When you go on vacation there is usually a great deal of research done before the trip to your vacation destination, but not as much for your return home. This page is to assist you with both inbound duty-free Belize information as to what you can bring in when you get here (we are one of the few countries able to shop duty-free as soon as you land) and how much you can take back into your country.
Inbound Duty-Free to Belize
When you arrive at Philip Goldson International Airport and before clearing customs to board your Tropic Air flight, the Premier Duty-Free store is directly across from the baggage claim area. They have reached out to offer tacogirl readers a discount just ask for it when you arrive at the store.
Premier Duty-Free accepts Visa and MasterCard, as well as cash (BZD or USD) and offers travelers a large assortment of tax-free products. Liquor, tobacco, fragrances, watches, jewelry, and other gift items are available.
Limits on Alcohol and Tobacco: 6 bottles of liquor or wine, three cartons of cigarettes, six boxes of Cigars, six bottles of perfume.
Premiere Duty Free is usually willing to box your alcohol for you (if they have empties) as alcohol is not be allowed in your carry-on (or purse) on Tropic Air flights from International Airport.
taco Tip #8
For last-minute space; move a small portion of your packed luggage to your carry on and free up room for bottles in your checked suitcase. Pack larger sized Ziploc bags and or bubble wrap for alcohol in case the duty-free store does not have boxes. Be sure to have Tropic Air mark your bag as fragile.
Duty-Free for Land and Sea Crossing Into Belize
Some people that are travelling to Belize end up crossing the border by land or sea.
Here is the official reply from Tropic Air Belize. Travellers are entitled to 1 litre/1 bottle per person of liquor (no beer) at all land border crossings. Also the same goes for at the sea entry points like San Pedro.
If you travelled by land from Mexico to Belize and plan on taking a flight from Corozal Airport, make sure your alcohol is well packed and have the baggage handlers mark it fragile.
Outbound Duty-Free From Belize
The list below begins starting with the country that has the highest percentage of tourists (minimum of 2500 per year based on 2015 Belize Tourism Board travel and tourism statistics) and works down. Customs duty is a tariff (tax) imposed on goods when taken across international borders. The purpose is to protect each country’s residents, jobs, economy, etc., by controlling the flow of goods, into the country.
USA Limits on Outbound Duty-Free From Belize
A returning resident is eligible for an $800.00 USD duty-free personal exemption every 31 days, having remained beyond the territorial limits of the United States for no less than 48 hours.
Tobacco Products This exemption includes not more than 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars:
Alcoholic Beverages Federal regulations allow for one American litre (33.8 fl. oz.) of alcoholic beverages to be included in your returning resident personal exemption if:
- You are at least 21 years old.
- It is not in violation of the state laws in which you arrive.
- It is intended exclusively for your personal use and not for sale.
Some states may allow you to bring back more than one litre, but you will have to pay any applicable duty.
Click through for more on bringing goods into the US.
Canada Limits on Outbound Duty-Free From Belize
An absence of more than 24 hours
- You can claim goods worth up to $200.00, CAD
- Tobacco products and alcoholic beverages are not included in this exemption.
- Duty and taxes are applicable to the entire amount of imported goods if the value of the goods you are bringing back exceeds $200.00 CAD.
- Goods must be in your possession and reported at the time of entry to Canada.
An absence of more than 48 hours
- You can claim goods worth up to $800.00 which may include alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, within the prescribed limits.
- Goods must be in your possession and reported at the time of entry to Canada.
- If the value of the goods you are bringing back exceeds $800.00 CAD, duties and taxes are applicable only on the amount of the imported goods that exceed $800.00 CAD.
The same exemptions apply for trips of more than 7 days as for over 48 hours, but goods may arrive by other means (such as courier or by post). All goods must, however, be reported upon your arrival.
Tobacco Products
Not more than 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars.
Alcoholic Beverages
You must meet the minimum drinking age of the province or territory where you enter Canada.
[table id=1 /]Metric Imperial Estimates Wine Up to1.5 litres Up to 53 fluid oz Two 750 ml bottles Alcoholic beverages Up to 1.14 litres Up to 40 fluid oz One large standard bottle Beer or ale Up to 8.5 litres Up to 287 fluid oz Approximately 24 cans or bottles (355 ml).
Click through for more on bringing goods into Canada,
United Kingdom Limits on Outbound Duty-Free From Belize
Alcohol Allowance
- Beer – 16 litres
- Wine (not sparkling) – 4 litres
- Spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol – 1 litre
- Fortified wine (eg port, sherry), sparkling wine and alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol – 2 litres You can split this last allowance, eg you could bring 1 litre of fortified wine and half a litre of spirits (both half of your allowance).
Tobacco Allowance
- 200 cigarettes
- 50 cigars You can split this allowance – so you could bring in 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars (both half of your allowance).
If you are under 17 years of age, you can bring alcohol and tobacco to the UK for your own use but you’ll have to pay duty or tax on them when you get to customs as there is no allowance for those under 17.
Allowance for other goods You can bring in other goods worth up to £390 (or up to £270 if you arrive by private plane or boat). If a single item is worth more than your allowance you pay any duty or tax on its full value, not just the value above the allowance.
Banned and Restricted Goods
These include:
- Illegal drugs
- Offensive weapons, eg flick knives
- Self-defence sprays, eg pepper spray, and CS gas
- Endangered animal and plant species
- Rough diamonds indecent and obscene materials
- Personal imports of meat and dairy products from most non-EU countries
Click through for more on bringing goods into the UK.
PDF version click travelling to the UK
Germany Limits on Outbound Duty-Free From Belize
You can make use of the travellers’ allowance once during any single journey. A journey comes to an end, when, for example, you have returned to your destination in Germany. You may not, repeatedly claim travellers’ allowance by crossing the border several times in immediate succession.
Alcohol and beverages containing alcohol, if the importer is at least 17 years old.
- 1 litre of spirit drinks of an alcohol strength by volume exceeding 22% or undenatured ethyl alcohol of an alcoholic strength by volume of 80% or higher or
- 2 litres of alcohol and alcoholic beverages of an alcohol strength by volume up to 22% or
- a proportionate combination of these goods and
- 4 litres of non-sparkling wine and
- 16 litres of beer
Other goods up to a value of 300 euros‚¬ up to a value of 430 euros for air/sea travellers - up to a value of 175 euros for travellers under 15 years of age
Click through for more on bringing goods into Germany customs regulations.
France Limits on Outbound Duty-Free From Belize
Tobacco Products – If the importer is at least 17 years old:
- 200 cigarettes or
- 50 cigars
Alcohol Products
- 4 litres of wine and 16 litres of beer and
- 1 litre of spirits over 22% or 2 litres of alcoholic beverages less than 22% Other goods up to the value 430 euros for air and sea travellers and 300 euros for all other (reduced to 150 euros for children under 15).
Items that are either prohibited or require a licence include weapons and ammunition, drugs (other than those prescribed for personal use) live animals, plant products, cultural artifacts and endangered species.
Click through for more information on France customs regulations.
Netherlands Limits on Outbound Duty-Free From Belize
The following goods may be imported into the Netherlands without incurring customs duty by all travellers aged 17 years and over arriving from non-EU countries:
Tobacco Products
- 200 cigarettes
- 50 cigars Alcoholic Products
- 1 litre of alcoholic beverages stronger than 22% or
- 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine or other liqueurs
- 50g of perfume and 250ml of toilet water
- 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract
- 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract
- other goods to the value of 56.72 euros.
Click through for more on Netherlands customs regulations.
Italy (and other EU Nations) Limits on Duty-Free from Belize
- Tobacco products
- 200 cigarettes
- 50 cigars Each amount represents 100% of the total allowance for tobacco products and any combination of those products must not exceed 100%. Example: 100 cigarettes + 50 cigarillos = total allowance
Alcoholic Beverages
- Total of 1 litre of alcohol and alcoholic beverages of an alcoholic strength exceeding 22% vol, or undenatured ethyl alcohol of 80% vol and over or
- 2 litres of alcoholic beverages of an alcoholic strength not exceeding 22% vol.
- Total of 4 litres of still wine, and 16 litres of beer (only for VAT and excise duty) Other goods (including perfume, coffee, tea, electronic devices etc.) Up to a value of 430 euros for air and sea travellers
- Up to the value of 300 euros for other travellers
- The value of an individual item may not be split up.
Member States may reduce the above limits to 150 euros for travellers under 15 years. Allowances concerning tobacco and alcohol do not apply in the case of travellers under 17 years of age.