It is common to find citizens that want to have a Florida residency, because one of the state benefits is that you do not have to pay income taxes, which is an excellent way to save money.
However, if you spend time in one or more states, but want to apply to become a permanent resident of Florida, you must demonstrate your intentions and possibilities to live there.
In this article, we will show all the requirements you need to fulfill.
What are the Florida residency requirements?
Usually, the first thing you have to do is proving that you spent more than 183 days (about 6 months) in the state you have intentions to claim as your new permanent residency.
But how do you prove this? Here are some things you can do to demonstrate it and finally become a Florida resident.
File a Declaration of Domicile
Just because you have a house in Florida, it does not mean that you are a resident. In most cases, people own properties there but use them only for vacationing purposes.
In consequence, you must file a “Declaration of Domicile,“ a document in which you declare The State of Florida as your primary residence.
By the time of filing your declaration, you must also specify if you have a residence in another state. But do not worry, this will not affect your application; despite you may have lived in other states, in the document, you will confirm that Florida is your principal residence.
Then, sign it and wait for the approval. You need to sign the document so that the application is valid.
Please note that if you falsify anything in the documentation, you will be sued for perjury and will have to serve five years in a state prison and pay a fine of $ 5,000.
Also, the Declaration of Domicile must be made in front of a Florida clerk court deputy or a public notary; this way, it will be considered as a formal process.
Get a Florida driver’s license, or non-driver ID card
Getting a driver’s license demonstrates that you are trying to leave behind your old residence.
After filling the Declaration of Domicile, you have 30 days to get a driver’s license; in Florida, you are not allowed to have other states’ licenses.
Consequently, if you go to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), they will confiscate the document. However, in this case, you do not need to take the written or driving tests to get the new license.
You may need to show your Social Security number and two more documents that contain your Florida address.
If you do not drive, you must get a non-driver ID card instead.
Register to Vote
Another thing you have to do is register to vote in Florida. You can do it after receiving your driver’s license; in fact, the DMV may provide you with the voter registration form, you just have to fill it, and submit it.
You should complete this step while the voter registration books are still open (they close 30 days before an election).
Note that, besides the registration, if you actually participate as a voter, the authorities will evidence of your intentions to settle in Florida.
Register your vehicles
After getting the Florida permanent residency, you will have ten days to register your vehicles to the DMV; this includes cars and boats located in Florida. This implies to take your vehicles to the department so they can verify their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Open an account in local banks
Another way to prove you want to be a resident is by opening a new account or transferring one of your out-of-state accounts into a Florida bank institution.
Additional important information
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Trump’s administration has issued an executive order that temporarily suspends the procedures to obtain the US permanent residence for some foreign citizens.