One gray March morning in South Korea, I was half-awake, wrapped in my usual ritual—coffee in one hand, the stillness of morning meditation in the other—when my husband broke the silence with a sentence that would upend everything.
“We’re going to Italy,” he said, casually, scrolling through his work emails.
I blinked. “You’re joking,” I said.
He wasn’t. And I immediately started crying.
For three years, I had been whispering this dream into the universe: Get us back to Europe. I didn’t know how or when, only that I felt pulled back—back to the rhythm of cobblestone streets, to countries that held pieces of my past, and to people who still felt like home. This wasn’t just another PCS. This was something else.
I grew up in Germany. Europe is stitched into the fabric of who I am. And when we left Poland in 2020, it was abrupt and messy—thanks to COVID. I had always hoped we’d get the chance to return and leave well, to write a more intentional chapter this time. Plus, if I’m being honest, the thought of returning to the States didn’t exactly spark joy. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. The thought of going back felt like a step away from the life I wanted to build.
So when the orders came, I wasn’t just excited. I was ready. And so began the journey from South Korea to Italy.
Anyway, during this particular military move, I found the information hard to come by! USAG Italy has a wonderful guide to PCS and the requirements needed to get to Italy, but I have found from talking to others who have PCS’d to Vicenza that sometimes the process is a bit convoluted. You can find their guide here: United States Army Garrison Italy PCS GUIDE
Read on to master your military move from Camp Humphreys to Vicenza Italy!
Table of Contents
Get Your Finances in Order
Start saving as soon as you hear whispers of a PCS. Living on one income? That makes it even more essential. Moving overseas is expensive, even with military support.
Big surprise: car insurance in Italy. We’d been loyal to USAA, but their quote for Italy shocked us. Then came car shopping. In Korea, we paid $1,000 for a car. In Italy? We paid $4,500 for a 2007 Honda Civic. Used cars are not cheap here.
PCS TO ITALY TIP #2
Start a savings goal for insurance, car purchases, road taxes, and transitional costs now.
International Drivers Permits
Before you move, head to AAA and get your International Driver’s Permit. Some European countries don’t recognize SETAF licenses, so having an IDP helps you legally drive across borders.
AAA IDP International Drivers Permit
Medical Screening
Every overseas PCS requires a medical screening, even if you’re already overseas.
I scheduled my doctor’s appointment six months in advance. I brought the necessary paperwork to the visit and explained the situation—thankfully, my provider helped me complete everything in one go.
Tip: Book early and get this out of the way. Wait times can be long.
PCS TO ITALY TIP #2
Book medical screenings early and get this out of the way. Wait times can be long.
No-Fee Passports
The moment you get orders, check your passport status. No-fee passports are mandatory for accompanying family members.
At Osan Airbase, the Passport Office was a lifesaver. The Camp Humphreys office? Not so much. Osan staff helped me renew mine after misinformation from Humphreys almost derailed the process.
Tip: Start early and advocate for yourself. Some passport staff are not familiar with regulations.
The entire renewal process, from start to finish, spanned approximately 8 weeks.
PCS tO ITALY TIP #3
Start early and advocate for yourself. Some passport staff are not familiar with regulations.
Missione Visa
This is one of the best parts of moving abroad with the military, different countries have different rules as to how dependents are allowed to travel and live abroad with their service member. Italy is much different than Germany, Poland, and Korea.
Italy asks that dependents of servicemembers apply for an “Italian Missione (D) Visa” IT IS HIGHLY ADVISED THAT YOU HAVE THIS IN YOUR NO-FEE PASSPORT BEFORE LANDING IN ITALY. You might not think this is a big deal, but it is. They will turn you back around.
The passport office on Osan Airbase advised me I could apply for a Mission Visa in two ways.
1. Italian Embassy Seoul
2. Ft. Belvoir Offices
I chose to make an appointment with the Italian Embassy in Seoul.
Hotel Reservations: Ederle Inn or A Hotel Off Post
As soon as your hard copy orders come in, this is the time you want to make Hotel Reservations for the Ederle Inn. They have limited rooms, so you may have to stay off base. Need their contact information?
Your other options are Hotel Mary and Hotel Victoria
Visa Appointments
Making visa appointments for your military move at the right time can help you tremendously. Here are a couple of important things you should know
- Make sure orders are published and flights are in order before your appointment.
- To make an appointment you’ll head to the Italian Embassy Website in Seoul: Prenotami
- Follow the Checklist below and print off the correct form for the Visa!
CHECKLIST FOR VISA FOR MISSION-USA ARMY
미군 공무 비자
장기 체류 비자 신청서
Application form for National Visa (D) – Long stay
The turnaround time was approximately 2 weeks.
One thing I want to note is that for any appointment you have at the Italian Embassy in Seoul, they make you wait outside the doors. It’s in a large building in Yongsan and you’ll have to ring the bell to get into the office. You’ll check items in a locker and go through metal detectors. They only let 1 to 2 people in at a time. If you have kids you can bring them in with you!
Prepping Your Pets
This was my least favorite part of the whole movie. We started the process with the veterinarian at Camp Humphreys. The EU has specific guidelines that the vets should be up to date on. For reference, the timeline went like this:
- June 2023 Rabies Vaccination to make sure that they were all good to go for their titer test.
- July 2023 Make sure thirty days after your rabies vaccination that the vet does a blood draw for the FAVN test that is required before departure.
- August 2023 We went to the travel office and got everything squared away for your flight for you and your pets. We had to fly into Rome because Venice Marco Polo serves smaller regional flights that couldn’t fit our dog’s crates in them. We absorbed the cost (thank goodness for having a job right?) and got a rental car as well.
As of July 2024, The U.S. Military does offer reimbursement for pet travel up to 2500 USD for one pet. The Joint Travel Regulations have been updated but I have seen terrible situations coming out of this, where people who process the reimbursement aren’t educated on the process themselves. So fight for your pets!
In September of 2023, we chose to contact Gina Nam from First Class Pet. Gina runs a great boarding facility on Camp Humphreys that we took our dogs to fairly often. Her services include a Pet Escort to Incheon Airport on the day of the flight, a 2-3 night stay at the boarding facility on Camp Humphreys, and a member of staff who will take your dogs to the Pyeongtaek port for the REQUIRED Health Certificate!
You can check out prices and services here: The First Class Pet
Household Goods Packout
You might be asking yourself ” When is a good time to pack out my household goods?” We decided that the earlier the better. We had been in Poland before Korea and we saw what a delayed pack-out could do. Trust me when I say, the earlier the better!
We needed to be out of Korea on November 5th, so we figured September 18th would be the best time for the movers. Our moving team kindly informed us that our Requested Delivery Date would be January 19th, 2024.
Our household goods arrived on December 5th.
My advice is to put AirTags in your shipment to track your items. However, note that AirTags will not start working until they leave Korea. It was fun to watch where our items went, from Japan>Straight of Singapore>Malta> France> and Vicenza.
Car Shipment
We shipped our Mazda on September, 22nd of 2023
It arrived in Vicenza on January 24th 2024
This takes a while for vehicles coming from Korea to Europe. So be prepared and pack out accordingly.
You’ve made it to Vicenza so now what?
My biggest advice is to get settled in. You’ll be staying in lodging while you find a home. There are community organizations that come to Ederle Inn and serve breakfast and dinner. You can inquire at the front desk about the days they do this.
You’ll probably want a car to get around and there is a BOSS (Better Opportunity for Single Soldiers) lot that has cars for sale right across from the Commissary. Prices may shock you. Often people will post on Facebook groups about vehicles for sale.
Have you joined the community groups on Facebook?
Vicenza Hiking and Adventure Group
Vicenza Military Buy/Sell Group
Army Community Services Caserma Ederle
The Army Community Services maintains a lending closet. If you’re waiting for your household goods and need kitchenware, I strongly suggest you inquire about their available items. They also host a three-day immersive welcome class, “Benvenuti Vicenza”. I urge you to participate in this class. It’s not only informative and fun, but it also provides an opportunity to make new friends and take a few trips outside of Vicenza!
SETAF and Army Community Services offer language classes. You can find an updated schedule at the Army Community Services site or on their Facebook page!
If you’re job hunting, consider visiting the Employment Readiness Specialist. More often than not, the specialist can assist with resume writing and might have an updated list of available jobs on base. Despite what others might say, don’t lose hope; spouses can find a job
Drivers Licenses and Permesso di Soggiorno
Once you and your servicemember have arrived in Italy and begun the in-processing, it’s time to shift your focus to obtaining your driver’s license and filing for your Persmesso Di Soggiorno. Conveniently located across from Ederle Inn, the Military Processing Facility is ready to assist you!
To acquire your license, you’ll need to attend an in-person orientation and pass an online test through Joint Knowledge Online. After successfully passing the test, you and your servicemember can visit the office to have the license issued. However, be prepared! You might be quizzed. While I didn’t experience this, I’ve heard stories of others who did, and the person conducting the quiz wasn’t particularly friendly!
Now, do you recall the Missione Visa? The Soggiorno is the reason you needed it. So, don’t forget to drop by and get your paperwork in order. My process took roughly two weeks, followed by an additional appointment scheduled a month later. This involved meeting a representative at the downtown Police Station to have my fingerprints recorded, a requirement enforced by the local police. If you’ve ever stopped by the police, they will ask for this. I always carry mine around. Expect an additional 2 weeks for processing.
My Biggest Advice
Take the time to get off base and get dinner across the street at Scanapoli, maybe take the bus to Piazza Dei Signori and explore! You are in ITALIA!
Remember that it’s okay to feel like you don’t know what’s going on, give yourself grace during this new season of life. It’s going to be an adventure worth taking!
Learn all about the things I love about living in Italy here and get the 9 best tips on driving in Italy.
