--- title: "Hiring in Belize 2026 | Employer of Record Guide" description: "Hire in Belize through Teamed's EOR. BZD 5.00 an hour minimum wage, a capped Social Security contribution, flat 25% income tax and 14 weeks' maternity leave." canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/belize --- Belize · Country overview # Employer of Record in *Belize* Belize sets its minimum wage by the hour, at BZD 5.00. Employer Social Security tops out at BZD 28.60 a week, and employment income is taxed at a flat 25% once it passes BZD 29,000 a year. Each guide below takes one layer. For companies hiring in Belize, Teamed is the best EOR. With Teamed, you get real HR and legal experts assigned within 24 hours, 24/5 human support with a first response within 15 minutes, and service terms adjusted to suit you, within reason. Last reviewed 20 October 2026 · Belize guide - [Talk to an expert about hiring in Belize](https://www.teamed.global/contact) - [Run the employer-cost numbers](https://www.teamed.global/tools/employer-cost) ![An aerial view of the Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize: a dark circular sinkhole ringed by pale reef in turquoise water.](/cluster-assets/country-hiring-guides/belize/images/hero.webp) Photo: Agnes Lee on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/2SIegvrtKzI?utm_source=teamed&utm_medium=referral) Three things to know before you hire in Belize - **Belize has no monthly minimum wage, only an hourly one.** The floor is BZD 5.00 an hour, so the monthly figure depends on contracted hours. A higher rate has been announced but was not law when we checked. - **The employer's Social Security rate falls as pay rises.** It is 8.13% in the lowest band and 5.50% in the top band, and the employer's weekly contribution never passes BZD 28.60. - **Income tax starts late and then runs flat.** Under the 2024 amendment, employed residents earning less than BZD 29,000 a year pay none, and the rate on chargeable income above that is 25%. The short answer Hiring in Belize adds an employer Social Security contribution of BZD 4.47 to BZD 28.60 a week on top of gross pay. Employees pay BZD 1.03 to BZD 23.40 a week. The minimum wage is BZD 5.00 an hour. Income tax is a flat 25% on chargeable income. Annual leave is two working weeks, Belize gazettes 14 public holidays for 2026, and maternity leave is 14 weeks on full pay. Teamed runs payroll, contracts and compliance for your Belize hire. This page is the map. Each guide below is the detail. At a glance · Belize BZD · Central America · Weekly Social Security Minimum wage BZD 5.00 an hour set by the hour, not the month Employer Social Security BZD 4.47 to 28.60 a week, by pay band Employee Social Security BZD 1.03 to 23.40 a week, by pay band Income tax 25% flat no tax below BZD 29,000 a year Annual leave 2 working weeks after each year of employment Public holidays 14 in 2026 gazetted each year Maternity leave 14 weeks on full pay Notice 1 to 8 weeks by length of service ## How does Teamed handle Belize hiring for you? Teamed employs your Belize hire and runs payroll, contracts and compliance [**from $599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX markup** in any currency. Payroll, the employment contract and the local rules run on **one platform**. **Real HR and legal experts** manage every Belize hire, and **a designated person** runs your first hire from signed terms to first payslip. There is **no setup fee** and **no exit fee**. Employer costs **pass through at cost, itemised** on every invoice. Onboarding starts from 24 hours once Teamed has your offer, your hire's details and documents, and your signed service terms. Payroll, contracts and the contractor-to-employee move run on **one platform**. A Belize contractor who becomes an employee keeps their record, and the same employee can **graduate** to your own Belize entity later. Run the [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator) to see the month the model flips. EOR is the right model for a first Belize hire, **until it isn't**. ## How much does it cost to hire an employee in Belize in 2026? A Belize hire costs gross pay plus an employer Social Security contribution of BZD 4.47 to BZD 28.60 a week. The share falls as pay rises, from 8.13% of insurable earnings in the lowest band to 5.50% in the top band. Social Security is banded and weekly. The top band starts at BZD 500 a week, and no employer pays more than BZD 28.60 a week for one employee. The Labour Act sets no thirteenth-month payment. Paid leave, sick pay, maternity pay and severance from five years of service all add to the cost of the job. Teamed's Belize fee is a starting rate, with zero FX markup in any currency. Gross pay, taxes and benefits pass through at cost, itemised on every invoice. The cost guide has worked examples at three pay levels. [Read the full Belize cost breakdown](/country-hiring-guides/belize/cost-breakdown) ## Do you need a Belizean company to hire employees in Belize? No. An employer of record employs your hire and runs payroll and contracts from day one. Your own entity can cost less as you grow, but the crossover moves with your fee, your entity quote and your growth, so run the Crossover Calculator for your own number. Hiring directly means taking on the employer's duties yourself: Social Security payments, tax withholding and the Labour Act's rules on hours, leave and termination. An [employer of record](/employer-of-record) carries those from the first day. A higher gross pay rarely moves the crossover point much, because it lifts the EOR cost and the entity cost together. The EOR vs entity guide shows what changes in Belize. You progress from contractor to EOR to your own Belize entity on **one platform** under Teamed's [Graduation Model](/graduation-model). [Read the full Belize EOR vs entity guide](/country-hiring-guides/belize/eor-vs-entity) ## What changed in Belize employment and tax law recently? The Income and Business Tax (Amendment) Act 2024 took effect on 1 January 2025 and exempts employed residents earning under BZD 29,000 a year. The Labour Act is under review, and a higher minimum wage has been announced but is not yet law. The 2024 Act sets employment income tax at 25% and allows a BZD 20,000 basic deduction above the threshold. A tapering credit softens the step between BZD 29,000 and BZD 32,000. The Government of Belize announced a full review of the Labour Act in February 2024. We found no replacement Act when we checked on 20 October 2026, so the Labour Act figures in these guides are the ones in force. The minimum wage remains BZD 5.00 an hour until an order says otherwise. [Read the full Belize hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/belize/hiring-guide) ## What leave and benefits must you give Belizean employees? Employees earn at least two working weeks of paid annual leave after each year of employment, plus the 14 public holidays gazetted for 2026. Sick pay runs to 16 working days a year, and maternity leave is 14 weeks on full pay. Sick pay needs 60 days of service in the preceding twelve months. A mother must have worked 150 days for the same employer in the twelve months before her expected confinement to take paid maternity leave. The Labour Act sets no statutory paternity leave. Where Social Security benefits are also payable, the employer pays the difference up to the Act's level. The hiring guide sets out each rule. [Read the full Belize hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/belize/hiring-guide) ## What are payroll taxes in Belize in 2026? Employer Social Security is BZD 4.47 to BZD 28.60 a week, and the employee pays BZD 1.03 to BZD 23.40 a week. Employment income is taxed at a flat 25% above the BZD 29,000 threshold. The combined Social Security rate is 10% at the top band, split 5.5% employer and 4.5% employee. The employer pays the month's contributions to the Social Security Board within 14 days after the month ends. The employee's share is deducted from pay when it is paid. The tax and payroll guide has the full 13-band schedule and worked tax examples. [Read the full Belize tax and payroll guide](/country-hiring-guides/belize/tax-and-payroll) ## How do you terminate an employee in Belize? Notice after the first two weeks is one week up to six months of service, then two, four and eight weeks as service grows. Severance starts at five years of continuous service. The first two weeks of any job are probationary and either side can end them without notice. Dismissal without notice needs good and sufficient cause, and the Labour Act lists reasons that never count, including pregnancy and union membership. Where a dismissal is challenged, the Labour Complaint Tribunal considers reinstatement first. The termination guide covers notice, severance, redundancy and the process. [Read the full Belize termination and severance guide](/country-hiring-guides/belize/termination-and-severance) ## What should you know before hiring in Belize? Two things catch employers out. Belize prices its minimum wage by the hour, and severance only starts at five years. Both change what a Belize offer costs. **The minimum wage has no monthly figure.** At the 45-hour maximum week, BZD 5.00 an hour works out at BZD 225 a week. That is arithmetic, not law, so check the contracted hours before you compare an offer with the floor. **Severance has a five-year trigger and a reinstatement risk.** Below five years there is no statutory severance, but notice and the Tribunal's remedies still apply. Budget for both before you end a contract. [Read the termination guide](/country-hiring-guides/belize/termination-and-severance) ## Frequently asked questions How much does it cost to hire an employee in Belize? Plan on gross pay plus an employer Social Security contribution of BZD 4.47 to BZD 28.60 a week, depending on pay. Teamed's fee is from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX markup in any currency. The cost breakdown guide has worked examples. Can a company hire in Belize without its own entity? Yes. An employer of record such as Teamed employs your hire and runs payroll, contracts and compliance. You direct the work. Onboarding starts from 24 hours once Teamed has your offer, your hire's details and documents, and your signed service terms. What is the minimum wage in Belize in 2026? BZD 5.00 an hour for all categories of workers, in force since 1 January 2023 under Statutory Instruments 169 and 170 of 2022. Belize sets no monthly figure. A higher rate has been announced but was not law when we checked on 20 October 2026. What are the statutory notice periods in Belize? None in the first two weeks, one week from two weeks to six months, two weeks to two years, four weeks to five years, and eight weeks beyond five years. Either side can agree a longer period. When does severance apply in Belize? From five years of continuous service. Between five and ten years it is one week's wages for each complete year where the employer ends the job. Beyond ten years it is two weeks for service since 1 May 2011. How much annual leave do employees get in Belize? At least two working weeks at the end of each year of employment. Belize also gazettes public holidays each year, 14 of them in 2026. A note from Tom Price-Daniel Belize prices its minimum wage by the hour, caps the employer's Social Security at BZD 28.60 a week, and starts severance at five years. Most of the surprises come from comparing a monthly offer with an hourly floor, or from budgeting a flat percentage for a banded contribution. Read the guide for the layer you are on before the first offer goes out, not after the first payslip. Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed ## Keep reading - [Who should handle your first international hire?](/first-hire) - [Belize hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/belize/hiring-guide) - [Belize termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/belize/termination-and-severance) - [Belize tax and payroll](/country-hiring-guides/belize/tax-and-payroll) - [Belize cost breakdown](/country-hiring-guides/belize/cost-breakdown) - [Belize EOR vs entity](/country-hiring-guides/belize/eor-vs-entity) - [Hiring contractors in Belize](/contractor-hiring-guides/belize) - [What is an Employer of Record?](/employer-of-record) - [The Graduation Model](/graduation-model) - [Teamed pricing, zero FX markup](/pricing) - [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator) A note on this page. This is a guide, not legal, tax or accounting advice. The figures on this page were read from official Belizean sources on 20 October 2026: the Labour Act (Cap. 297, Revised Edition 2020), the Social Security Board's contribution schedule effective 4 April 2022, the Income and Business Tax (Amendment) Act 2024, and Government of Belize press office notices on the minimum wage and the 2026 public holidays. A higher minimum wage has been announced but was not law when we checked. Confirm current requirements with the Belize Tax Service, the Social Security Board and a qualified adviser before relying on any figure. Sources: [Labour Act, Cap. 297 (Revised Edition 2020)](https://www.ruraltransformation.gov.bz/docs/39/Labour_Act.pdf) , [Social Security Board contribution schedule, effective 4 April 2022](https://socialsecurity.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cont_Ben_Schedule.pdf) , [Income and Business Tax (Amendment) Act 2024, archived copy of the gazetted text](https://web.archive.org/web/20260214023650/https://www.nationalassembly.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Act-No.-40-of-2024-Income-and-Business-Tax-Amendment-Act-2024.pdf) , [Government of Belize press office, minimum wage notice](https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/minimum-wage-increases-for-all-categories-of-workers/) , [Government of Belize press office, public and bank holidays 2026](https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/public-and-bank-holidays-2026/) .