Before Your First Visit to FDC Miami: How to Get on the Approved Visiting List
Before you make the trip to FDC Miami, make sure you're cleared to visit. Most people get turned away simply because they aren't on the approved list yet.
To visit someone at FDC Miami, you must be on their approved visiting list - and that approval has to happen before you show up. Arrive without being cleared, and you won't get in, no matter how far you traveled. Not sure if you're approved? Treat that as a "no" until you confirm otherwise.
Sometimes the visiting list isn't set up yet - this happens when someone first arrives or after a transfer. Immediate family members may still be allowed to visit if staff can verify the relationship through the inmate's Pre‑Sentence Report. Don't assume this will happen automatically. Call ahead to avoid a wasted trip.
For questions about a detainee at FDC Miami - or to confirm what you need before visiting - call (305) 577-0010. Have the detainee's full name and alien registration number (A-number) ready. No A-number? Be prepared to share full biographical details so staff can identify the right person.
Verification Docs
- ✓ The detainee’s full name
- ✓ The detainee’s alien registration number (A-number), if you have it
- ✓ If you don’t have an A-number: the detainee’s full biographical details (enough to confirm identity)
- ✓ Your relationship to the detainee (especially if the visiting list isn’t created yet and immediate-family verification may be used)
- ✓ Any details that help staff verify you as immediate family through what’s listed in the detainee’s Pre‑Sentence Report
- ✓ (Optional but helpful) A quick note of what you want to ask when you call (305) 577-0010 so you don’t forget under stress
Dress and Contact
- ✓ Avoid provocative or revealing clothing - being dressed inappropriately can get your visit denied
- ✓ Don’t wear clothing that resembles inmate attire, including khaki or green military-type clothing
- ✓ When you’re unsure, dress conservatively so you don’t risk being turned away after you’ve already arrived
Note: Physical contact is generally limited to brief handshakes, hugs, and kisses (in good taste) at the beginning and end of the visit, and staff can restrict contact for security reasons. Conjugal visits are not permitted.
Plan your transportation before committing to the trip. There's no government payment or reimbursement for travel to FDC Miami - you're on your own for that. Need directions, public transit info, or want to confirm you're cleared? Call (305) 577-0010. Here's a simple script: "Hi, I'm planning to visit. Can you confirm what I need to do to be approved, and whether I'm cleared? The detainee's full name is ____, and the A-number (or biographical details) is ____."
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