Brazilian families moving to South Florida face three issues that families from many other countries do not. Brazil is not an E-2 treaty country. Brazil's school year runs on the southern-hemisphere calendar. Leaving Brazil for tax purposes is a formal process with its own deadlines. This guide covers those issues, then the neighbourhoods, flights and practical steps across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Le Strand brings it all into one written Le Strand Landing Plan, coordinated with your advisers in Brazil and the United States.
Which U.S. visa routes are open to Brazilian families?
Routes for Brazilian families to discuss include L-1 transfers, EB-5 investment, the EB-1 and EB-2 categories, and O-1 for people with extraordinary ability. The E-2 investor visa is not available on Brazilian nationality alone. Brazil does not appear on the State Department's list of treaty countries for E-1 or E-2 status.
- L-1 intracompany transfer. This suits owners and executives of Brazilian groups opening or expanding a U.S. operation. The U.S. entity's set-up timeline becomes part of the family's timeline. See L-1 intelligence and business expansion with a family move.
- EB-5 investor green card. For petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022, the USCIS Policy Manual sets the minimum investment at $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project. The amounts are scheduled to adjust on 1 January 2027. Build time for Brazilian source-of-funds records into counsel's document schedule. See EB-5 intelligence. The EB-5 regional centers in Florida are listed by name and USCIS ID.
- EB-2 (including National Interest Waiver) and EB-1. These suit some professionals, researchers and executives. See EB-2 and EB-1.
- O-1. This route serves people with extraordinary ability in business, science, the arts or sport. See O-1 intelligence.
- Second nationality. If family members also hold Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or another nationality. A treaty-country passport can change the available routes, including E-2, subject to all eligibility requirements. Italy, Spain and Portugal appear on the State Department's E-2 list. Raise this with counsel at the start.
Brazilian citizens are not in the Visa Waiver Program, so scouting trips need a valid B-1/B-2 visa. Independent immigration counsel advises on the route. Le Strand sequences the move around their answer. See the U.S. immigration pathways overview.
What does leaving Brazil involve for tax purposes?
Leaving Brazil for tax purposes is a two-step process with Receita Federal. The Comunicação de Saída Definitiva do País (CSDP) notifies the departure. The Declaração de Saída Definitiva do País (DSDP) is the final resident return. Receita Federal states that the CSDP is due by the last day of February of the year after the departure, or after the date you became non-resident. It also states that the CSDP does not replace the DSDP, earlier returns or tax due. The DSDP follows the annual income tax return deadline.
The United States, by contrast, has no income tax treaty with Brazil. Brazil does not appear on the IRS list of U.S. income tax treaty partners. This shapes how income from Brazilian companies, rental property and investments is treated once the family becomes U.S. tax-resident.
The two countries do have a Social Security agreement, in force since 1 October 2018 according to the U.S. Social Security Administration. It can prevent double contributions and combine work periods for benefits.
Questions to take to your advisers: On what date do we become non-resident in Brazil? Who files the CSDP and DSDP, and when? With no income tax treaty, how will Brazilian dividends, pró-labore, rental income and investment funds be taxed in the United States? Which U.S. reporting applies to our Brazilian accounts, such as the FBAR and Form 8938? When do we meet the IRS substantial presence test? Should Brazilian holdings be restructured before or after we arrive?
Le Strand records these questions, their owners and their dates in the Landing Plan. The answers come from your Brazilian contador and your U.S. tax adviser.
How does Brazil's school calendar fit Florida's?
Brazilian calendars vary by state and school; São Paulo's 2026 state calendar runs from February to December. Florida's runs from August to late May or early June. A child who finishes a Brazilian year in December would join a Florida class in January, halfway through the U.S. year.
For 2026–27, Broward County Public Schools and the School District of Palm Beach County began on 10 August 2026, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools on 13 August 2026. Families usually choose one of three options:
- Move in July. The child leaves Brazil partway through the Brazilian year and starts a full Florida year in August.
- Move in December or January. The child completes the Brazilian year and joins Florida mid-year. This needs a clear placement conversation with the receiving school.
- Split the move. One parent establishes the home and business first, and the children follow at the August start.
Florida law makes a child eligible for public kindergarten if they turn five on or before 1 September. Grade placement for older children depends on records and the receiving school. Bring translated report cards and the vaccination record. Bring vaccination records for a Florida health professional to complete the school-entry documentation, normally Form DH 680, or the applicable exemption documentation.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools runs K-12 world-language programmes that include Portuguese, which helps children keep academic Portuguese. Le Strand coordinates the school timetable with the housing search. Schools decide admissions and placement. See Schools & family and the South Florida education corridor.
For a later intake, confirm the receiving school's published calendar, application deadline and available places. Private-school dates vary. Le Strand places those confirmed dates alongside the home and adviser timetable.
Choosing an area in South Florida
Le Strand helps each family compare areas against its own priorities: the daily commute, the school journey, the setting it wants and the type of property. Every shortlist covers Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, and each option is compared at the address level, with the journeys that shape the family's ordinary week.
- For a short drive to Brickell offices: Brickell for apartment living, with Coconut Grove in the City of Miami and Coral Gables, including Gables Estates and Cocoplum, a few miles south-west of downtown Miami.
- Near established public and private school options: Coral Gables and Coconut Grove for established residential streets near schools in Miami-Dade County.
- For waterfront and island living: Key Biscayne, reached by the Rickenbacker Causeway from Brickell Avenue, and Miami Beach and the Venetian Islands across Biscayne Bay. Fisher Island, Star Island, Indian Creek, Bal Harbour and Surfside offer different coastal and island settings.
- For canal-front homes and boating: the Fort Lauderdale waterfront, including Las Olas Isles and Harbor Beach, in Broward County, with a central position between Miami and Palm Beach.
- For condominium living between Miami and Fort Lauderdale: Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach in Miami-Dade County.
- For more space and a quieter base: Palm Beach, Manalapan, Gulf Stream, Boca Raton and its waterfront enclaves in Palm Beach County.
See the Miami landing overview, the Fort Lauderdale landing overview and the Palm Beach landing overview.
The Landing Plan compares two or three areas against the actual commute, school runs and airport access. The family then decides on the home.
Which flights connect South Florida and Brazil?
Miami's October schedule lists nonstops to São Paulo–Guarulhos, Rio de Janeiro–Galeão, Brasília, Belém and Fortaleza. Also compare Azul's Fort Lauderdale itineraries, checking the operating dates and whether your selected flight is nonstop. Include the journey between the home and MIA or FLL in the location comparison.
Route examples checked 19 October 2026. Confirm operating dates, seasonal service and connections with the airline before booking. Compare total journey time, including the transfer to your South Florida destination.
What practical steps catch Brazilian families out?
Plan the driver's licence, financial records, moving money and consular documentation before arrival.
- Driver's licence. Florida requires new residents to get a Florida licence within 30 days of establishing residency. Brazil is not on Florida's list of jurisdictions with a test waiver, so Brazilian licence holders take the knowledge and driving tests. Since 6 February 2026, FLHSMV gives all licence exams in English only, with no interpreters. Plan time for study.
- Credit history. Ask the receiving bank, lender or landlord which U.S. credit records and alternative financial evidence it accepts. Bring your existing records into that conversation before committing to a lease or vehicle finance. Le Strand coordinates the document timetable with the institutions you choose.
- Moving money. International transfers, the timing of a property sale in Brazil, and U.S. account opening all have their own lead times. Le Strand coordinates the sequence with your bankers and advisers. Banking and lending are delivered by the institutions you choose.
- Consular services. The Consulate General of Brazil in Miami handles passports and civil registration for Brazilians living in Florida. Families with children born in Florida should confirm Brazilian birth-registration and passport documentation with the consulate.
How does Le Strand coordinate a Brazil-to-South Florida move?
Le Strand begins with a Landing Assessment. It records who is moving, the visa route under discussion, the Brazilian exit dates, the school-year choice and the role of the Florida home. The Le Strand Landing Plan then sets out the full sequence in writing, with each dependency, date and owner.
Le Strand introduces you to independent immigration counsel and U.S. tax professionals experienced with Brazilian families where you need them. It coordinates their requirements with your Brazilian contador, your lawyers and the property search. For the regional picture, see Latin America to Florida. See also the Landing Plan and the family scouting trip.
Frequently asked questions
Can Brazilians get an E-2 visa to move to Florida?
Not on Brazilian nationality alone, because Brazil is not an E-2 treaty country. Families with a second nationality from a treaty country, such as Italy, Portugal or Spain, should raise it with independent immigration counsel.
Do Brazilians need a visa for a scouting trip to South Florida?
Yes. Brazil is not in the Visa Waiver Program, so each family member needs a valid B-1/B-2 visa for visits. Plan scouting trips around visa validity.
Does the United States have a tax treaty with Brazil?
No. Brazil does not appear on the IRS list of U.S. income tax treaties. The two countries do have a Social Security agreement, in force since 2018. Take treaty-dependent questions to your advisers.
What is the Declaração de Saída Definitiva do País?
It is the final resident tax return a person files with Receita Federal after leaving Brazil permanently. It is separate from the Comunicação de Saída Definitiva, which notifies the departure and is due by the last day of February of the following year.
When should Brazilian children start school in Florida?
Most families aim for the August start, which fell on 10 August 2026 in the 2026–27 public-school year in Broward and Palm Beach and 13 August 2026 in Miami-Dade. A December move means joining mid-year, which needs an early placement conversation with the receiving school.
Can I use my Brazilian driver's licence in Florida?
New residents need a Florida licence within 30 days of establishing residency. Brazilian licence holders take the knowledge and driving tests, which are administered in English.
How does a family choose an area in South Florida?
Le Strand helps each family compare areas against its own priorities: the daily commute, the school journey, the setting it wants and the type of property. The shortlist covers Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, from Brickell and Coral Gables to the Fort Lauderdale waterfront and Boca Raton, and each option is compared at the address level.
Which airport serves Brazil?
MIA's October schedule lists São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Belém and Fortaleza. Compare Azul's FLL itineraries and check the operating dates and connections.
Relocation guides by country
Each guide sets out the country-specific sequence for a move to Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
