Belize is set to reopen to international travelers on August 15th. All passengers without proof of a negative PCR Test, taken within 72 hours of travel, will be tested. A rapid test in the Belize airport will be a US$50 health screening fee, as confirmed on July 24 by BTB and BHA. Additionally within the airport at the newly constructed health clinic in Terminal 2, eight independent testing rooms will be available for health screening.
Arriving travelers can either present a negative PCR test result, taken within the 72 hours to travel; or, pay for a rapid test within the airport at the traveler’s expense.
What if I can’t take a PCR Test within the 72 hours of travel to Belize?
If you are unable to provide a negative result of a COVID PCR test done within 72 hours before travel, you will be required to take a test at the Belize international airport’s on-site clinic. Belize’s Ministry of Health has established a testing clinic at the international airport, just outside of arrivals – Terminal 2. The clinic can accommodate 12 passengers at a time for testing, and is air conditioned with restroom facilities.
How does the available Rapid Test on-site at the airport work?
At the Belize airport, the rapid test includes two methods; a Rapid Antigen test (nasal swab) and an Antibody IgG/IgM combo test (finger prick blood test). Both take approximately 5 to 15 minutes for the patient to receive their results. However, Belize reserves the right to validate test results with a rapid PCR test; this can take 30 to 85 minutes. For this reason, a prior PCR Test result is recommended to access the ‘fast track’ entry lane.
Testing within the airport may take up to six (6) hours, which travelers should account for in even of a secondary PCR Test to validate rapid test results. Similarly, this may result in needing to overnight in Belize City for the first night of your itinerary.
What’s the difference between tests for Belizeans and Tourists?
Once Belieans test negative, they are released. However, Belize encourages 14 days of self-isolation for citizens upon entry. If the test result of a tourist is negative, you can be cleared to proceed to your Gold Standard approved accommodation. Additionally, returning Belizean citizens are limited to a PCR test only, while tourists are limited to a Rapid Test only.
What happens if a tourist tests positive in Belize at the airport?
All arriving passengers who test positive at the airport, whether tourist or citizen, will be placed in mandatory quarantine for a minimum of 14 days at the passenger’s expense. Consequently, tourists will not be able to get a flight out of Belize without testing negative, as outlined by the Belize Tourism Board.
