The Official Belize City International Airport Guide (updated for 2024) : What to Expect?

Belize has a single international airport, officially known as the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport. All international flights to Belize arrive here. It’s about the size of a typical regional airport in the US. There is only one runway at the airport, and one arrival and departure terminal. About 75% of all overnight visitors to the country will come through this airport, according to the Belize Tourism Board. 

Follow this official guide to learn everything you need to know to successfully navigate the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport in Belize (PGIA/BZE). Don’t stress, it’s a small airport and it will be a breeze.

Airport Phone Number: +(501) 225-2045

Where is the Belize Airport?

 
There are several other airstrips throughout the country that are serviced by smaller planes, sometimes called puddle jumpers or hopper planes. Each major destination has an airstrip, including Belize City, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia, Dangriga, and San Ignacio.

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1. Landing

   Enjoy the view from above while your pilot approaches the runway for landing. You’ll get a glimpse of the coast and nearby mangrove swamps. You might even get a glimpse of Belize City and spot some cruise ships in the distance. Brace yourself when you see the Belize river because it will be a hard and fast landing.
   
   The runway is small by most standards, even with the recent extension. For that reason, your airplane will land and immediately turn on the reverse thrust and brakes. You definitely want to have your seatbelts on!
   
   
   

   
   
   Look to your left and you will get a glimpse of the Belikin Beer brewery, which is housed in the old airport compound. To your right will be the main airport terminal building. Your plane will make a U-turn on the runway and park in front of the terminal building.

2. Deplaning

   There are no jetway bridges at the Belize airport. It’s going to be old school deplaning via a stairway onto the tarmac. Sometimes, they will open the front and rear doors for deplaning. This is not always guaranteed, but sometimes if you’re at the back of the plane you’ll end up getting out first. YMMV on this hack, but if you’re lucky you can get out and get processed through the airport quicker.
   
   
   

   
   
   The crew on the ground will guide you along a pathway to the doors to enter the arrivals terminal. It will be to the far right of the building. Be sure to have your passports and documents ready for Immigration. You can’t get lost in here…everything is literally in one large room.
   
   Tip: At the very end of the hallway when you enter the arrival hall, there is an office for the Belize Tourism Board. You can pick up some free maps, brochures, and travel guides.
   
   
   New Procedures:
   As you deplane, airport personnel will guide you to the arrival corridor area where officials will verify your entry requirements.
   
   *Testing is no longer required for entry. The health screening is no longer applicable.
   

   
   

   

   
   
   The entire airport processing time will take about 1 hour during busy periods, and as little as 15-20 minutes during slow periods. You should account for this as you arrange your transportation to your final destination in Belize. We typically recommend booking a connecting flight or scheduling ground transportation between 1 to 1.5 hours after your scheduled arrival.
   
   

3. Immigration

   After entry into the arrival terminal, your next stop is the immigration check. Make sure you’ve filled out your paperwork before arrival (you’ll get it on the plane). These are also available in the arrival hall if you didn't fill it out before landing. This is an easy process, but if you end up at the back of the line, it can take a while, especially if multiple flights just arrived.
   

   
   
   
   Try to get in line as quick as possible, especially if you need to catch a puddle jumper flight or a ground shuttle. Pay attention to the floor decals and always practice social distancing. If you’re a visitor, you will line up in the lanes on the left side. Belize citizens and CARICOM country citizens will line up on the right lane (which is usually the shorter line).
   
   Tip: Bring a pen with you to fill out your paperwork on the plane.
   
   

   Travel Documents and Visa

   All travelers must have a passport that is valid beyond your departure date. Most visitors, including those from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, will not need a visa prior to arrival. The immigration officer will provide up to a 30-day visitors visa. If you stay longer than 30 days, you will need to renew your visa. Check with the Belize Immigration and Nationality Department for more information.

   Traveling with Children?

   *Important*. If you are traveling with children who are not your own or if both parents are not traveling, you MUST have a notarized travel authorization letter from the parents or non-present parent. You could be denied entry or denied boarding at the airport just before departing to Belize.

4. Baggage Claim

   If you have checked luggage, the baggage claim is immediately in front of you as soon as you are done with the immigration check. There are only two baggage carousels but you need to pay attention because it can get confusing if multiple flights arrive at the same time. This is probably where you’ll have the longest wait.
   
   
   

   
   
   Grab a free luggage cart if you have lots of luggage and keep an eye on both carousels. Also, if you were in the back of the immigration line, your luggage may have already been removed from the carousel. Look through the pile of luggage either in the middle of along the right-side wall.
   
   While you wait for your luggage, or if you are in no rush, check out the duty-free stores on the left of the luggage carrousels. These make for great last-minute gifts if you’re visiting friends or family in Belize. Don’t buy anything just yet if you’re planning on taking it back with you. There are more duty-free stores in the departure terminal.

5. Customs Inspection

   Your last stop in the arrival terminal is the customs inspection station. Turn around after you’ve collected your luggage and walk to the top-right side of the room. Most times there may be a long line because the customs officers need to manually open and inspect a lot of luggage.
   
   If you don’t have any checked luggage, turn the corner to your left as soon as you clear immigration and go to the first available customs inspection table.
   
   
   

   
   
   Sometimes there is a line for “Nothing to Declare”. That line is not always open. If it’s open, it's the fastest line if you, in fact, have nothing to declare.  Usually, if you’re just visiting and only have your personal effects, then you have nothing to declare.
   
   If you are importing any goods, such as gifts or commercial merchandise that you will leave in the country, then you DO have something to declare. In that case, you may be assessed a small tariff which you will pay at the cashier window just as you exit the room. Make sure you have cash on hand if you expect to pay any customs tariffs and taxes of goods you are importing.
   
   Note: Drones are not allowed in Belize without a special permit. If you bring your Drone, make sure you’ve done some research first and have the permits ready. If not, they may confiscate it and return it when you depart. 
   
   How long is the process? The entire process from deplaning to clearing customs and immigration can take up to 1 hour on busy days, and as quick as 20 minutes on slow days. 30 minutes is about average for airport processing, but we suggest giving yourself one hour to catch a connecting flight or ground transportation.

6. Waiting at the Airport

   Sometimes you’ll have to wait at the airport because your ride is delayed, or you’re meeting others arriving on a later flight. What can you do while you wait? Unfortunately, there’s not much to do while you wait at the airport. You may want to step back into the main terminal building if it gets too hot outside. The building has air conditioning, and there are waiting chairs inside. Restrooms are available upstairs beside the Global Spice restaurant, and downstairs to the far right as you enter the building. 
   
   There are a few small gift shops in the main terminal building that you can browse. There is also a snack shop available. If you walk down to the other end of the building, there are more small gift shops.
   
   There’s a restaurant and bar upstairs if you want to grab some food or drinks while you wait. Beware, the prices are a bit hefty for food and drinks, but it's a comfortable place to wait while you grab some food and drinks. If you want to try some good and cheap local food, you can venture behind the main parking lot outside. To the far left across the street, you will see some tents and local food vendors. 
   
   

Airport WiFi

Free WiFi is available throughout the airport terminals. Use the "PGIA Courtesy Wifi" network to connect. It generally works inside the terminals. No password is necessary.

You can also get free WiFi at the Global Spice restaurant located upstairs in the arrivals terminal building. You will need to ask them for the password to connect.

Airport Taxi

If you’re headed into Belize City, you can grab an airport taxi as soon as you exit the arrivals terminal. Walk to your left as soon as you exit, past the crowd of people, and you will see the taxi cabs lined up. It won’t be long until a taxi driver approaches you. These taxis are from the Ladyville taxi association. You can identify a taxi anywhere in Belize by their green license plates. 

A taxi ride into Belize City starts at $30 USD or $60 BZD. It must be paid in cash. Make sure you know the fare before you get in. There are no meters, just standard fares, depending on where you are going. Always make sure your taxi has a green license plate.

Driving to your Inland Destination

If you will be driving, we recommend downloading an offline map to your phone. Google Maps works well in Belize but you may not have a data connection on your phone. 

A new Airport Link Road, officially known as the John Smith Road, was recently opened in September 2020. Use this new road if you are traveling to inland destinations in western Belize or southern Belize, including San Ignacio, Belmopan, Placencia, Hopkins, Dangriga. This new road is the recommended route as you exit the airport. As you drive along the narrow roads in Belize, look out for speed bumps and pedestrian crossings.
 

 
Let us know what you think! Have any useful tips about your experience at the BZE International Airport? Post a comment below and help others have a stress-free time at the Belize International Airport. As you may have guessed, it’s a pretty small airport and there’s no way you will get lost. Now that you know what to expect….pack your bags and Lets Go Belizing!