Moving to Miami from Colombia: A guide for newcomers

Thinking about moving to Miami? Good news: you won’t be the first Colombian to pack your bags (and maybe a bag of Colombian coffee) for South Florida. The area has one of the largest Colombian communities in the U.S., so a good bandeja paisa is never far away, you’ll hear a familiar “¿qué más?” (how’s it going?) at the supermarket and you’ll meet plenty of people who already survived the paperwork you’re about to face.

Still, trading the Andes for palm trees takes some planning. This guide covers the Miami side of the move: the neighborhoods where many Colombians settle, what living in Miami costs compared with home, how to keep your Colombian documents current from Florida and how to send money to family once you’re here.

Moving to Miami from Colombia: What to expect

Miami is an immigrant city, and Colombians are a big part of it. A few numbers:

• Miami-Dade County is home to more than 1.45 million immigrants, over 53% of the county’s population.

• About 138,352 residents of Colombian ancestry live in Miami-Dade, roughly 5.2% of the county.

• For Florida as a whole, that share is about 2%.

In daily life, that means you can open a bank account, see a doctor or order lunch in Spanish in much of the county. English still matters, especially for professional jobs and anything involving paperwork, so it’s worth practicing from day one.

Already supporting family back home? With Ria you can send money to Colombia to a bank account, a mobile wallet like Nequi or for cash pickup.

Best neighborhoods in Miami for Colombian newcomers

Colombians live all over Miami-Dade, and census data shows Colombian residents in every incorporated city in the county. A few areas come up again and again.

Doral

Doral sits west of Miami International Airport and mixes newer residential developments with offices and warehouses. It has a well-known Colombian presence, and several Colombian brands have set up there, from restaurants serving Caribbean coast food to a bakery chain and a delivery company. If you want arepas, Colombian bakeries and neighbors who know what a tinto is, Doral is a common starting point.

Kendall

Kendall, in southwest Miami-Dade, is more residential, with shopping centers, schools and quieter streets. People often call it “Little Colombia.” Westwind Lakes Park in Kendall has Plaza Colombia, a space celebrating Colombian culture that the Colombian-American Coalition of Florida created together with the county’s parks department.

Hialeah and the city of Miami

The city of Miami and Hialeah have some of the largest Colombian populations in the county. Hialeah is known for its big Spanish-speaking community and Latino-owned businesses, while the city of Miami gives you more transit options and a shorter trip to downtown jobs.

How to choose

Before you sign a lease, compare a few things:

• Your commute. Miami’s expressways can get very congested at rush hour, so a route that looks quick on a map may take twice as long in real life. Check the drive at the time you’d be on the road.

• Transit. If you don’t have a car yet, look at areas near Metrorail or major bus routes.

• Schools, if you’re moving with kids. Check school boundaries before you commit to an address.

• Your full budget, not just rent (more on that below).

Our checklist for your first 30 days in Miami covers transit, health coverage and other settling-in steps in more detail.

Cost of living in Miami compared with Colombia

You’ll earn in dollars, but you’ll also pay Miami prices, and rent is only part of it. A few things to factor into your budget:

• Florida doesn’t charge a personal state income tax, which helps your take-home pay.

• You’ll pay Florida’s 6% state sales tax, plus any local surtax, on many purchases.

• Car insurance, health insurance, electricity in the summer and storm or flood coverage can all add up.

• If you send money home every month, put it in the budget as a fixed expense, the same way you would rent.

Curious how your budget would change? Compare the cost of living in Miami with your city in Colombia, Bogotá included, using our free tool.

Keep your Colombian documents current from Miami

Moving abroad doesn’t end your paperwork in Colombia. The Colombian Consulate in Miami handles passports, cédulas, civil registry, apostille questions and notarial services such as powers of attorney.

A few practical tips:

• Book an appointment first. The consulate asks people not to come in without one, and you schedule it through its online system. New appointment slots open at 10:00 a.m., so log in on time.

• Bring a valid ID. The yellow cédula with holograms and the digital cédula are the only documents accepted for procedures.

• Pick up your new passport. Passports that aren’t collected within six months of being issued are canceled and sent back to Colombia.

• Registering a child born in Miami. To get your child a Colombian registro civil (civil registry record), you’ll need the original U.S. birth certificate with an apostille, plus an official translation if it isn’t in Spanish.

• Managing things back home. If someone in Colombia needs to sign for you (selling property, handling a bank account), a power of attorney through the consulate can help. Check current fees on the consulate’s site before you go.

For documents issued in Colombia, like diplomas or birth certificates, the Cancillería’s apostille service works online, so you can request it from Miami. Planning to use your degree here? Our guide on how to find a job in Miami explains how to get Colombian degrees legalized and evaluated for U.S. employers.

Your first weeks in Florida

Some steps apply to every newcomer, wherever they’re from:

• Driver’s license. Florida requires new residents to get a Florida driver’s license within 30 days of establishing residency, and vehicles need Florida insurance to be titled and registered.

• Tax ID and bank account. Depending on your situation, you’ll need a Social Security number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Our financial checklist for moving to the US from Colombia walks through both, plus opening a bank account.

• Hurricane season. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. If you grew up in Bogotá or Medellín, the heat and the storms may take some getting used to, so put together an emergency kit before June.

Find your community in Miami

Meeting people who’ve been through the same move makes the first months easier. A few places to start:

• The Office of New Americans. Miami-Dade’s Office of New Americans offers free and low-cost classes to prepare for the citizenship test, help with naturalization applications and referrals to financial coaching.

• The Colombian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Miami. It hosts networking events and workshops, which helps if you’re building a career or a business.

• The consulate itself. Beyond paperwork, the Colombian Consulate in Miami runs community workshops, so check its news page now and then.

• Plaza Colombia at Westwind Lakes Park in Kendall, plus the Colombian restaurants and bakeries across Doral and Kendall, where you’ll often find flyers for local events.

How to send money to Colombia from Miami

If you’ll be helping family back home, you’re in good company. Migración Colombia reports these figures, based on Banco de la República data:

• 2025: Colombia received a record $13.098 billion in remittances.

• That’s 10.6% more than in 2024.

• The U.S. is the largest source, with $6.298 billion sent in 2024 alone.

With Ria, your family can receive money the way that works for them:

• Straight to a bank account, including when you send money to Bancolombia.

• Through Bre-B, using the Bre-B key linked to their account.

• To a mobile wallet like Nequi.

• As cash pickup at a location in Colombia.

You can send online, in the Ria app or at a Ria location in Miami.

FAQs

New city, same family. Once you’re settled in Miami, we make it simple to support the people back home: send money to Colombia to a bank account, through Bre-B, to a Nequi wallet or for cash pickup.