A France-to-South Florida move brings immigration, tax residence and French-language schooling into the same timetable. France is in the Visa Waiver Program and has E-1 and E-2 treaty status. The United States and France have an income tax treaty, an estate and gift tax treaty and a Social Security agreement. Eligible French licence holders can obtain knowledge and driving-test waivers, while completing Florida's other requirements. The French-side work concentrates on the exit tax, the timing of the tax-residence change and continuity of French-language schooling. This guide sets those out across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Le Strand coordinates them in one written Le Strand Landing Plan.
Which U.S. visa routes do French families use?
French families can discuss E-2, L-1, O-1, EB-5 and the employment-based green cards. ESTA covers scouting trips only.
- Visa Waiver Program (ESTA). The State Department lists France as a VWP country. Travellers with an approved ESTA can stay up to 90 days for tourism or business. VWP visitors cannot work, extend their stay or change status in the United States.
- E-2 treaty investor. The State Department lists France for E-1 and E-2, with the treaty in force since 21 December 1960. The E-2 suits entrepreneurs and owners who invest in and direct a U.S. business. See E-2 intelligence.
- L-1 intracompany transfer. This suits executives and specialists of French groups with U.S. affiliates. See L-1 intelligence and corporate relocation planning.
- O-1 and EB-1. These serve people with extraordinary ability in the arts, sciences, business, gastronomy or sport. See O-1 and EB-1.
- EB-5 investor green card. For petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022, the USCIS Policy Manual sets the minimum 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. See EB-5 intelligence.
Independent immigration counsel advises on the route. Le Strand sequences the move around their answer. See the U.S. immigration pathways overview.
Does the French exit tax apply to your move?
The French exit tax applies to some, but not all, departing families. It depends on how long you have been French tax-resident and what you hold. Under article 167 bis of the Code général des impôts, impots.gouv.fr states that the exit tax may apply if the household was French tax-resident for at least six of the ten years before departure. It also requires that the household holds either at least 50% of the profits of a company, or securities worth at least €800,000 in total. The tax applies to unrealised gains at the date of departure. Payment deferral rules depend on the destination, and the return for the departure year has its own forms.
The United States and France have an income tax treaty and an estate and gift tax treaty, according to the IRS. They also have a Social Security agreement, in force since 1 July 1988, according to the SSA.
Questions to take to your advisers: Does article 167 bis apply to our holdings, and how will the gain be valued? Is a deferral (sursis de paiement) available for a move to the United States? Which date should we treat as our change of tax residence? How are our assurance-vie contracts, PEA and French real estate treated once we are U.S. residents? How does the estate and gift tax treaty apply to our family? Which U.S. reporting applies to our French accounts, including the FBAR and Form 8938?
Le Strand records these questions, owners and dates in the Landing Plan. Your avocat fiscaliste or expert-comptable and your U.S. tax adviser provide the answers.
How does French schooling continue in South Florida?
French schooling can continue in South Florida, through either the public or the private route. The French school year runs from early September to early July. Florida's 2026–27 year began on 10 August 2026 in Broward and Palm Beach and on 13 August 2026 in Miami-Dade, so families arriving in late August need records ready sooner than they would in France.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools runs International Studies programmes that include French. They are designed around the partner country's language and curriculum. Private schools in the tri-county area also offer French-language and bilingual options. Families can check accreditation through the French network of schools abroad (AEFE), including the specific year groups covered. Students working towards the baccalauréat need an early decision. They can continue in a French-curriculum setting, or move to the U.S. high school diploma with Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate options.
Florida law makes a child eligible for public kindergarten if they turn five on or before 1 September. Bring the bulletins scolaires and the carnet de santé. Bring vaccination records for a Florida health professional to complete the school-entry documentation, normally Form DH 680, or the applicable exemption documentation. Le Strand coordinates the school timetable with the home search. Schools decide admissions. 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.
Bring the appointed closing professional into the Florida purchase early to explain title work, inspection dates and contractual commitments. Licensed insurance professionals assess the property's windstorm and flood cover. The Landing Plan sets this sequence out before an offer is made.
Which flights connect South Florida and France?
Miami's October schedule lists Paris–Charles de Gaulle with Air France and Paris–Orly with French bee. Compare the Paris airport, operating dates and onward ground transfer. For Lyon, Marseille, Nice or Toulouse, assess the complete connection. Mainland France is usually six hours ahead of Florida, apart from short periods when daylight-saving changes differ.
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 are specific to French families?
Four practical items to plan for French families: the driver's licence, credit history, health cover and consular services.
- Driver's licence. Florida requires new residents to get a Florida licence within 30 days of establishing residency. France is on Florida's list of jurisdictions whose licence holders can have the knowledge and skills tests waived, according to the Palm Beach County Tax Collector. Every applicant still takes a vision test. Florida also issues its own document checklist.
- 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.
- Health cover. Sécurité sociale cover changes with departure. U.S. health insurance needs to start on the arrival date and is arranged through licensed insurance professionals. Families who keep ties to France sometimes ask about the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger (CFE), which is a question for your advisers.
- Consular services. The Consulate General of France in Miami serves French nationals in Florida. Registration on the registre des Français établis hors de France helps with passports, civil status and elections.
How does Le Strand coordinate a France-to-South Florida move?
Le Strand starts with a Landing Assessment. It records the household, the visa route under discussion, the exit-tax and residence-date questions, the schooling path and how the Florida home will be used. The Le Strand Landing Plan then sets out the sequence in writing, with dependencies, dates and owners.
Le Strand introduces you to independent immigration counsel and U.S. tax professionals experienced with French families where you need them. It coordinates their requirements with your French advisers, your notaire and the property search. See also the Landing Plan and UK to Florida.
Frequently asked questions
Is France an E-2 treaty country?
Yes. The State Department lists France for E-1 and E-2, with the treaty in force since 21 December 1960.
Does the French exit tax apply when moving to Florida?
It can. Article 167 bis CGI may apply if you were French tax-resident for at least six of the last ten years and your household holds at least 50% of a company's profits or securities worth at least €800,000. Your tax adviser confirms your position.
Can I exchange my French driver's licence in Florida?
Yes. Florida waives the knowledge and skills tests for French licence holders. You still take a vision test and bring the required identity documents.
Is there a U.S.–France tax treaty?
Yes. The IRS lists an income tax treaty and an estate and gift tax treaty with France. A Social Security agreement has been in force since 1988.
Can my children continue in French in South Florida?
Yes. Miami-Dade County Public Schools runs International Studies programmes that include French, and private schools in the area offer French and bilingual options. Admission depends on each school.
Which airport serves Paris?
MIA's October 2026 schedule lists Air France to Charles de Gaulle and French bee to Orly. Confirm your travel dates and Paris airport.
When does the Florida school year start?
For 2026–27, Broward and Palm Beach public schools began on 10 August 2026 and Miami-Dade on 13 August 2026, about three to four weeks before the French rentrée.
Relocation guides by country
Each guide sets out the country-specific sequence for a move to Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
