Mundo's Country Rating (out of 10)

Mundo's country rating is essentially a freedom index whereby our team of specialists rates a combination of freedoms which include freedom from violence and personal attacks, financial freedom from high taxes and other government levies, and business freedom from government interference.

Ease of business: Belize is more about who you know than what you know. You can try to do business by yourself, but things usually move way faster with the right connections and the right information. Due to some ambiguities in the laws and regulations, certain processes can become a nightmare without the help of experienced locals that you can trust. However, we have those contacts as our experts are among the best-established ones in Belize and they will help you do business swiftly. With an adept helping hand, we give Belize 10/10.

Taxation: Belize does not, in general terms, tax foreign-sourced income. So, that is why so many people establish online businesses in Belize. This already gives it an 8/10. However, special attention must be paid to the IBC regime, as it may soon change. Moreover, the Belize Retirement Plan allows you to live in Belize effectively tax-free. Even more, Belize also has a book full of tax incentives if you establish a local business.

Belize imposes a revenue tax that varies from industry to industry, but if you know your way around the tax system and apply for various special incentive schemes in agriculture, tourism, etc., you can end up paying zero to around 5% on domestic income. However, sometimes it may be complicated to access these incentives. Mundo gives Belize 9/10.

Personal safety: Sadly, the American appetite for cocaine, which is mostly brought from Guatemala, led Belize City to become a breeding ground for gangs involved in the illicit trade. Generally, they have nothing to do with tourists or ex-pats, but they do fight themselves, making Belize City a potentially dangerous place.

However, the highest per capita concentration of foreigners lives on an island called Ambergris Caye, especially in San Pedro, which can be reached by ferry or plane. Now, this island is probably one of the safest places on earth, with no crime whatsoever except for an occasional bar fight. So, depending on your perspective, it is hard to give this part a realistic score, so we will say 7 out of 10, just to be safe.

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Political stability and freedom: There is virtually no government interference in Belize with ex-pats. There is very little crime of any sort on the barrier island, especially in Ambergris Caye. As a result, police presence is unobtrusive and almost casual. There is no one to spy on you, no one to restrict your civil rights and liberties. For foreigners, Belize is one of the freest societies they'll get, except for maybe Vanuatu. There are varied tax optimization possibilities, no major business restrictions, and a system based on the British corporate laissez-faire model. Thus, Belize scores 8 out of 10.

Lifestyle: Right on the border of Belize we can find the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, which has major touristic hubs such as Cancun, Chetumal, Cozumel, and Isla Mujeres. There you can enjoy amazing and cheap restaurants, nightlife, shopping, and medicine. If you like beaches, crystalline water, diving, jungle trekking, and exploring ancient Mayan ruins, then Belize has this in abundance. And if you want something bigger, just catch a plane, and you will be in Miami or Panama City in 2 hours. As you can see, Mundo is hooked on Belize for its fantastic lifestyle; therefore, we give it 8 out of 10.

Total Mundo rating: 42/50, B+

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