South African families moving to South Florida deal with two separate exits from South Africa. One is tax: ceasing South African tax residence with SARS. The other is money: moving funds offshore under exchange control. On the U.S. side, South Africa is not an E-2 treaty country and is not in the Visa Waiver Program. The two countries do, however, have both an income tax treaty and an estate tax treaty. The school year also runs from January to December. This guide sets out each of these for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Le Strand coordinates them in one written Le Strand Landing Plan.
Which U.S. visa routes do South African families use?
South African families can discuss L-1, EB-5, EB-1, O-1 and H-1B. E-2 is available only through a second nationality.
- L-1 intracompany transfer. This suits executives and specialists of South African groups with U.S. operations. See L-1 intelligence and corporate relocation planning.
- 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. Source-of-funds documentation must show the exchange control approvals for funds moved offshore. See EB-5 intelligence.
- EB-1 and O-1. EB-1 includes qualifying multinational executives and extraordinary-ability applicants; O-1 requires extraordinary ability in business, science, the arts or sport. See EB-1 and O-1.
- H-1B. This route serves professionals hired by a U.S. employer in a specialty occupation. See H-1B intelligence.
- Second nationality. Some family members may hold British, Portuguese, German, Italian, Irish, Dutch or Greek passports. Several of those countries are both Visa Waiver Program and E-2 treaty countries. See the UK to Florida and Germany guides.
South African-only passport holders need a B-1/B-2 visa for scouting trips. Independent immigration counsel advises on the route. Le Strand sequences the move around their answer. See the U.S. immigration pathways overview.
What does ceasing South African tax residence involve?
Ask your tax practitioner to establish the date you cease South African tax residence, the supporting evidence and whether a deemed disposal creates a tax charge on your assets. SARS publishes the procedure for declaring the date you cease to be tax-resident. "Financial emigration" through the South African Reserve Bank was phased out from 1 March 2021, and tax residence is now the test.
The departure review should identify which assets fall within the deemed-disposal rules and which are excluded, including the position of South African immovable property. Your practitioner confirms the valuation date, gains and filing requirements. Le Strand records the confirmed dates in the Landing Plan.
The United States and South Africa have an income tax treaty and an estate tax treaty, according to the IRS. No U.S.–South Africa Social Security agreement appears on the SSA list.
Questions to take to your advisers: What date should we declare to SARS as the date we cease residence, and what evidence supports it? What exit charge arises on our assets, and which are excluded? How are our retirement annuities and preservation funds treated after we leave, and can they be withdrawn? How do the treaty tie-breaker rules apply in the move year? How does the U.S.–South Africa estate tax treaty apply to our family? Which U.S. reporting applies to South African accounts, including the FBAR and Form 8938?
How do South African exchange controls affect the timetable?
Exchange controls decide how quickly funds can reach Florida. Under the Reserve Bank's exchange control rules, adult residents use an annual single discretionary allowance and a foreign investment allowance. The foreign investment allowance requires a SARS Approval for International Transfer. Transfers above those limits need Financial Surveillance Department approval.
The Reserve Bank's Circular 6/2026 raised the single discretionary allowance for resident adults to R2 million per calendar year from 8 April 2026. Ask your authorised dealer which allowance applies to your residence status, how much remains available and which approvals are required for the planned transfer.
Le Strand places the allowances, approvals and transfer dates in the Landing Plan, because a Florida closing date depends on funds being available on time. Your bankers and tax practitioner handle the transfers and approvals.
How does the South African school year fit Florida's?
The calendars are offset. The South African school year runs from January to December, while Florida runs from August to late May or early June. 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 partway through the South African year, after the second term, and starts a full Florida year in August.
- Move in December. The child completes the South African year and joins a Florida class mid-year, in January.
- Stagger the move. One parent establishes the home and work first, and the children follow at the August start.
Students in Grades 11 and 12 working towards the NSC or IEB matric need the most planning. Moving to the U.S. diploma, with Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate options, changes the university pathway. Families who want a British-style continuation can look at Cambridge or IB programmes. Florida law makes a child eligible for public kindergarten if they turn five on or before 1 September, which is a different cut-off from the South African Grade R rules. Bring report cards and the Road to Health booklet or vaccination record. Bring vaccination records for a Florida health professional to complete 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.
Set out the property features your household wants before comparing homes. South Florida offers waterfront homes, island enclaves and condominium buildings with staffed entrances. Le Strand compares them against school runs and daily routines before a shortlist is fixed.
How do you fly between South Florida and South Africa?
Compare connecting itineraries to South Florida. One published example is Qatar Airways between Johannesburg and Miami via Doha. Check total travel time and connections for your actual departure city, including any additional domestic flight. South Africa is six hours ahead of Florida during U.S. daylight saving time and seven hours ahead in the northern winter.
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 South African families?
Four practical items to plan for South African families: the driver's licence, credit history, medical cover and household goods.
- Driver's licence. Florida requires new residents to get a Florida licence within 30 days of establishing residency. South Africa is not on Florida's list of jurisdictions with a test waiver, so South African licence holders take the knowledge and driving tests. Since 6 February 2026, these exams are given in English only. Florida also drives on the right.
- 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.
- Medical cover. South African medical aid does not carry over. U.S. health insurance needs to start on the arrival date and is arranged through licensed insurance professionals.
- Household goods and pets. Shipping containers and importing pets each have their own lead times. These go into the Landing Plan alongside the closing date.
How does Le Strand coordinate a South Africa-to-South Florida move?
Le Strand starts with a Landing Assessment. It records each family member's nationality, the visa route under discussion, the SARS residence date, the exchange control sequence, the school-year choice and the role of the Florida home. 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 South African families where you need them. It coordinates their requirements with your South African tax practitioner, your authorised dealer and the property search. See also the Landing Plan and the UK to Florida guide for dual British nationals.
Frequently asked questions
Can South Africans get an E-2 visa?
Not on South African nationality alone, because South Africa is not on the State Department's E-1/E-2 treaty list. A second nationality from a treaty country, may open a route for counsel to assess; the UK treaty has its own residence requirement.
Do South Africans need a visa to visit Florida?
South African-only passport holders need a B-1/B-2 visa, because South Africa is not in the Visa Waiver Program.
Is there a U.S.–South Africa tax treaty?
Yes. The IRS lists an income tax treaty and an estate tax treaty with South Africa. No Social Security agreement is in force.
What happens when I cease South African tax residence?
Ask your tax practitioner to establish your residence date and determine whether the deemed disposal of assets creates a tax charge. The review includes exclusions, valuations and the SARS declaration process.
How much money can I move offshore?
The applicable route depends on your residence status, transfer purpose and allowances already used. SARB Circular 6/2026 sets the single discretionary allowance for resident adults at R2 million per calendar year. Your authorised dealer confirms the remaining allowance and any additional approvals.
When should my children start school in Florida?
Many families move in July 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. Matric years need individual planning.
How should I plan the flight from South Africa to South Florida?
Compare connecting itineraries for your departure city and dates. Qatar Airways publishes a Johannesburg–Miami itinerary via Doha; confirm total journey time and any additional domestic connection.
Relocation guides by country
Each guide sets out the country-specific sequence for a move to Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Sources checked October 2026
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U.S. Department of State: Visa Waiver Program and visitor visas
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Palm Beach County Tax Collector: overseas licence test waivers
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Hillsborough County Tax Collector: English-language examination policy
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SARB: Exchange Control Circular 6/2026, effective 8 April 2026
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Florida Legislature: public-school entry age, section 1003.21
