Licensing information for Belize - V3

Prepared by Alan NS0B & WB5B & K8JP & W7AV - Dennis &  V31MD - Bob & N1DL/V31EK/V31VV - Karl/Gitta & AH6PN/V31MT & Gary & VE2XB/V31XB - Mike
Status: Jan 96, Oct 97, Dec '99 links added, Jul '01, Feb '05, Dec '05, Apr '07, Jun ‘10

Intro: if you have a foreign ham license, you can get a license in Belize.

PTT:
Kingsley Smith
Head of Spectrum Management
Public Utilities Commission 
(41 Gabourel Lane)
P.O. Box 300 
Belize City, Belize 
Central America

Phone: +501 223 4938
Fax + 501-223 6818
Email: telecom at puc.bz  is better to follow up on your mailed in application.

Paperwork needed:
Copy of foreign license
Copy of Passport page with your photo
List of equipment with serial numbers.
Best way to obtain a license:
By mail through the above address. Public Utilities Commission.
A simple email to Mr Smith is helpful too just to remind him that you sent your money order and license request. He and his staff are EXCELLENT!
Price: $20 US for new license (good for 1 year), $15 per year for renewal. I paid 20 US funds and sent a CDN money order. I did not receive the original certificate until I came home from my trip. They are very slow to mail it out but Mr Smith sent me a copy of my certificate by email and also added my rig serial numbers right on the certificate.
Without even asking, he gave me my same suffix of my VE2 call.
License restrictions: none
Customs: At the International Airport in Belize City where all international visitors land, you pay a tax on your gear brought into the country as well as your laptop.. Voltage is not good all over the country and take special care of the pwr supplies you bring. Make sure it is hearty enough to handle the rig and amp for example.
Places to operate: In some places, it is not easy to string wires. It depends where you stay. There are lots of villas for rent and these would be ideal. They let you put up yagis and wires. They just don't want you to nail things down with a hammer but that is reasonable.
Voltage is 110v.
Currency: BZE dollar. 1 USD=2 BZE dollars. They like US dollars not US change--dimes or quarters.
Local contacts: Forget it. You're on your own here. No locals know a thing about radios or pwr supplies and you should bring back up stuff just in case. Belize City gives me the creeps so stay on the off-shore islands like Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker. They are easily accessible by water taxi at 20 bux Belize each way or 10 bux US dollards from Belize City. You take a land taxi to the dock to board a water taxi. The staff is friendly and helpful.
When you leave the country, you pay 35 bux US as a departure tax. They don't even take Belize dollars which I had plenty of and wanted to use to pay it. Go figure?!
Belize has many wonderful activities during your down time: Scuba diving and snorkeling, kiteboarding, water-skiing, swimming, sailing, great fishing and there are day trips and 3 day trips to see Mayan ruins and to see the wildlife parks. The wildlife is abundant and amazing. Belize has the second largest reef (Australia has the largest, the Great Barrier Reef) and it is awesome X10 to see. I saw sharks, manitees, giant turtles and stingrays.
The food is excellent especially the local coffee (16 bux BZE/pound) and abundant--fresh fruit, fish and meat-- and all of it is priced very reasonably. They also have great local beer called Belkin at 3 bux BZE a bottle.

73, dx

Mike, ve2xb aka V31Xb

May/June 2010

Comment from: BOBBY WEBB <wb5b at ix.netcom.com>

I recently attempted to renew my V3 license via mail and the letter, with my renewal funds, was apparently 'lost'. The best way to get a Belize license is to land in Belize City, take a taxi to the Telecom bureau and apply in person. They keep the callsigns in a dog-eared ledger book and you can pick your own.

GL / DX Bobby
WB5B / V31BW

Comment from: Joe Pontek K8JP/V31JO <K8JP at contesting.com>

I was in Belize, V31, in August, 1997. I was able to acquire my V31JP call from the Office of Telecommunications as stated on your WEB page, but they held my transceiver and amplifier at the airport until I came back with my license and a Telecommunication Equipment Import license, which was also issued at the Office of Telecommunications at no charge. They, also, made a note in my passport and I had to show them my equipment when I left the country. It was no problem, just took a few extra minutes. We are planning a trip back in November, maybe driving down. I will report how it goes driving through the boarder if we go that route.

73, K8Joe"Palooka"/V31Joe"Palooka"
K8JP at contesting.com

Addition From: "Dennis R. Perry" <w7av at ixpnet.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2001 12:56:13 -0700

I just returned from operating in Belize (6/01), and though nothing has changed from what is mentioned in the earlier postings, some further information may be helpful to first time travelers.
1. Belize Customs wants to see the serial # and model # of each "transmitting radio". No problem with computers and other electronic devices which I had with me.
2. They asked me for the value of each radio, be sure to give the value in Belize Dollars ie., $600.00 USD = $1200.00 BZE. Customs issued me a receipt for the radios with the value noted. The radios were kept in the office that issued the receipt.
3. I took a taxi to the Telecommunications Office which is 10 miles from the International Airport. The Office is on the 3rd floor and is open from 8AM to 5PM. I presented them a copy of my amateur license (no passport copy was required) and requested a call. I had to go through 4-5 choices before they found one that had not been issued. The cost is still $20.00 USD/$40.00 BZE cash, no traveler's checks. The license is in the form of a receipt for monies received with my call letters noted on the receipt. I was told that a renewal letter will be sent to my US address in January and is still $15.00 USD/$30.00 BZE. Be sure and give them your receipt from Belize Customs so they can issue a Telecommunications Import Permit. (Customs was only interested in this document and they didn't ask to see a license.)
4. I returned to Customs and gave them the Telecommunications Import Permit. They noted in my passport the serial # and model # of the radios and value. I was told that Belize Customs is open till 6PM for these matters. My radios were returned to me and was told that when I leave Belize the radios must be cleared by Customs and my passport would be so noted.
5. When I was leaving Belize I had a baggage handler take me to Belize Customs which was in the main airline ticketing area, very different area than when we arrived. I'm glad I did because with all the confusion in this area (as in any major airport) I would have had trouble finding it. Customs checked the radios for the serial and model numbers as noted in my passport than stamped it clear.
6. Some general information after clearing Customs. At the airports tipping is expected--the going rate for handling your baggage is $1.00 BZE per bag. Carry some small bills with you. We stayed in Belize City the first night. I recommend "The Great House" to stay and attached "The Smokey Mermaid" as a good place to eat. Many of the hotel websites were much less in quality than advertised. The locals tell you to be very careful in Belize City. We found that flying from the Municipal Airport was half the cost of flying from the International Airport to Ambergris Caye. This would probably only matter if you were leaving from Belize City as we did. Belize is a beautiful country with wonderful, friendly people.

Addition From: "rafox at btl.net" <rafox at btl.net> 
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005

Re: license from V31
check my web site http://www.wishwilly.net 
cost is $20 US

bob V31MD

Addition From: OAK BAY RESORT, Gary Kimball [mailto:oakbayresort at yahoo.com] 
Date: Saturday, March 31, 2007 

The process to get a Belize Radio License has changed. You now need to apply in person or by mail to the Public Utilities Commission. Talk to a Mr. Kingsley Smith. You can email him at puctelcom at btl.net He is the manager of Telecommunications.. The whole process should take you about 1 month provided you send all that is required.. 2 sets of the following: copy of license, copy of passport. I belive I also had to send a couple passport photos. Also a $20 USD international money order. Don't forget to ask for a import license on your radio equipment.. They need all serial nubers of equipment you are bringing into the country.

Good Luck, Gary Kimball AH6PN / V31MT ah6pn at arrl.net  

DX Holiday V3 - Belize

Travel info: DESTINATION BELIZE and subWWWay to Belize

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