Belize clarifies visa-free travel status after Spain announcement
Key Points(5)
- Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) has clarified that the country has not been granted visa-free access to Spain or the wider Schengen Area, despite recent reports suggesting Belize was included on a Spanish visa-free travel list.
- The ministry explained that the list reflects third countries whose nationals are already exempt from visa requirements when crossing the external borders of the Schengen Area under European Union Regulation (EU) 2018/1806.
- “These determinations are made collectively by EU Member States,” the ministry said.
- Belize remains among the countries whose citizens require a visa to enter the Schengen Area.
- The government noted that removing this requirement would require a formal legislative amendment at the EU level and cannot be achieved through a decision by an individual member state.
Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) has clarified that the country has not been granted visa-free access to Spain or the wider Schengen Area, despite recent reports suggesting Belize was included on a Spanish visa-free travel list.
In a statement issued Monday, July 20, 2026, the ministry said a list published by Spain on July 14, confirming visa-free access for citizens of 60 countries, including nine Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states, was a restatement of existing European Union (EU) rules rather than a new decision granting additional countries visa exemptions.
The ministry explained that the list reflects third countries whose nationals are already exempt from visa requirements when crossing the external borders of the Schengen Area under European Union Regulation (EU) 2018/1806.
“These determinations are made collectively by EU Member States,” the ministry said.
Belize remains among the countries whose citizens require a visa to enter the Schengen Area. The government noted that removing this requirement would require a formal legislative amendment at the EU level and cannot be achieved through a decision by an individual member state.
The ministry said it has been actively engaging with Spain and the EU for several years to secure a full Schengen visa waiver for Belizean nationals.
As part of those efforts, the EU agreed in November 2025 that Belizean citizens holding biometric passports would be eligible for multiple-entry Schengen visas valid for up to five years. The ministry described the change as a significant improvement that has made travel to Spain and other Schengen countries easier for business, tourism, education and family visits.
However, discussions toward a comprehensive visa waiver agreement between Belize and the EU remain ongoing.
The Foreign Ministry said it continues to advocate through diplomatic channels for full visa-free access to the Schengen Area, which it considers an important priority given Belize’s longstanding relationship with the European Union.
