I still remember standing in our living room in Belgium, surrounded by boxes that had just arrived after months on a boat, trying to figure out which box held our daughter’s toy she’s screaming for. She was two. It was dark out, kids should be in bed and my husband was at work.
That moment is burned into my memory not because it was the worst part of the move … it wasn’t … but because it captures something real about what an overseas PCS actually is. It’s not just a move. It’s a complete logistical reorganization of your entire life across international borders, on a military timeline, with small kids in tow and no margin for error.
If you’re newer to military life, you may have already read my post on general PCS tips … the purging, the Do Not Pack room, the movers and the garbage cans. That post covers the fundamentals that apply to any military move. This one is different. This one is specifically about what changes when you’re going overseas: the shipments, the pay, the passports, the pets, and the parts of the process that are completely unique to OCONUS orders.
This is your foundation. Let’s build it.
Understanding Your Shipments: You Have More Than One
The biggest mindset shift for OCONUS moves is this: you don’t have a single shipment. You have several, and they work completely differently from each other. Getting clear on this early will save you enormous confusion during pack-out.
Unaccompanied Baggage (UAB) travels by air and arrives fastest. You typically receive the shipment within two to four weeks of pickup. This is your bridge shipment. It should hold the essentials you genuinely cannot go without while you wait for everything else: uniforms, linens, basic kitchen items, kids’ school supplies, bicycles, cribs, a few comfort items. I believe you are allowed up to 500 pounds and it will still ship through air. Think of it as the box you’d pack if you knew you were camping in your new home for a month.
Household Goods (HHG) is your main shipment. This is the shipment with all the furniture, all the boxes, the bulk of your household. It travels by sea container. In 2026, plan for eight to twelve weeks from pickup to delivery, and know that during peak PCS season (May through August), port congestion can push that timeline longer. When we moved from Belgium to Utah our HHG shipment sat in customs for a month and was well past the deliver by date. Your weight allowance is determined by rank and number of dependents, the same as any PCS, but overseas there are additional customs restrictions and volume considerations that can complicate what you’re able to ship.
Storage is available if you have items you don’t want to take overseas. Many people store large furniture that won’t fit in a smaller overseas home, seasonal items, things you want to protect. The military covers the cost of approved storage while you’re OCONUS, and ships those items to your next duty station when you PCS again.
POV (Privately Owned Vehicle) The military authorizes you to ship one vehicle to most OCONUS locations through the Vehicle Processing Center (VPC) system, managed through PCSmyPOV.com. I have a dedicated post on the full VPC process with 2026 updates, if you haven’t read it yet, go there next: How to Ship Your POV Through the VPC. If you need to ship a second vehicle, that’s a private, out-of-pocket arrangement through a commercial carrier.
How Your Pay Changes Overseas
This piece gets skipped in a lot of OCONUS guides, and it shouldn’t. Moving overseas changes your pay structure significantly, and understanding it before you start apartment hunting matters.
BAH becomes OHA. Your Basic Allowance for Housing is replaced by Overseas Housing Allowance, which works differently. OHA is based on your actual rent, up to a locality cap, rather than a flat rate by zip code. This means what you’re entitled to depends on where you live and what you actually pay. So get familiar with your specific location’s OHA rates before you sign a lease.
COLA is added. Cost of Living Allowance is designed to offset the higher day-to-day costs of goods and services at your overseas duty station. The amount varies significantly by location and is adjusted based on regular surveys. Some overseas assignments come with a meaningful COLA; others are much smaller. Look yours up early as it affects your budget planning.
MIHA helps with move-in costs. Move-In Housing Allowance is available to cover things like security deposits, utility setup fees, and required appliance purchases in countries where appliances aren’t typically included in rentals. In much of Europe, for example, you’ll often be renting an unfurnished space without even a refrigerator. MIHA exists to help cover those initial setup costs.
Work with your Finance office as soon as you have orders to understand exactly what you’re entitled to at your specific gaining location. Don’t assume … ASK.
Passports: Two Per Person, Start Immediately
A lot of families don’t realize they need two passports per family member for an overseas PCS. Here’s the breakdown:
The no-fee (official) passport covers your travel on military orders and is processed through your Military Personnel Flight. Bring your orders. This one is relatively straightforward and handled through official channels. This passport will have your SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) stamp or card. You will no be allowed in country if each person, including children, do not have this passport.
The tourist passport is for personal travel exploring your host country, visiting neighboring countries during your tour, any travel you do on your own time. This one goes through the State Department on your own dime and timeline. Routine processing currently runs six to eight weeks. Expedited is faster but costs extra, and during busy seasons even expedited can take longer than you’d expect.
Start both applications the week you get orders. For every member of your family that is listed on the orders. If anyone’s passport is expired or expiring within the next year, factor that into your timeline too.
One more thing: some host nations require entry documentation beyond just a passport, and SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) status governs your legal standing, driving privileges, and tax exemptions in your host country. Your gaining installation’s sponsor or the legal office can walk you through what applies to your specific location.
Planning Your Shipments: Separate Days, Separate Spaces
Because your shipments are going to different places on completely different timelines, they cannot be packed on the same day by the same crew without very careful management on your part.
The standard sequence is UAB first, household goods next, and storage last. Before movers arrive for any of it, designate clear physical sections of your home to each shipment type — a room, a section of the garage, a clearly taped-off area. Label everything. Move items into those sections ahead of time, not the morning of.
Movers work fast. The more thinking you’ve done before they arrive, the less you’re doing in real time while trying to manage kids, answer questions, and keep an eye on every room simultaneously. Do yourself that favor.
Also: before any crew touches anything, walk through your home and video every room and every item of value. This isn’t optional. It’s how you protect yourself if something arrives damaged, and something may arrive damaged. That documentation is your claim.
Planning for the Vehicle Gap
The gap between when you drop off your vehicle at the VPC and when it arrives at your destination is something a lot of families underestimate, and it can cause real stress if you haven’t planned for it.
The approach that has worked best for us: ship the POV about 30 days before departure so we have time to wrap up life stateside without being car-less for too long, then arrange coverage for those final weeks through a rental or a second vehicle. On the OCONUS side, we’ve also paid privately to ship a second vehicle before, and we’ve made do with one. Neither option is wrong they just have different tradeoffs.
What I’d tell you: research the public transit situation at your gaining location before you decide. In parts of Europe, a car matters much less than you’d think. At some other OCONUS locations, you’ll feel the vehicle gap in a way that’s genuinely hard. Know which situation you’re walking into.
Housing: Contact the Office, Know Your Options
Every overseas installation handles housing differently, and the range is wide. Some have robust on-base housing with manageable waitlists. Others have essentially no on-base housing and expect families to live on the economy from day one.
Contact the housing office at your gaining installation early, even before you have firm dates if possible. If on-base is available and you want it, get on the list as soon as you’re eligible. If you’ll be living off-base, understand that you likely can’t secure a lease until you’re physically there, which means you need TLF (Temporary Lodging Facility) or equivalent accommodations confirmed for arrival. Land somewhere. Know where that is before you board the plane.
If You Have Pets: This Section Is Not Optional
Our family has never moved with pets. My husband’s rule has always been not until retirement but I have walked alongside enough friends through this process to know it deserves its own serious attention.
The landscape for military families with pets changed significantly on January 1, 2024. The DoD now reimburses service members for pet transportation costs during a PCS: up to $2,000 for OCONUS moves, or up to $4,000 if you’re PCSing from a high-rabies country. For years, military families paid every single dollar of those costs out of pocket. This reimbursement is a meaningful change.
What hasn’t changed is the timeline pressure. Some destinations have import requirements that can take months to complete. Japan is the most commonly cited example as it requires a rabies titer test with a 180-day waiting period before arrival. Miss a step, or miscalculate the timing, and your pet could face quarantine of up to 180 days upon arrival. The UK and Australia have their own sets of requirements. This is not a last-minute errand.
If you’re moving OCONUS with a pet, your first call the day you get orders should be to your base vet clinic. Look up your destination’s specific import requirements through the USDA APHIS website. Then find the Facebook groups and spouse communities for your gaining installation. The people who just went through it at that specific location will give you the most accurate real-world picture of what the process actually looks like.
Planning the Flight
International military flights are a different experience from a commercial trip to visit family. They’re long, they’re full of other military families in the same state of exhaustion you’re in, and they require more advance preparation than people expect.
Pack food for your kids. Airplane food on long flights can be hit or miss, and if your kids are picky, don’t gamble on it. I bring snacks I know they’ll eat: granola bars, dry cereal, easy things that don’t require refrigeration or heating. For a 9+ hour flight, hungry kids are a problem you can solve before you board.
Plan entertainment intentionally. Download movies to tablets before you leave. Pack the Nintendo Switch. Have headphones ready and accessible in their carry-on, not buried under everything else. Know what your specific kids need to be okay for a very long stretch in a seat.
Dress for the flight, not for arrival. Comfort is the priority. Bring your own blanket (we each have one) and a travel pillow. Have every charger on the plane with you. Dress in something you can actually sleep in, because you should try to sleep.
Each family member is typically authorized two checked bags up to 70 pounds each on Patriot Express flights. Use them strategically: this luggage is your household for the weeks between landing and when your UAB and HHG arrive. Think through what you actually need to function in those first weeks and make sure it’s in those bags.
A Word on the School Liaison and Your Sponsor
Two resources that often go underutilized:
Your School Liaison Officer (SLO) at your gaining installation can be a lifeline if you have school-age kids. They can tell you what schools are available on and off base, help you navigate the enrollment process from a distance, and connect you with the right people before you even arrive. Reach out early. Don’t wait until you land.
Your sponsor is typically assigned by the gaining unit. If you haven’t heard from one, ask for one. A good sponsor can answer the real-world questions that official resources don’t cover — what the housing actually looks like, where people grocery shop, what you should know before you arrive. They’ve been where you’re going and most of them want to help.
You’re Ready for This
An overseas PCS is genuinely one of the more complex things a military family takes on. It asks a lot of you, often with a short runway and incomplete information.
But the families who do this … and you’re one of them … figure it out. You ask questions. You find the people who’ve been there. You do the prep, you stay flexible when things don’t go to plan, and you find your footing faster than you think you will.
If you’re still building your general PCS foundation, start with PCS Tips & Lessons Learned. And when you’re ready to tackle shipping your vehicle, How to Ship Your POV Through the VPC has the full 2026 breakdown.
Drop your questions in the comments. I read every single one.
NOTE: This post was originally published in May 2021. It has been updated with expanded content and current 2026 information.
Wow! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Great choice of colors!