Belize
Work Where You Vacation (Belize Remote Work Program): health insurance requirements
Yes: health insurance is required
Belize's "Work Where You Vacation" program is its digital nomad route, open to people employed or earning outside Belize. It allows a stay of up to 180 days, renewable while you keep meeting the requirements, and the income threshold is US$75,000 a year for an individual or US$100,000 for a couple or family. Unusually for the region, the official program names an insurance figure: applicants must carry travel insurance with at least US$50,000 of coverage.
The requirements at a glance
| Minimum coverage | $50,000 |
|---|---|
| Repatriation required | Not required |
| Minimum policy duration | Full duration of stay |
| Local-licensed insurer required | No: compliant international IPMI is accepted |
| Accepted proof | A travel insurance policy showing at least US$50,000 of coverage, submitted with the application documents to the Belize Immigration Department. |
Proof of employment or income earned outside Belize, minimum annual income of US$75,000 (individual) or US$100,000 (couple/family), a notarised bank reference and statement of account, a clean police record no older than six months, a valid passport, and the application fee (officially BZD$500 per adult, BZD$200 per child). Applications are submitted by email to the Belize Immigration Department.
Our take
Belize is one of the few programs that publishes a hard insurance number, US$50,000, so a policy that clearly states a coverage limit at or above that is the baseline for approval. Make sure the figure is visible on the certificate, because the rule is specific and a vague plan can stall the file.
Treat the US$50,000 minimum as a floor, not a target. The figure that protects you in Belize is the medical-evacuation limit, since a bad accident on the cayes can mean an air ambulance to the US costing around US$25,000, so buy cover with strong evacuation and repatriation limits well above the visa minimum.
What happens if you get it wrong
Buying a thin policy that meets the US$50,000 letter but has a low or capped medical-evacuation limit. In Belize that is exactly the cover you are most likely to use, and the gap is paid out of pocket.
Letting cover lapse on a renewal. The program is granted for up to 180 days and renews only while you keep meeting the requirements, so a policy that expires mid-stay can undermine an extension.
Interactive
Verified pricesWhat would it cost in Belize without insurance?
You pay, out of pocket
$1,000–$5,000
A serious private admission or common surgery.
Bars to scale. A flight home is in another league.
That is the bill you carry alone. Insurance exists for exactly this.
See what cover costsTypical private-care estimates for illustration, not a quote. Actual bills vary by hospital, city and severity.
FAQ
Yes. The official program requires applicants to carry a travel insurance policy with at least US$50,000 of coverage, which is unusual in naming a specific figure.
US$75,000 a year for an individual, or US$100,000 for a couple or family, with proof of employment or income earned outside Belize.
Up to 180 days (six months), renewable if you keep meeting the income and eligibility requirements.
No. The program asks for a travel insurance policy with at least US$50,000 of coverage; it does not require a local insurer, so an international policy that clearly states the limit is accepted.
It meets the visa rule, but it is a minimum. Serious cases are often evacuated to the US or Mexico and an air ambulance can cost around US$25,000, so cover with high medical-evacuation limits well above the floor is wiser.
Reviewed by Lukas Schönberg, Founder & researcher, Nomad Insurance Broker OÜ
Nomad Insurance Broker OÜ (Estonia) is an information and matching platform, not currently registered as a regulated insurance intermediary in any jurisdiction. See /how-it-works for the full disclosure.
Source: travelbelize.orgLast verified
Get a policy that satisfies this visa
Three minutes of honest questions, then we'll match you to insurance that meets Belize'srequirements and actually works where you're going.
Find my plan