Can You Actually Work Remotely In Belize?

In the 2010s, remote work became a mainstream phenomenon, from digital nomads to influencers trotting across the globe. But it wasn’t until the pandemic that the industry really skyrocketed. Post-2020, many preferred working from home to returning to the office. Remote work became normalized, and so the world adjusted accordingly. Vacation packages promising WFH-friendly hotels surfaced, and many jobs were suddenly lax about where you worked from. 

It took a while, but Belize quickly adapted to the growing number of remote workers who wanted the beach to be more than just a Zoom background. Internet in Belize had always been sketchy before, but now, you can get connected from almost anywhere in the country. 

In short, yes. One of Belize’s major advantages is that its official language is English, so communication is a breeze. Not to mention, the time difference isn’t that significant for most of the major cities in the U.S. To make things easier, the Belize Tourism Board offers a digital nomad visa, a.k.a. Work Where You Vacation visa. Its full list of requirements can be found here. But basically anyone can be eligible, as long as you work for a company outside of Belize and earn around $75,000 USD annually. It lasts for 6 months and can be renewed. 

If you don’t want to go that route, you can always extend your tourist visa, which is what many Americans do (it’s hard not to, once you’ve gotten to know Belize). 

Now the real question many travelers have: what’s the internet connection like in Belize?

It all depends on where you’re staying. In major cities or towns, the internet can be quite fast and reliable. You’re able to watch your Netflix shows and take Zoom calls. In more remote areas, however, they can be spotty.  For example, on Ambergris Caye, the most popular destination in Belize, the internet has improved over the past several years. The most populated areas, like San Pedro, are on fiber optic cable, which can go up to 150 mbps

with further regions, like Secret Beach, are on a microwave link. Digi and Smart, both Belize cell providers, offer data so you can get connected on mobile almost anywhere. However, it’s worth noting that the internet can be storm-sensitive in these areas. 

Certain remote areas, like Mountain Pine Ridge or regions outside major towns and cities, may have little to no cellphone signal. So it’s best to prepare before heading to certain lodges where the road to get there has no internet. Some of these areas are eligible to use Starlink, as it’s only allowed to be used in underserved areas.

Otherwise, most major lodges, hotels, resorts and public areas offer Wi-Fi. For restaurants and coffee shops, sometimes the Wi-Fi may be password-protected. But all you have to do is ask, and they will gladly share it with you. There are also tourist-specific SIM, like Digi’s Tourist e-Sim, where you can get 25G of LTE data for $20USD.

One thing to mention is that the power goes out occasionally in Belize. To combat this, you can switch to your mobile data, but since everyone will be doing so, it can overload the connection, causing major lag in the internet. Because of this, it’s best to have a backup battery just in case. Some good news is that most of the time, residents and visitors are warned ahead of time about any planned power outage. You can stay updated with those here.

If you’re on a remote island or a hotel further from the main area, please ask ahead of time whether the internet connection can support whatever remote work you need to do. Otherwise, it’s best to stay in major towns and cities if being connected is a must.