Talent Wiki - Belize
Your quick guide on talent and labor compliance norms in Belize
Capital
Belmopan
Currency
Belize Dollar (BZ)
Languages
English, Spanish, Belizean Creole, Yucatec, Mopán, Kekchí
Payroll Frequency
Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Bi-Monthly, Monthly
GDP per Capita
$6,096
Employer Tax
5.50% - 8.13%
Talent Overview
Belize has one of the smallest economies in Central America with a Freedom Score of 56.6 making it 19th freest index in 2022. Belize focuses its economy heavily on agriculture (10.2%), tourism and services (71.1%), which make up 81.3% of its entire economy. Significant foreign investments can be seen in the energy, telecommunications, and agricultural sectors, with a 4.8% share (2020) in the GDP of the country.
Major economic hubs:
Belize City
Skills in demand:
Tourism Professionals, Education Professionals, Medical Professionals, Engineering Professionals, ICT Professionals
Local Universities
The top local university in Belize are follows;
University of Belize
Ranking:
Local: 1
World: 7182
Central America Health Sciences University, Belize Medical College
Ranking
Local: 2
World: 9500
Galen University
Ranking:
Local: 3
World: 9956
Salary Data
Some common jobs in Belize with average monthly data is mentioned below;
| Job Title | Average Monthly Salary (BZD) | Average Monthly Salary (USD) |
| General Manager | 7,080 | 3,507 |
| Information Technology Manager | 6,770 | 3,354 |
| Database Administrator | 4,090 | 2,026 |
| Network Engineer | 3,590 | 1,778 |
| Developer / Programmer | 3,810 | 1,887 |
Talent Sourcing Tips
Top Local Job Boards:
Jobs Island (Belize), Million Makers, LinkedIn
Number of LinkedIn users:
75,100
Top Recruitment Agencies:
Employing in Belize
Hiring in Belize requires you to be aware of the local employment laws, benefits, payroll, and taxes. Below is everything you need to know on how to successfully onboard talents from Belize.
Employee Contract
Contracts in Belize can either be oral or written. In practice, employers hand out written contracts to employees for employment. The language for the contracts must be in English.
Probation Period
The probationary period for employees is up to 2 weeks.
Public and Provincial Holidays 2023
| Date | Name | Type |
| 1 Jan | New Year’s Day | Public Holiday |
| 2 Jan | Day off for New Year’s Day | Public Holiday |
| 15 Jan | George Price Day | Public Holiday |
| 16 Jan | Day off for George Price Day | Public Holiday |
| 6 Mar | Day off for National Heroes and Benefactors Day | Public Holiday |
| 9 Mar | National Heroes and Benefactors Day | Public Holiday |
| 7 Apr | Good Friday | Public Holiday |
| 8 Apr | Holy Saturday | Public Holiday |
| 10 Apr | Easter Monday | Public Holiday |
| 1 May | Labor Day / May Day | Public Holiday |
| 31 Jul | Day off for Emancipation Day | Public Holiday |
| 1 Aug | Emancipation Day | Public Holiday |
| 10 Sep | St. George’s Caye Day | Public Holiday |
| 11 Sep | Day off for St. George’s Caye Day | Public Holiday |
| 21 Sep | Independence Day | Public Holiday |
| 9 Oct | Day off for El Día de la Raza | Public Holiday |
| 12 Oct | El Día de la Raza | Public Holiday |
| 19 Nov | Garifuna Settlement Day | Public Holiday |
| 20 Nov | Day off for Garifuna Settlement Day | Public Holiday |
| 25 Dec | Christmas Day | Public Holiday |
| 26 Dec | Boxing Day | Public Holiday |
Employee Leaves
| Type of leave | Time period | Mandatory |
| Annual leave/Earned Leave | 2 weeks | Yes |
| Maternity Leave | 14 weeks | Yes |
| Sick Leave | 16 days | Yes |
Payroll
Payroll Cycle
Workers are paid weekly, bi-weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly depending on the type of work they do. Commissioned work or project-based output requires the employer to pay bi-weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly.
Minimum Wage
The minimum wage in Belize is BZ$3.30 ($1.65) an hour.
Overtime Pay
Overtime in Belize is not required by law to be obligated by employees. However, for a workweek above 45 hours the overtime rate is 1.5 of the normal rate. 45-hour weeks must be paid with 1.5 of the normal rate for every hour worked.
Bonus
13th Month Pay:
The 13th-month pay is not mandatory in Belize.
Employee Benefits:
Full-time employees in Belize are ensured to have insurance benefits such as
- Maternity Allowance
- Maternity Grant
- Sickness Benefit
- Invalidity Pension
- Medical Care
- Disablement Grant
- Disablement Pension
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Retirement Pension
- Survivor’s Grant
Taxes
Employee and Employer Payroll Tax
| Tax Rate (BZ$) | For Weekly Income | For Monthly Income | ||
| Employee Contribution (BZ$) | Employer Contribution (BZ$) | Employee Contribution Rate (%) | Employer Contribution Rate (%) | |
| Up to $70 | $1.03 | $4.47 | 1.88 | 8.13 |
| $70.00 – $109.99 | $1.69 | $7.31 | 1.88 | 8.13 |
| $110.00 – $139.99 | $2.44 | $10.56 | 1.88 | 8.13 |
| $140.00 – $179.99 | $3.94 | $12.06 | 2.46 | 7.54 |
| $180.00 – $219.99 | $5.94 | $14.06 | 2.97 | 7.03 |
| $220.00 – $259.99 | $7.94 | $16.06 | 3.31 | 6.69 |
| $260.00 – $299.99 | $9.94 | $18.06 | 3.55 | 6.45 |
| $300.00 – $339.99 | $11.94 | $20.06 | 3.73 | 6.27 |
| $340.00 – $379.99 | $13.98 | $22.02 | 3.88 | 6.12 |
| $380.00 – $419.99 | $16.15 | $23.85 | 4.04 | 5.96 |
| $420.00 – $459.99 | $18.45 | $25.55 | 4.19 | 5.81 |
| $460.00 – $499.99 | $20.86 | $27.14 | 4.35 | 5.65 |
| Over $500.00 | $23.40 | $28.60 | 4.5 | 5.50 |
Employee Income Tax
Income tax in Belize is flat 25% of the chargeable income over BZ$ 26,000.00. with the provided personal tax relief in the table below:
| Income Group (BZ$) | Tax Relief (BZ$) |
| 26,000.00 | 25,600.00 |
| 26,000.01 – 27,000.00 | 24,600.00 |
| 27,000.01 – 29,000.00 | 22,600.00 |
| Over 29,000.01 | 19,600.00 |
VAT
VAT in Belize is 12.5%.
Offboarding & Termination
The termination process in Belize requires a standard notice for every employee before termination. However, employers are not required to issue a notice provided if they have reasonable cause due to misconduct and lack of skill.
The notice period before termination for probationary and regular employees ranges from 1 – 10 weeks.
An employee employed for a period of 5 – 10 years is paid one week’s wage for each year of service.
Employees with over 10 years of service are paid two weeks’ wage for each year of service.
Casual workers must work for at least 180 working days in a year to be entitled to severance pay.
Visa and Immigration
Belize doesn’t require many countries to have a visa to access their country. However, applying for a business visa for Belize is straightforward. If you’re a Central American National, you can apply in Belize’s immigration office.
