Guidance

Belize: Knowledge Base profile

Published 25 March 2025

© Crown copyright 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/belize-knowledge-base-profile/belize-knowledge-base-profile

Version 2.0

About: Belize

This document contains useful information about Belize which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

  • version 2.0

  • published for Home Office staff on 21 March 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with formatting changes.

Belize: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Belize.

Names in Belize consist of:

  • 1 or more forenames

  • 1 surname

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Belize.

The Belize Vital Statistical Unit issue and provide deed polls to confirm a change of name.

Belize: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Belize.

Legitimacy

Belize recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child is considered:

  • legitimate if the:

    • parents are married at the time of birth

    • parents marry after the child is born

    • biological father’s paternity is admitted or established during the lifetime of the child

  • illegitimate if the child’s parents never marry

Parental responsibility

Both parents have parental responsibility for their child.

Belize: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Belize.

All births, marriages, deaths, deed polls and adoptions are registered with the Vital Statistics Unit (VSU) of the General Registry.

Birth certificates

All births must be registered with the VSU within 42 days after the birth, late registration is allowed. Birth certificates are issued once the birth is registered.

Marriage certificates

All marriages are registered by the marriage officer at the main office in Belize City. Registration must be within the first 10 days of the following month the marriage took place.

Marriage certificates are issued by the marriage officer on the day the marriage takes place.

Death certificates

All deaths must be registered within 4 days after the date of death and recorded on the Vital Statistics database. Late registration is allowed. Death certificates are issued once the death is registered.

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