Before you start

A valid visa or other admission category, and work authorisation from DHS for anything paid
An electronic I-94 record from the CBP website
A Florida address, evidenced twice for the licensing application
An appointment at an Orange County Tax Collector office

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your admission class and 'admit until' date, and it is what employers, the tax collector's office and the Social Security Administration will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website, free.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Book the tax collector appointment immediately
Florida driver licence and vehicle services are delivered by county tax collectors, not by a state motor vehicle department. In Orange County that means the Tax Collector's offices, and appointments are the practical route. Book before you have unpacked — the vehicle clock is only 10 days.
OnlineWho: YouDay 1–3
3
Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
The SSA verifies your status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks, so going in on day two usually wastes the trip. File Form SS-5 in person with your passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
4
If you cannot get an SSN, file for an ITIN
IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing, accepted by many banks and landlords. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
5
Expect E-Verify at any employer of size
Florida requires private employers above a statutory headcount threshold to run new hires through the federal E-Verify system. In practice that means most of the large park, hospital and contractor employers here verify systematically at onboarding. Have your work authorisation document ready on day one rather than promising to bring it.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
6
File a Declaration of Domicile if you are changing state tax residency
Anyone moving to Florida from a state with an income tax should establish Florida domicile deliberately. A Declaration of Domicile filed with the Orange County Comptroller, alongside the Florida licence, voter registration and vehicle registration, is the standard evidence set. The state you left may examine the question; contemporaneous documents are worth far more than a later recollection.
In personWho: You
7
Keep a copy of every immigration document in two places
The I-94, visa page, approval notices and SSN card are asked for repeatedly across the first year — by employers, banks, landlords, the tax collector and the marketplace. Scan them once and keep the set reachable from a phone.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
I-94 admission record from the CBP website
Form SS-5 for a Social Security number, or IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN
Two proofs of a Florida residential address
Certified English translations of any non-English documents
Social Security number, or documentation of ineligibility

Things most newcomers don’t know

Florida runs driver licensing through county tax collectors, not a state DMV.

Almost every other state has one motor vehicle agency. In Florida the counties deliver the service under contract, so in Orange County you are booking with the Tax Collector, and the office you want may not be the one nearest your house. Newcomers searching for a 'Florida DMV appointment' routinely lose a week to this before finding the right agency.

Source: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

The vehicle clock is 10 days, and it is the one people miss.

Florida gives 30 days for the driver licence and only 10 days to title and register a vehicle after establishing residency. The licence deadline is the one that gets quoted, so people arrive, plan around 30 days, and are already late on the shorter obligation. Registration also requires Florida insurance in place first, which adds another step in front of it.

Source: FLHSMV — new resident

Establishing Florida domicile is an active step, not a consequence of moving.

The financial reason to move to Florida is that it has no state income tax. The state you left may not accept that you have gone, particularly if you keep a home there. The Declaration of Domicile, the Florida licence, the voter registration and the vehicle registration form the standard evidence set, and they are worth doing in the first month while they are easy.

Source: Orange County Comptroller / Florida statutes

The visa sticker's expiry is not your permission to stay.

A visa authorises travel to a port of entry; the officer there decides how long you may remain and records it on the I-94. People routinely plan around the wrong date and discover the error at renewal.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection — I-94 record

Common mistakes to avoid

Searching for a 'Florida DMV' and never finding the county tax collector who actually does it.
Planning around the 30-day licence deadline and missing the 10-day vehicle one.
Turning up to register a car without Florida insurance already in force.
Visiting a Social Security office in the first week, before DHS records have synced.
Assuming a move alone ends your old state's claim on your income tax.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.