Belizeans Still Need Schengen Visas as Five-Year Multi-Entry Option Opens

Belize is still pushing for visa-free travel to the Schengen area, but no full waiver has been approved and Belizeans continue to need a visa for European trips. Foreign Affairs Minister Francis Fonseca says the country remains in good standing and has made progress, pointing to a visa arrangement that now gives eligible Belizeans longer-term, multiple-entry visas.

Key facts

• Belizean travellers still require a visa to visit the Schengen area.
• In November 2025, the European Commission approved an arrangement giving eligible Belizean biometric passport holders multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years.
• Those visas must be applied for in Guatemala or Mexico.
• Belize first made its case for a waiver to European officials in 2015.
• Fonseca does not expect a full visa waiver anytime soon.

What has changed for Belizean travellers?

The European Commission approved a visa arrangement in November 2025 for eligible Belizean biometric passport holders. Applications made in Guatemala or Mexico can now result in multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years, rather than a visa for a single trip.

The practical effect is that repeat travellers no longer need to apply before every European journey. Belizeans still need a visa to enter the Schengen area, however.

Why is there no visa-free travel yet?

Belize presented its case for a waiver to European officials in 2015, arguing that applying for a visa meant travelling abroad because no Schengen member state kept a consular office in the country. Lobbying continued under then-Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay, who met senior European Union officials in Brussels in February 2023.

According to the Foreign Ministry's report, Belize was told it met the required criteria but needed more political support to move the request forward. Fonseca has since kept raising the issue with European representatives, and says he is still pursuing visa-free travel.

What is blocking a full waiver?

Fonseca has cautioned that opposition to immigration among some European political parties remains an obstacle. He does not expect a full waiver anytime soon.

What this means for travellers

Belizean passport holders planning European travel should continue to factor in a Schengen visa application. Those holding a biometric passport can apply in Guatemala or Mexico and may qualify for a multiple-entry visa valid for up to five years, covering repeat trips during that period.

Belizeans should check where they can lodge an application before booking travel, since no Schengen member state maintains a consular office in Belize.

No timeline has been given for a decision on visa-free travel, and Fonseca has indicated the matter remains unresolved.