CARICOM Skills Certificate in Belize
We can help you apply for a CARICOM Skills Certificate (also called the CSME Skills Certificate) in Belize: the office to apply to, who qualifies, and what you need.
Where to apply in Belize
Office: Immigration Department
Apply through the Belize Immigration Department, which handles the CSME Skilled Certificate.
Who can apply
We can help if you are a CARICOM national in one of the 12 approved categories of skilled workers:
- University graduates (now includes associate degrees, two A-levels or CAPE)
- Artistes
- Musicians
- Media workers
- Sportspersons
- Nurses
- Teachers
- Artisans (with a CARICOM Vocational Qualification, CVQ Level 2)
- Holders of associate degrees
- Domestic workers (with a CVQ Level 2)
- Agricultural workers
- Private security officers
How to apply in Belize
Confirm you qualify
Check that you fall into one of the approved categories of skilled CARICOM nationals. Your category decides which qualification documents you need.
Gather your documents
Collect the originals below plus one copy of each. Immigration reviews the copies against the originals when you submit.
- Non-Belizeans also need a police record from their country of origin and from any country where they lived for six months or more.
- Bring the actual degree, diploma or certificate. Substitutes are generally not accepted.
Submit in Belmopan only
All documents must be submitted at the Immigration Office in Belmopan. Applications are not taken at other offices.
Pay the fees
A new Skills Certificate costs BZ$225. Add BZ$50 for each dependant under 18 or BZ$100 for each dependant 18 and over. Replacements are BZ$50, and amendments, upgrades or verifications are BZ$25.
Wait about 8 weeks
Immigration reviews your documents and, once everything is in order, issues the certificate. It is valid indefinitely.
Use it abroad
When you arrive in another member state, present the certificate to immigration for an initial six-month entry stamp. You can begin work immediately, then receive an indefinite stay stamp once that country's competent authority verifies the certificate. Spouses and dependants enjoy the same rights to live and work with you.
- Travel with your original qualification documents and a fresh Police Certificate of Character. The receiving country will want them for verification.
Documents required in Belize
- Completed application form
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Three passport-sized photographs
- Valid passport
- Degree, diploma or certificate proving your qualification
- Original documents plus one copy of each
- Non-Belizeans: a police record from your country of origin and any country where you have lived for 6 months or more
Good to know
- You get a minimum initial stay of six months in the host country.
- The fee schedule has been in effect since 1 May 2020. Confirm it is current when you apply.
You don’t have to do this yourself
I can handle your Skills Certificate application in Belize for you. I work out what your country and your destination actually ask for, get the paperwork in order, and keep it moving, so you are not the one chasing offices and re-reading forms to figure out what happens next.
Moving to Belize: common questions
What are the CSME steps in Belize?
There are 6 main steps to get a CARICOM Skills Certificate in Belize, starting with confirming you're in one of the 12 approved categories and ending with using your certificate to live and work abroad. Apply through Immigration Department. The fee is BZ$225 (BZD) new certificate; dependants BZ$50 (under 18) or BZ$100 (18+); replacement BZ$50; amendment, upgrade or verification BZ$25.. The full step-by-step guide is above on this page.
How do I move to Belize as a CARICOM national?
The CARICOM Skills Certificate (CSME) is the main route for CARICOM nationals to live and work in Belize without a work permit. Belize also has full free movement with Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, so nationals of those countries don't need the certificate. Apply through Immigration Department, then use the certificate at the border for an initial entry stamp. See Belize at a glance for cost of living, places to live and what to expect once you're there.
CARICOM Skills Certificate in other countries
Travelling for your application?
If you need to travel to another CARICOM country for your application or to start work, we can sort your flights, a place to stay and your transfers in one booking.