OCONUS Assignment Intelligence
An OCONUS move is a different animal. Your BAH becomes OHA. Your familiar neighborhood becomes a foreign country. Your kids might attend DoDEA, or they might be learning Japanese with local kids down the street. This is where it gets interesting - and where the right preparation makes all the difference.
The guides below cover every major OCONUS installation with honest, practical information: housing allowances, DODEA school locations, SOFA protections, driving requirements, cultural orientation, pet import rules, and what military families who have served there actually wish they had known before they arrived.
Choose Your Destination
Select your gaining installation's country for a complete guide written specifically for military families.
The largest US military presence in Europe. The KMC (Kaiserslautern Military Community) is the hub, with multiple installations across Bavaria, Hesse, and Rheinland-Pfalz.
From the bustling Kanto Plain near Tokyo to the northern Misawa in Aomori, mainland Japan installations offer rich cultural immersion with top-tier access to travel.
Subtropical island life with world-class beaches, a distinct Ryukyuan culture, and the largest USAF base in the Pacific. Okinawa is one of the world's Blue Zones.
Camp Humphreys is the largest overseas US base in the world. Dynamic culture, phenomenal food, accessible travel, and an unforgettable assignment.
From NATO's southern headquarters in Naples to the Dolomites near Aviano and the warm Sicilian coast at Sigonella, Italy delivers a truly extraordinary assignment.
English-speaking but genuinely different. Suffolk's American bases put families within reach of Cambridge, London, and all of Europe via budget airlines.
Spain's only US installation is a sun-drenched Navy base on the Bay of Cadiz, minutes from the sherry triangle, Andalusian flamenco, and a day-trip to Africa.
The hub of US Naval Forces Central Command. Cosmopolitan Manama, compound living, Formula 1, and a financial package that often surprises families in a good way.
Know Before You Go
Six things every military family should understand before their first OCONUS PCS.
OCONUS moves replace BAH with OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance), which is set by DoD based on local rental surveys in each area. OHA is designed to cover actual rent costs, and unlike BAH it adjusts to your actual lease amount (up to the cap). You also receive a Move-In Housing Allowance (MIHA) for one-time costs like utility deposits.
A SOFA is a bilateral treaty between the US and each host nation that defines the legal status of US military personnel. SOFA covers criminal jurisdiction (who tries you for what offense), customs and duty-free import privileges, vehicle registration, and employment authorization for military spouses. Each country's SOFA is different - your SJA office is your resource.
The Department of Defense Education Activity operates accredited K-12 schools on or near most major OCONUS installations. DoDEA schools follow US curriculum standards, have no tuition, and are generally well-funded. They are a major reason families often prefer on-post or near-post housing overseas. Not every small installation has a DoDEA school - check before you finalize housing.
OCONUS COLA supplements your pay to offset the higher cost of goods and services overseas. The rate varies by installation and fluctuates with exchange rates. Some locations (such as Camp Humphreys in Korea or Okinawa) carry a significant COLA that meaningfully increases your effective income. COLA is not taxable income.
OCONUS moves include weight-limited household goods shipment and, for most locations, one POV (privately owned vehicle) shipment. Customs rules differ by country - some items (firearms, certain foods, plants, pets) require advance documentation. Your transportation office and the gaining installation's inprocessing guide are essential reading before you pack.
TRICARE coverage works differently outside CONUS. Most overseas installations have military treatment facilities, but you will also have access to host-nation healthcare (often excellent and inexpensive). TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP) covers emergency care from local providers. Understand your plan before you go - and download the TRICARE app for overseas coverage details.
Common Questions
Most OCONUS assignments are "accompanied tours," meaning your dependents are authorized to join you and you receive OHA and other allowances to support the family. Some assignments (particularly Korea unaccompanied tours and certain hardship locations) are "unaccompanied," meaning dependents are not authorized at government expense. Your orders will specify. EFMP families must be screened and approved by the gaining installation before reporting.
No - and many families prefer off-post living for cultural immersion. If you live off-post, you receive OHA, which is set to cover your actual rent up to the cap for your rank and dependency status. If you live in government quarters (on-post housing), your OHA is collected to offset the cost. Your housing office will walk you through options when you arrive.
No. DoDEA schools are available and often excellent, but you can choose host-nation schools (a fantastic option for language immersion), private international schools, or homeschooling. Many families overseas choose DoDEA for consistency and curriculum continuity, particularly for kids in high school who are concerned about college transcripts.
It depends on the country and the SOFA. Some SOFAs explicitly authorize military spouses to work for US employers on the installation (AAFES, NAF jobs, DoD civilian positions) without a host-nation work permit. Working for a local employer requires a host-nation work visa, which some countries readily grant and others do not. Federal telework positions are another growing option.
BAH stops when you PCS overseas. It is replaced by OHA (if you live off-post) or quarters (if you live on-post). If your dependents remain in CONUS - for example, a spouse who stays behind for a school year - you may be authorized BAH-Diff or other allowances. Talk to your finance office before departure.
Start immediately - some destinations (Japan, Okinawa, UK, Hawaii) require a 6-month or longer advance preparation timeline for pets including specific vaccines, microchipping, and bloodwork at USDA-approved labs. Missing a step can result in your pet being quarantined at your expense upon arrival. Contact the gaining installation's veterinary clinic as soon as you receive orders.
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