Belize Business Bank Account

• In which bank will my account be open?
• What are the privacy standards in Belize?
• What documents do I need to open an account?
• Do I need to visit personaly the bank?
• What is the minimum initial deposit to open an account?
• Is there a minimum balance to maintain the account?
• Do I have access to online banking?
• Can I get a Credit card with my account?
• How long does it take to open an account?
• In which currencies the account can be open?
• What are the bank fees?
• How to proceed?

The bank we work with

This bank is the largest bank in Belize. It offers a full range of banking and financial services to both domestic and international customers.

The bank started his business in 1903.

Currently the bank has over 710 million dollars in assets, 122 million dollars of capital reserves and about 50% market share in Belize banking industry.

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Banking privacy & tax treaties

Banking secrecy in Belize is strictly enforced by law. Belize does not have signed tax treaties with any other country and does not exchange banking and tax related information with any nation. Bank records are available to the account signatories only.

Required documents

The bank requires the following personal documents from each beneficial owners and authorized signatories:

• A notarized copy of the valid passport (pages containing photo, signature and personal details)
• Bank reference from a bank, which knows the person over 2 years
• Second reference from a professional (lawyer or accountant) or another bank, which knows the person over 2 years
• Proof of residential address (original utility bill with individual’s name and residential address).

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Personal visit

Our clients, are not required to visit the bank in person. Our Belize agent submits the application to the bank and monitors the account opening process.

Initial deposit

The minimum amount required for the establishment of a current account is US$1,000.

The bank does not have a specific deadline for the initial deposit. However, our company recommends our clients to send their initial deposits within one month.

Upon receiving the initial deposit the bank makes the account active and ready for business.

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Minimum balance

A minimum balance of US$1,000 is required at all time to maintain the account.

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Online banking

The bank offers advanced online banking including:

• Access to account balances and account transactions
• Transfer money between accounts in the same bank
• International wire transfer payments.

Clients have access to their accounts 24/7.

Credit cards

The bank offers business credit cards - Visa Classic Card, Visa Gold Card and Mastercard:

• 24/7 access to funds in any place of the world
• worldwide acceptance for any online or in store purchases
• worldwide cash withdraw.

Credit Card Limit: minimum of US$5,000 and my be increased up to US$25,000.

Security Deposit: the amount equal to 150% of the credit card limit must be held in a secured US dollar bank account opened with the bank.

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Time to open an account

The bank usually opens a corporate account in 1 to 2 business days after receiving completed application forms, corporate and personal documents and verification of clients personal documents and business information.

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Currencies

The bank opens accounts in USD, EUR, GBP and CAD.

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Bank Fees

Bank Account Fees:

• Maintenance fee payable monthly: USD account – US$10, CAD account – CA$15, EUR account – EUR10, GBP account – £7.50
• International wire transfer fee:
  • Inward payments: free of charge
  • Outward payments: US$88 per transfer within the USA, US$95 per transfer outside the USA
• Fee for the issue of a bank draft: US$10 per draft for all accounts
• Cheque book: US$3 for a 50 page cheque book for all accounts
• Internet banking: free of charge
• Bank’s fee for opening a current account: free of charge.

Credit Card Fees:

• Issue Fee: free of charge
• Annual Fee: $125.00 and $25 for each additional Card Holder
• ATM withdrawals: 2% charge or a minimum of $5 (whichever is greater)
• Conversion Fee: 1% charge for all transactions outside of Belize
• Over Limit Fee: $25 each time cardholder goes over the limit.

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How to proceed?

If you are interested or want more information regarding the opening of a personal bank account in Belize, please contact Levi WEISZ, Managing Director of Australia-Offshore:

	SENIOR COUNSEL, DIRECTOR Levi WEISZ Levi is experienced in business structuring for small and medium companies. He holds a Master of International and European Business Law, University Paris Ouest-Nanterre La Défense in France and a Master in International Taxation from the University of New South Wales. Levi spent 2 years as an assistant general counsel of STARLIMS, a high-tech company listed on NASDAQ and based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Before coming to Australia, Levi worked in the Tax and Corporate department of Squire Sanders, an international Law firm based in Paris, France. Tel : + 61 (451) 673 770 Fax : + 61 (291) 227 144 E-mail :

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