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Expand your global workforce in Belize

Your guide to the employment landscape, working customs and local labor laws in Belize.

Capital

Belmopan

Currency

Belize Dollar (BZ)

Languages

English, Spanish, Belizean Creole, Yucatec, Mopán, Kekchí

GDP per Capita

$6,096

Employer Tax

5.50% - 8.13%

Payroll Frequency

Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Bi-Monthly, Monthly

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

Top local universities in Belize

Uni1 60

University of Belize

Ranking:

Local: 1

World: 7182

Belize Uni2

Central America Health Sciences University, Belize Medical College

Ranking

Local: 2

World: 9500

Belize Uni3

Galen University

Ranking:

Local: 3

World: 9956

Top Local Job Boards:

Jobs Island (Belize), Million Makers, LinkedIn

Number of LinkedIn users:

75,100

Top Recruitment Agencies:

PT Recruitment Agency

Where to find talent

Top Local Job Boards:

Number of LinkedIn users:

Top Recruitment Agencies:

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

Employ in Belize

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

Leave Compliance

Payroll in Belize

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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.

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Minimum wage

The minimum wage in Belize is BZ$3.30 ($1.65) an hour.

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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.

How taxes work

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%.

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

Employee offboarding

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.

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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.

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