The response from IAMSHANMAN is mostly correct. While official sources may tell you that you technically need a "work permit" to work, even if all of your work is remote, outside of Belize, the real story is that there are plenty of expats working remote jobs here while staying in-country on their tourist visa.

Once you have lived in Belize for 50 of 52 weeks you can apply for permanent residency. This process can take a year or longer. Once you are resident, you will get a Belize social security card that will allow you to be employed within Belize at a Belizean company, or run your own business doing business in Belize.

Shane Kenny International Living's Correspondent in Belize

Thank you for sharing your perspective on Belize. As someone who has lived here full-time for over 5 years now I thought I might share my perspective as well on the things you brought up.

I'll be the first to agree that if you have a serious health issue that requires access to specialty doctors and specific, expensive medications then Belize is probably not a great option for you. However, if you're generally healthy, Belize may be a great choice for you regardless of your age. Where I live in Plancencia, there is a growing, thriving community of older, retired expats that call Belize their full-time home.

Belize is not the cheapest place to live in Central America, but it is amongst the cheapest Caribbean nations to live in. Learning how to get the biggest bang for your buck makes living here cheaper for me than where I came from (Atlanta, GA). Add to that the fixed exchange rate and English being the primary language and you can see why so many are choosing to settle here in Belize.

Drugs are a problem pretty much everywhere in the world. Belize is no different. From my perspective, I really only noticed that marijuana usage seemed higher here, and was more openly used. Where your personal bias falls in the marijuana debate will probably influence how you feel about its usage here in Belize.

Finally, the bugs. Yes, Belize has its fair share of bugs. Being a hot, humid, tropical destination makes this no surprise. We've learned strategies for co-existing with the bugs, and what products work and don't work here. Yes, they still drive us crazy at times (especially during rainy season) but it is a small price to pay for other benefits that living in Belize provides.

Shane Kenny IL Belize Correspondent

Here in Belize many of the spay / neuter programs are managed by local human societies. The one located on Ambergris Caye is called SAGA and you can connect with them here: https://www.facebook.com/SagaHumaneSociety. They will be better equipped to answer your questions and work with you around when you plan to visit.

Shane Kenny Belize IL Correspondent