The protocol presently in place for yachts with arms and ammunition are that they MUST and we HIGHLY RECOMMEND for them to be declared.
Bullet proof vests must be registered a minimum of ten days prior to yachts arrival if it will be used ashore by your personnel.
Once declared it is at the discretion of the customs officer if he will permit the arms and ammunition to remain aboard or if he will take them into Customs. Normally should the yacht have them in a secure locker, which has a key and which he can put either a lead customs seal or paper seal then he would consider leaving them aboard. If that is not available then he will certainly take them ashore. —
Once ashore a receipt will be issued by customs. Items will then be placed in the Queen’s Bonded Warehouse for safekeeping and will be returned whenever you are clearing out.
If you have any arms and ammunition aboard, then at the time of entry into the country an arms and ammunition list will need to be prepared detailing, brand, model number, serial number, along with quantity and type of ammunition.
Belize has some very strict laws in place regarding arms and ammunition. Should you ever be boarded and with just a single bullet being found aboard, that would then mean an immediate mandatory jail time for each and every single person aboard, unless or until someone accepts ownership, then the others would be released and that one person would remain in jail until a gun license for Belize can be produced for that or those specific weapon(s) and/or ammunition.
BULLET PROOF VESTS
Bullet proof vests must be registered ten days prior to vessel’s arrival if it will be used ashore by your personnel.
The firearms (Amendment) Act No 9 of 2011 makes provision for the registration of bullet proof vests and provides that a person who intends to own or purchase a bullet proof vest shall apply to the commissioner of police to register that bullet proof vest at least 10 days before the date of purchasing or owing.
The application form shall be accompanied with a non-refundable US$50.00, police record and identification documentation.
A person who is found in possession of a bullet proof vest that
- is not registered or
- is registered but not authorized for use by the person in whose possession it is found commits an offense and is liable on a summary conviction to a fine of US$250.00