Belize Ports

Belize have several ports in which boats can enter. There are the commercial ports such as Big Creek Port in the Stann Creek District which is primarily used for banana exports, although some containers are received at this location to better service the southern region of Belize. It is also the port of departure for the oil fields in Spanish Lookout. Then there is the Commerce Bight Port which is primarily used for citrus exports. The third one is the Port of Belize located in Belize City. It is the largest Port in the country where the majority of Belize's commercial imports and exports are processed. The Commerce Bight Port and Belize City Port are owned and operated by the Port of Belize Ltd. [source: www.wikipedia.com]

BPA

The Belize Port Authority (BPA) is a Statutory Body Falling Under the Ministry of NEMO, Transport and Communications. Their roles and function includes maritime safety, port security, licensing and registration of vessels, regulatory oversight for Ports, licensing of Masters and Port State Control. Their mission is to provide high-quality, courteous and efficient service to Belize's Maritime Community, with a special focus on Safety and Security; and to engage the various stakeholders in partnership towards this end. [source:www.portauthority.bz]

Entry Requirements

There are ship documentations that are required to be submitted at the Authority’s headquarters. The procedures includes submitting a notice of arrival which is the estimated time of arrival (E.T.A) of a ship, this form must be received by the Belize Port Authority no later than 48 hours in advance. You may download these form on their BPA website.

The second form is the notice of departure which must be submitted no later than two hours before departure and no earlier than four hours before departure.

lastly, the clearance form which can only be granted if all documents listed on their website have been submitted to the Authority in good order at the time of request for clearance.