Moving from Colombia to Miami: a step-by-step guide

Moving from Colombia to Miami is more than packing: you need to decide what to bring and how, clear U.S. customs with your furniture without paying duty, meet the rules for bringing your dog and move your money without problems in either country. We walk through each step using the official rules of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the CDC and Colombia's tax and customs authority (DIAN), so you can plan your move in time and without surprises.

What to bring and how to ship it

First, decide how much to bring. Many families bring only what has value or meaning (clothes, documents, artwork, a few good pieces of furniture) and buy the rest in Miami. With that list, there are three common ways to ship it:

• Full container by sea: a 20- or 40-foot container just for you. It is the option for a whole home. It leaves from ports such as Cartagena, Barranquilla or Buenaventura and arrives at PortMiami or Port Everglades.
• Consolidated sea freight: your boxes share a container with other customers' goods. You pay by volume, so it works out cheaper for a small move, but it takes longer because the container has to fill up.
• Air freight: the fastest and the most expensive per kilo. It makes sense for a few boxes you need from day one.

Get at least three written quotes, based on the same inventory, and ask what each includes: packing, customs paperwork in both countries, insurance, door-to-door delivery and storage if your Miami home is not ready yet. On the Colombian side, the moving company or its customs broker usually handles the export declaration with DIAN; confirm this before you sign.

U.S. customs: your furniture duty-free

Federal rules let you bring household furnishings and effects duty-free if they meet three conditions:

1. You have used them abroad for at least one year. The year does not have to be continuous or right before the move, and family use counts if you lived in that household during that time.
2. They are not for another person or for sale.
3. You declare them. If they arrive separately, in a container or by air freight, you use CBP Form 3299, with a detailed inventory. Your moving company or its U.S. customs broker files it with you.

New items, items you bring to sell and anything that does not meet the one-year use rule may be dutiable. Some products have their own rules: food, plants, seeds, untreated wood, alcohol and tobacco. To avoid delays and fines, do not pack food in the container and clean garden furniture, bicycles and outdoor shoes well, because soil is inspected too.

How to choose a moving company

In the U.S., companies that arrange international ocean shipments must be licensed or registered with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC). The FMC itself advises against handing your belongings or money to any company that is not, and publishes a search tool on its website to check. The most common complaints it receives are deliveries that never arrive, damage or loss, long delays and charges that go up once the cargo is on its way.

• Check the license in the FMC search tool using the company's exact name.
• Get the quote in writing, all-inclusive, and be wary of a price far below the others.
• Buy cargo insurance and understand what it covers: declared value or replacement value.
• Photograph your furniture before packing and keep a copy of the signed inventory.

If you travel with a dog or cat

Since August 2024, the CDC has applied stricter rules to dogs entering the U.S., and Colombia is on its list of high-risk countries for dog rabies. That means a dog that has been in Colombia in the past six months must meet extra requirements:

• Be at least 6 months old and have a microchip readable by a universal scanner.
• Be vaccinated against rabies, with the documentation the CDC requires, and travel with the CDC Dog Import Form.
• If it was vaccinated outside the U.S., arrive through an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility, with a reservation made in advance. Miami's is one of them. There it is examined and revaccinated; if it does not have a valid antibody test, the reservation must include a 28-day quarantine.

The rules change often and a mistake can mean your dog is sent back, so check the CDC page before booking your flight and start the process months ahead. Cats are not subject to these federal requirements, although the airline may ask for a health certificate.

Your money: cash and transfers

Carrying cash is legal, but you have to declare it:

• Leaving Colombia: if you carry more than $10,000 or the equivalent in pesos or other currencies, you must declare it to DIAN on Form 530. Failing to declare can bring a fine of up to 40% of the excess, plus seizure of the money.
• Entering the U.S.: if you carry more than $10,000 in cash and other instruments, such as traveler's checks, you must declare it to CBP on FinCEN Form 105. It is not a tax, just a report, but if you do not file it the money can be seized.

For large amounts, a bank transfer is safer and easier to document. Open a U.S. account first (we explain how in opening a bank account without an SSN) and compare the total cost of sending the money, exchange rate included. Services such as Wise show the fee and rate before you send; we compare them with other options in our money transfer comparison. If you sell property or withdraw savings in Colombia, keep the paperwork: your U.S. bank may ask where the money comes from.

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What about the car?

Bringing your car from Colombia is rarely worth it. A vehicle built for the Colombian market usually does not meet U.S. safety and emissions standards (NHTSA and EPA), and bringing it into compliance through a registered importer tends to be expensive and slow. Most people sell it there and buy or lease one here. Once you settle, you have 30 days to get a Florida driver's license; we explain the process in the Florida driver's license for foreigners.

Documents to bring

Carry the originals in your hand luggage, not in the container, and scan everything before you leave:

• Passports with the visa or immigration document of every family member.
• Birth and marriage certificates, apostilled. In Colombia, apostilles are issued by the Foreign Ministry (Cancillería) and requested online.
• Diplomas and transcripts, also apostilled, with an English translation if you will have your studies recognized or enroll your children.
• Your children's vaccination records: Florida schools require them for enrollment.
• Your Colombian driver's license and, if possible, a record of your driving history, which some insurers take into account.
• Bank reference letters and recent statements, which help you rent without a U.S. credit history.

Moving timeline

Where Colombians live in Miami

According to the Census Bureau's ACS survey, Colombians make up about 12% of the population in Key Biscayne (12.9%), Sunny Isles Beach (12.3%) and Doral (12.1%), and also in Weston (12.6%), in Broward County. They have a strong presence in Aventura (8.5%) and Kendall (7.4%). To compare rent, schools and flood risk in each area, start with our guide to Miami neighborhoods.

Frequently asked questions

Method note

Customs rules come from the federal regulation on household effects (19 CFR 148.52) and CBP Form 3299. Dog requirements come from the CDC, using the high-risk country list in force in October 2026. Cash reporting rules come from DIAN and FinCEN. The advice on moving companies comes from the Federal Maritime Commission. Shares of the Colombian-origin population come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2020-2024 five-year average). Data reviewed in October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal, immigration or customs advice.