Posted on Jun 5, 2015
Does my spouse need a military passport to PCS with me to my OCONUS assignment in Germany?
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I am returning to Germany this fall and have made all the arrangements for My wife and I to PCS together. My wife already has a civilian passport and will be Command sponsored. She was told today by one of her customers at the CDC that she needs to have a military passport and a civilian passport for all OCONUS assignments. I just left Germany in 2011 and that was not a requirement then. Does anyone have any up to date information on this matter? Dose she actually need both types of passports or will her civilian passport and my orders suffice?
PCS
Germany
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 30
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Yes, she needs an official no fee passport issued for the PCS. Your tourist visa will not work. Ensure there is a SOFA stamp in it. It has to do with SOFA compliance, especially if your wife wants to work
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LTC Jason Mackay
If it is holding you up, it can be expedited, but not that much. It is state, not DoD, holding it up
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MAJ (Join to see)
The good LTC is absolutely correct. When I PCS'd to Germany in 2008, my wife did not have the no-fee passport (we were told we could do it once we arrived) and the Air Force would not let her board our MAC flight in Baltimore without it. She had to visit State in person and stay with friends in the DC area for a week waiting on the expedited passport to be completed.
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SFC Aaron Calmes
The LTC is absolutely correct. People do confuse official with government (red). A normal civilian passport is blue and good for 10 years and you pay out of pocket. The ones your family members get are official no fee passports (also blue) They are free and considered official but are only good for five years. Reccomend everyone have a civilian passport as well. (Former military passport agent.)
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Read every line of your orders and if you still have questions, contact the office that cut the orders. No one on here knows your specific situation. I have done both Germany and Korea and never have I needed any passport. The Koreans would not even stamp mine when I went on leave to the Philippines. One big difference a blue passport can mean is the length of stay in a country. My family visited me in Korea and was limited to 90 days on a blue US passport. Your best bet if your orders do not clarify this question then ask those who cut your orders.
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SGT (Join to see)
Thank you Sir. As soon as my orders drop I will be able to make a better decision like you are saying. I never needed a passport when I was in Germany the first time either. They let me travel anywhere as long as I paid them a small fee to enter the country when I drove through.
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SSG Keith Cashion
The Soldier does not require the Passport unless the Assignment instructions dictate. The Dependents on the other do. This is a requirement, we make sure we tell Soldiers that Tourist (Paid for By Soldier) are not authorized. The "No Fee" passport (Paid for by the Military) also includes the SOFA stamp. This passport is used only to get in country. Additionally, the Major is correct....READ YOUR ORDERS.
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She should have one and it should be reflected on your orders. However, if you are short on time, have her travel on her tourist passport and get an official upon arrival.
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SGT (Join to see)
Thank you Sir! We will make a decision based on how much time we have left before PCS. We are due to arrive in Germany NLT 10Sep2015 and still are waiting for my orders to drop.
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