Question for people that have gone to overseas military bases with family.?

Question

If you already have a passport that you have used, do you need to apply for a new passport through the military in order to go to the overseas base? (For dependents) I was told that we had to. I don't see why though.

Answer 1

you need BOTH the tourist passport and the No fee one.  the No fee one is what allows you to stay in the country without a visa.  Its not costing you anything and you MUST have it in order to travel on orders to and from the host Nation and CONUS.  

Answer 2

Unfortunately, yes you have to get a new passport.  There are steps you can take in order to expedite the process.  As you know, since you already have a passport, the whole process is time consuming.  Call them and ask what steps and what proof you would need for your passport to be expidited.  Hopefully, they will be able to help you.  Nothing says youhave to travel overseas the same time as your spouse though, and you may just have to wait until the process is done before you are allowed to meet your spouse wherever you are to be stationed.  He, however, HAS to go so that he may report on time and he would not need a passport so there is nothing to hold him back while you wait for yours (unless things have changed since 2004 when I was sent to Germany).  Good luck to you and enjoy your time overseas!  If you have questions, contact base family services (example Army has ACS, Navy has Fleet and Family etc etc) they should have people there that can help make your transition a little easier.

Answer 3

You need a military sponsered passport to move overseas.  Basically, this will take the place of the visa that any other civilian moving overseas would need to have.  The regulations for those visas are pretty strict (although they vary by country) and would require you to have a job, money set aside and a place to live.  You would have to register in the country as well.  By using the military visa, you will be documented as being a SOFA status dependent of a military member on change of duty station orders.  It is a much simpler and easier process.  You will only use the military issued passport to travel to and from the country you are stationed in to CONUS (continental US) for visits or when you finally move back.  Again, you must do that because otherwise, once you enter the country, you will be in the system as a tourist, with the limits to how long you may stay that are applied to other tourists, not as someone being sponsered to live there.  However, if you travel to any other country, you would then use your normal US passport.  Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do...you have to have them.  However, the base is supposed to take care of procuring them and they should be able to put a rush on it.  Otherwise, you may have to wait until you have them to join your military sponser..they generally will not delay his travel because of documentation problems in the family.

Answer 4

You have to because you are going to be there for an extended period of time. The military passport will have the SOFA stamp in it which shows that you are there as part of the US military.  

Answer 5

No, if you have a current passport it should suffice.  You do need to have that base commanders ok for you to go there.

Answer 6

Military passports are coded as military and you do need one to go overseas at military expense.