RegAlertBelize: lending & credit regulation — 2026-09
RegulatedLending regulated by CBB; IFSCom licenses short-term international lenders
Frozen snapshot — the guide as it stood at the end of 2026-09. See the live guide for the current state.
The Central Bank of Belize (CBB) supervises domestic banks and financial institutions under the DBFIA, enforcing strict asset classification and provisioning rules. For international short-term lending, the International Financial Services Commission (IFSCom) administers specific regulations under the International Banking Act. There is no general licensing regime for domestic consumer or SME lending by non-banks.
Which licence do you need?
| Your activity | Requirement | Capital | Timeline | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer lending | Uncertainverify with regulator No specific regime for non-bank domestic consumer lenders | — | — | — |
| SME / commercial lending | Uncertainverify with regulator No specific regime for non-bank domestic SME lenders | — | — | — |
| Microfinance | Uncertainverify with regulator Credit unions regulated by Registrar; no specific microfinance license | — | — | — |
| Buy-now-pay-later | Uncertainverify with regulator No specific BNPL regime identified | — | — | — |
| P2P lending platform | Uncertainverify with regulator No specific P2P lending regime identified | — | — | — |
| Credit bureau / scoring | Uncertainverify with regulator No specific credit bureau licensing regime identified | — | — | — |
| Debt collection | Uncertainverify with regulator No specific debt collection licensing regime identified | — | — | — |
New — what changed recently
- 2023-10-31International Banking (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2023 — Amended the International Banking Act to introduce a 25% single borrower limit cap for international banks.[1]
- 2023-08-02International Banking (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2023 — Enacted to modify Section 21B regarding single borrower limits for international banking licensees.[1]
- 2020-07-27IBA Circular No. 2 of 2020 — Prescribed regulatory procedures for establishing loan loss provisions and reserves for international banks.[2]
Market-entry checklist
- 1Verify lending scope and residencyDetermine if lending is domestic (CBB/DBFIA) or international short-term (IFSCom/IBA).
- 2Apply for IFSCom license if internationalIf offering short-term unsecured loans to non-residents, apply under the 2008 IFSCom regulations.
- 3Establish loan loss provisioningImplement CBB-mandated classification and reserve ratios (20%, 50%, 100%) for non-performing assets.
- 4Comply with single borrower limitsEnsure loan exposures do not exceed the 25% cap for international banks under the 2023 Amendment.