"Moving to miami from the uk" is one of the relocation searches Google completes most often, and the results are mostly moving-company blogs. This is the version from the city side: what brits actually deal with in the first months, and how not to spend them alone.
The route#
Most Brits arrive on an employer-sponsored visa (L-1 intracompany transfer, H-1B, or O-1 for people with a record in their field), on the E-2 treaty investor visa if starting or buying a business (common in Miami, which is why so many British-run businesses are here), as students on the F-1, or through a US spouse. Nothing on a blog replaces an immigration lawyer, and a visa waiver is for visiting, not for moving.
The apartment#
Landlords want income of about three times the rent, first, last and a deposit, and a credit check; without US credit, expect a bigger deposit or a co-signer. See it in person, never wire money for one you have not stood in, read the hurricane and flood clauses, and ask about parking. Apartments are newer and bigger than London's for similar money, often with a pool and a car space; houses with gardens exist in the Gables, the Grove, Pinecrest and Weston, which is what keeps British families here.
The car#
Unless you live and work in Brickell, Downtown, Edgewater, Coconut Grove or Miami Beach, you need one, and Florida auto insurance is among the most expensive in the country. Miami without a car is the honest guide to the alternative.
Money, taxes and banking#
You arrive with no US credit history: open a US bank account in week one, get a secured or starter card, keep your UK accounts. Florida has no state income tax; federal tax, healthcare (understand the deductible) and the car with its expensive insurance are what replace it. Sales tax is added at the till. Tipping is 18 to 22% at restaurants and expected widely. Property insurance, if you buy, is a shock.
The culture shocks#
People are warm, late and flaky in a way that reads as rude for six months and as normal after; a Miami 8pm is 9:15. Spanish runs through everything and Brits without it feel it fast; learn enough to join the table. Nobody walks in summer. Service is attentive because it is tipped. Pubs showing Premier League at 10am exist in Brickell, the Grove and on the Beach. Dates are month first. Hot and humid from May to October with afternoon storms, perfect from November to April, and hurricane season June to November; the June to September heat is the thing nobody from Britain is ready for.
Where Brits settle#
Brits cluster in Brickell and Downtown, Coconut Grove and Coral Gables (families), mid-Beach, and Fort Lauderdale up the coast, which has one of the largest British communities in Florida. The expat network is large and easy to never leave.
The first month, not alone#
The first month is logistics; the second is when the city starts to look like a party you were not invited to. Book two recurring rooms on the mainland in the first month (a run club, a dance class, volleyball, a boating group) so they are in place: how to make friends in Miami. And consider the shortcut: a Local Friend on Roavi, a Miamian for an afternoon at a rate they set, bilingual, with a car, who shows you where people like you actually go and which neighbourhood you should have picked. Roavi lists no Local Friends in Miami yet, which is the honest number and the reason the first people to list here will get every message; messaging is free for the people who write to you. Moving to Miami alone has the 90-day order.
Live in Miami? Get paid for your time with visitors and newcomers, at your rate, no commission.
Become a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
How do I move to Miami from the UK?
Most Brits arrive on an employer-sponsored visa (L-1 intracompany transfer, H-1B, or O-1 for people with a record in their field), on the E-2 treaty investor visa if starting or buying a business (common in Miami, which is why so many British-run businesses are here), as students on the F-1, or through a US spouse.Do I need a car in Miami?
Almost certainly, unless you live and work in Brickell, Downtown, Edgewater, Coconut Grove or Miami Beach. Budget the car, Florida insurance (among the most expensive in the US) and parking before the apartment.