Private Landing Office · South Florida
Welcoming International Families to South Florida
A practical guide for incoming parents
Moving a family to South Florida from abroad goes smoothly when the papers, the address and the arrival date come together. This guide sets out what Florida schools ask new students for, and the order of the official steps in a family's first months.
For enrolment
Proof of residence
Public school districts ask for two proofs of your South Florida address, such as an executed lease or purchase statement, then a utility bill once connected. Your school's admissions office confirms the documents it uses. The Broward and Palm Beach County lists are set out in Enrolling in school after moving to South Florida.
Form DH 680, Florida Certification of Immunization
Bring your child's complete vaccination history from home. After arrival, a licensed Florida physician, APRN or county health department transcribes it into Florida's records and issues the DH 680. Tdap is required for 7th grade entry.
School-entry health exam
Completed within the year before enrolment by a U.S.-licensed provider. Form DH 3040 is the recommended format.
Kindergarten age
Florida's rule for kindergarten is age 5 on or before 1 September of the school year. Your school confirms how it applies its own entry age. For a 2027 start, Miami school admissions for 2027–28 sets out the published application dates.
Transcripts and records from abroad
Official transcripts and course descriptions, a certified translation where the original is not in English, and any learning-support plans. In Florida's public middle and high schools, official transcripts are accepted at face value, subject to validation through first grading period performance. For a move from Israel, Moving to South Florida from Israel in 2027 gathers the 2027 dates.
Proof of age
Each child's birth certificate or passport.
Visa and student status
We connect families with trusted immigration counsel early in the Landing Plan, so each family's visa route and their children's student status are confirmed before school enrolment. With that confirmed, the school documents above come together in the right order.
Florida healthcare providers complete the DH 680 and the health exam, and each school decides its own admissions. Booking both appointments in the first week keeps the start date on track.
The arrival timeline
- 7–10 months before
- School decisions for a summer move are made in the autumn and winter before. Public magnet and choice applications close between December and January, and private schools set their own calendars.
- Before you leave
- Gather vaccination histories, school reports, transcripts and birth certificates. Secure the lease or purchase that gives you a Florida address.
- Arrival week
- DH 680 and health exam with a Florida provider, then enrolment. Enrolling children in a public school is among the markers of Florida residency listed by FLHSMV.
- Within 10 days
- The car. Florida auto insurance first, then Florida title and registration, with VIN verification.
- Within 30 days
- Driving licence. Exchange for a Florida licence in person, with a vision test. FLHSMV publishes a document list for each status.
- First 90 days
- Declaration of Domicile. Once domicile is established, a sworn statement filed with the clerk of the circuit court in your county. In Miami-Dade it is notarised, filed by post or in person, and returned in about four weeks. Independent tax and legal professionals advise on whether and when to file.
- 1 Jan · 1 Mar
- Homestead. For homeowners: permanent residence in the home on 1 January, and filing with the county property appraiser by 1 March. The current detail is confirmed after Florida's 3 November 2026 vote on Amendment 3.
- 1 Jun – 30 Nov
- Atlantic hurricane season, worth planning around for a summer arrival.
Sources: Florida Department of Health · Florida Department of Education · FLHSMV · Florida Statutes s.222.17 · Fla. Admin. Code R. 6A-1.09941 · Miami-Dade Clerk · Florida Department of Revenue PT-113 · Florida Department of State · NOAA National Hurricane Center. Checked October 2026.
The guide as a PDF
The same guide on one page.
Download the one-page guide (PDF)For families who would like help with the whole move
Le Strand is a Private Landing Office for internationally mobile families. We coordinate the whole landing in one written Landing Plan: schools, home, healthcare, banking and logistics in the right order, with introductions to independent immigration counsel and tax and legal professionals.
Serena Orgin
Founder and Principal, Le Strand | Private Landing Office
Serena Orgin is the Founder and Principal of Le Strand. She is a practising attorney admitted in New York and a Florida real estate broker.
To reach Serena, write to serena@lestrand.com.
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