf
I've read articles stating the cost of living in Belize is essentially the same as living in the USA. For those who have taken the plunge and made the move, can you give the rest of us an idea of what it takes to live there. I'm not looking ...
Hi Neil, We found that for the most part there were more inexpensive places inland - Cayo and Orange Walk mainly. However, we did see some very good deals along the beach fronts. We did not look on the Cayes at all. Really, you have to keep ... Read More
Belize vs USA - Cost of Living by MyBetterHalf
I've read articles stating the cost of living in Belize is essentially the same as living in the USA. For those who have taken the plunge and made the move, can you give the rest of us an idea of what it takes to live there. I'm not looking ...
Hi Doglady, Renting is a good idea until you have firmly decided where you want to live. It sounds like you are waivering between San Pedro and the mainland. I agree that Mennonite houses would not withstand the hurricaines in San Pedro. If you were ... Read More
Clue Me In--Groceries by doglady
If we chose to live in San Ignacio and bought our vegetables at the market on the weekend; what would our grocery bill be for these items.... Powdered milk beans--any kind rice chicken flour tortillas eggs We would get cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, ...
Hi 2flyaway, My husband, Brian, is there right now and will be there until mid-June. I'm back in Canada, trying to sell our property here, then we plan to both head down to Belize. Not certain yet if we will just be snow birds or will stay there. ... Read More
Clue Me In--Groceries by doglady
If we chose to live in San Ignacio and bought our vegetables at the market on the weekend; what would our grocery bill be for these items.... Powdered milk beans--any kind rice chicken flour tortillas eggs We would get cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, ...
Hi Doglady Our dogs are just pets and for security. We have one dog and three cats here in Canada and we are hoping to bring them to Belize once we sell our place here and move down. We purchased a lovely mid-sized dog in Belize for security ... Read More
Clue Me In--Groceries by doglady
If we chose to live in San Ignacio and bought our vegetables at the market on the weekend; what would our grocery bill be for these items.... Powdered milk beans--any kind rice chicken flour tortillas eggs We would get cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, ...
Hi Jody, It is interesting that you have purchased a small farm. Which way from San Ignacio are you situated? We have met another lady from BC who is a bit south of San Ignacio, near San Antonio who also has a small farm of 40 acres. It's nice to ... Read More
Belize vs USA - Cost of Living by MyBetterHalf
I've read articles stating the cost of living in Belize is essentially the same as living in the USA. For those who have taken the plunge and made the move, can you give the rest of us an idea of what it takes to live there. I'm not looking ...
Doglady, I know exactly what you mean by the simple life. I grew up on a homestead in northern Alberta, Canada in the same way you describe. Belize brings me back to the old homestead in the 50s and 60s. You might try asking for a Mennonite house. ... Read More
Edmontonians interested to try Belize by gerry_edmontonguy
Gerry and Kate just starting the research about relocating to Belize. We visited for 1 day from a cruise ship (zip line in the rain forest)and loved it. We have all the usual questions, and are planning a 7 - 14 day visit in June 2013 to assess the ...
Ladytrougher is absolutely right! You HAVE to see before you even consider buying. After we visited the country once and just breezed through four districts, we thought two of the districts were right for us. Back at home, my husband started looking ... Read More
Information from families who have migrated to Belize
Hi Alexiamalo, I would love to meet you sometime. My husband and I, too, are Canadian. We just bought an acreage in Unitedville, and will be moving there soon. My husband is there right now for a couple of months. We are looking to meet other ... Read More
I Am New To This Forum by canadianbcgirl
Hi Everyone, My name is Wendy and I am new to this forum. Here's my story....... Well it all started for me when I was a young teen growing up in British Columbia, Canada and not liking the cold much I took an interest to south eastern USA and ...
Great Story Wendy. I am from Caroline, Alberta, and have also purchased property in Belize. I was just waiting for my husband to retire. Well my husband retired, but I still have my acreage at Caroline to sell. I hope we both find buyers very soon. Read More
Accomodations and getting around while fact finding by Cruisin Camper
So my husband and I will be coming down sometime in the coming year for a few eeks (he says two, I say three!) and want to explore as much as we can. From what I have (so far) I am liking the Corozal area. But here is my question. I have read on ...
Hi Dan, Re your wife not certain she wants to go at all...my husband had his mind set on retiring to Belize and I was not sure that was a good idea, either. After a day in Belize, I was hooked! I am sure your wife will absolutely love it ... Read More
Sanctuary Bay by coldinalberta
Help! I am currently living in Canada and am looking at investing in Belize for a vacation home and eventually retirement home. We stumbled across Sanctuary Bay and am finding very mixed reports. Does anybody have any information?
We also took a 4 day tour - they wined and dined us, and took us to their private island, and couldn't believe we were the only ones in the group who refused to buy into their scheme. They pushed and pushed - very expensive land - $200,000US for ... Read More
Agriculture in Belize by Rayne75
Hello all! I'm so happy to find this forum. Nice to 'meet' you.:) We are visiting Belize soon and are considering retiring there later on. I'd like to know more about the food and water systems in Belize. The rise of chemicals in our water and ...
Very disappointing news to say the least! Monsanto and their friends are really taking over the world. Soon there will be no small farmers anywhere, because they can't afford to buy their seed from these corporations - the return just is not great ... Read More
prescription drug cost? by Cruisin Camper
Ok, I know that there are a million and one different drugs out there - but for example, can you readily get commonly used (here in the States) prescription medications for various ailments - antibiotics, cholesterol medications - think Lipitor, ...
Not a problem getting antibiotics without a prescription. Shop around though. My husband had a bad sinus infection and got three erythromyicin tablets at one drugstore in Belmopan that cost $54BZ and at the drugstore across the street got the same ... Read More
Freight Forwarding from western Canada by bmcraig
has anyone shipped personal goods from Alberta to Belize? How did it work out for you?
Tried Schenker. They only carry commercial property, no personal property. But thanks for the interest. Read More
Expat blog gatherings in Belize by Julien
Hi all! What about meeting the other Belize 大咖福利影院 members in real life? Organizing an 大咖福利影院 meet up would be an excellent way to know them! :) An 大咖福利影院 meet up can be a diner gathering, having coffee, a bring and share in a nice ...
We will be in the Cayo District April 18 - 26, 2013. Would like to meet other expats (we will be moving to Belize permanently in December) Brian and MariLynne Read More
Freight Forwarding from western Canada by bmcraig
has anyone shipped personal goods from Alberta to Belize? How did it work out for you?
We also are planning a move from Alberta to Belize in 2013. I have researched some 'freight forwarding' companies in regard to transporting our personal belongings (truck, shop equip, bobcat etc.) Most of the companies are located in Ontario or ... Read More
Freight Forwarding from western Canada
has anyone shipped personal goods from Alberta to Belize? How did it work out for you? Read More
Looking for a reliable vehicle by Guestposter5402.
Looking to buy a reliable vehicle for less than $10,000.00 BZ. It doesn't need to be pretty, just mechanically sound and safe to operate.
Be aware of used vehicles for sale in Belize. There is no law in BZE prohibiting the sales of accident write off vehicles or salvage vehicles. There are a lot of used vehicles coming into Belize from Louisianna that were written off due to flood ... Read More
Canadians in Belize by JayBruce
Hi We are interested in moving to Belize from Canada (Toronto). Since Belize is in the Commonwealth, does it make it a bit easier for Canadians for aquire land ect? We are fluent in Spanish. But since Belize was a British colony, perhaps English ...
Be careful if you plan to buy property from the Mennonites. They have been given large tracts of land to farm and some of them are selling off acreages. The problem is that the acreages have not been properly subdivided, hence there are no titles ... Read More
Canadians in Belize by JayBruce
Hi We are interested in moving to Belize from Canada (Toronto). Since Belize is in the Commonwealth, does it make it a bit easier for Canadians for aquire land ect? We are fluent in Spanish. But since Belize was a British colony, perhaps English ...
It is quite easy for Canadians to purchase property in Belize. Their laws are patterned after the Canadian laws. Just as in Canada, you should go through a Realtor and a Lawyer, because there can be some undesirables trying to sell land that isn't ... Read More