As of 14 July 2022 travellers to Belize DO NOT require travel and health insurance. The purchase of travel insurance is now optional, but the Tourist Board recommends that visitors to Belize have Travel Insurance. When Belize Travel Insurance was required, both tourists and hotels observed that it was good to have, as this covered things other than medical care for COVID-19.
The cost of the policy in Belize is still US$18. and provides coverage for up to US$50,000. in medical expenses related to treatment of COVID-19 for a period of 21 days. This insurance plan comes under the country’s public health regulations and provides cover up to US$2,000. for lodging expenses due to quarantine. Travelers will also be covered for emergency assistance services such as air evacuation and emergency expenses related to pre-existing conditions. It also covers trip cancellations and expenses incurred by COVID-19 positive travelers for extended stays.
The Belize Travel Health Insurance is NO LONGER MANDATORY but is still available for purchase online at https://belizetravelinsurance.com
Trip Cancellation – Sacrificing Your Dream Vacation
You may be planning a trip to Belize because your partner is a history buff who wants to experience the country’s Top Ten Maya Archeological Wonders. Or you may want to go spelunking in the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave in the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve. That’s where you can see the calcified skeletons left behind more than a thousand years ago when the Maya held ritual sacrifices to their gods. Or you may be yearning to swim and snorkle with sharks and sting rays at the world-famous Shark Ray Alley. But, as you’re watching documentaries on the Travel Channel, your trip plans could come to a halt because of a sudden emergency.
If, three days before your trip to Belize, your 11-year old is hospitalized for a health issue for example bacterial meningitis, you will have to cancel your trip. As long as you cancel for a reason listed in your travel insurance policy, your trip cancellation insurance can reimburse you for prepaid and non-refundable expenses. That means you can file a claim to get your money back for that guided bonefishing trip among the 200 coral islands that comprise the Turneffe Islands Atoll.
Acceptable reasons to cancel generally include:
Death of a travel companion or a close family member
A serious family emergency
Severe weather
Other unforeseen problems as specified by your policy
Details vary by insurance company, so be sure to review your policy so you know what’s covered under trip cancellation. The Belize Tourism Board backed Travel Health Insurance Plan covers trip cancellation but you are free to buy travel insurance from your own country or wherever else you choose.