Your Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) move checklist

QRP requires proof of $2,000/mo (US$24,000/yr) in foreign-sourced income (pension, Social Security, annuity, investments) in an approved currency; one applicant's income covers a married couple. Minimum age is 40 (some sources/older guidance say 45). Must spend at least 30 consecutive days/yr in Belize and pass a security check. Run by the Belize Tourism Board. Figures as of 2026. One of the easiest retiree visas in the hemisphere; also allows duty-free import of personal goods and a vehicle.

Island has a small 24-hr private hospital (Ambergris Hope, opened 2023-24) plus clinics and English-speaking, often foreign-trained doctors; routine visits run $25-50. But anything serious means a 15-20 min flight to Belize City (Karl Heusner public referral hospital or the private Belize Healthcare Partners). There is NO world-class hospital in Belize; for complex care expats fly to Mérida, Mexico or the US, and air ambulance runs $15k-50k+. Medicare does not cover you here, so private insurance with evacuation coverage ($150-350/mo) is essential.

Territorial system: Belize does not tax foreign-sourced income, and QRP status explicitly exempts foreign pension, Social Security, capital gains, and inheritance from Belize tax. Critically, there is NO US-Belize tax treaty and NO totalization agreement, so US citizens still file and pay US tax on worldwide income with no treaty relief, and self-employed expats can face US self-employment tax with no offset.

Very close to the US: Belize City (BZE) is ~2 hrs from Miami/Houston with direct flights from MIA, IAH, DFW, LAX, ATL and others, then a 15-20 min puddle-jumper (Tropic Air / Maya Island Air, hourly) to San Pedro. Same time zone as US Central. Among the easiest Caribbean spots to reach from the US, though that final island hop adds cost and a connection.

US State Dept Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), reissued Mar 12, 2026; the south side of Belize City is carved out at Level 3 but that's nowhere near the island. San Pedro itself carries no elevated advisory and is a well-trodden tourist corridor. Caveats: Belize has one of the highest homicide rates in the Caribbean/Central America, police are under-resourced, and petty theft/burglary against expat homes on the island is common. Day-to-day on Ambergris Caye feels safe but not worry-free.

Hot, humid Caribbean tropics year-round (highs upper-80s F). Distinct wet season and direct Atlantic hurricane exposure June-November; the island is low-lying and storms are a real annual risk.

San Pedro has one of the larger and friendlier established North American expat/retiree communities in Belize, concentrated and easy to plug into; active forums (AmbergrisCaye.com), social scene, and English everywhere make landing soft. It's a small island, though, so the community is sizable for Belize but modest in absolute terms.