Ultimate PCS Guide:South Korea to Italy
I figured it was time to make the ultimate PCS Guide from Korea to Italy.
One dreary March morning as I was waking up, I took my first sip of coffee and settled in to practice morning meditation before I had to run off to work. Simultaneously my husband was going through his work email, as he did every morning. He said “We are headed to Italy” and I thought he was lying.
Turns out he wasn’t and I was elated. I started crying immediately because, for the past three years, this was all I wanted. It was to get back to Europe and be close to people I loved and I just felt a pull to Europe, that I can’t explain. Needless to say I was excited for this Military Move.
I grew up in Germany and lived there for most of my childhood so any chance I could go back. I was all for it. Also, we left Poland in 2020 in such a weird and rushed fashion because of COVID-19 I wanted a chance to do the ending right for my peace of mind. I also had ZERO desire to go back to the United States. Sorry, not sorry, that’s a move that I am not excited for (Please, Military powers, keep us overseas longer!)
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!
Get Your Finances in Order
Before the big military move or PCS, take a look at your finances. For many of us grappling with the challenges of a single-income household due to frequent relocations, saving becomes crucial. Start your savings journey as soon as relocation seems likely.
The most challenging aspect of our move was the unexpected cost of car insurance in Italy. As long-time customers of USAA, the quoted rate left us in shock.
Upon your arrival in Italy, you’ll likely need a car for transportation. The cost of used cars in Italy significantly differs from that in Korea. While we managed to buy a vehicle in Korea for $1,000 USD, the story was different in Italy. After two weeks of shopping around, we settled for a 2007 Honda Civic at a hefty $4,500.
Therefore, prioritize saving money and organizing your finances before making the big move!
International Drivers Permits
Now is a good time to check the validity of your driver’s license and apply for an International Drivers Permit. You can go to AAA and get this squared away!
AAA IDP International Drivers Permit
For this Military move, you’ll need this to drive around Europe, it’s a good thing to have considering certain countries in Europe don’t recognize the SETAF driver’s license!
Medical Screening
For any overseas military move, you’ll need to complete a medical screening and evaluation to see if the gaining installation can accommodate family needs. REGARDLESS of already being overseas.
My Experience: I had already made an appointment in December of 2022 for March of 2023. There was a 6 month wait for an appointment at the time. So I turned this opportunity into a way of getting my overseas screening done while in the office with my doctor.
I brought the paperwork with me, told her what was going on and she assisted.
No-Fee Passports
The moment I learned about our impending military move to Italy, I realized my No-Fee Passport was nearing its expiration. One of my immediate priorities became its renewal. No-fee passports are a necessity for overseas duty stations.
This is of paramount importance. As soon as you receive the assignment instructions, it’s crucial to start tackling the most significant tasks. Being already overseas, I understood the urgency of addressing this promptly.
Luckily, my workplace was at Osan Airbase, where I discovered their Passport Office to be incredibly helpful. As Army personnel, you’re more than welcome to avail their services. My experience with the Camp Humphreys Passport office was less than satisfactory. They were reluctant to assist me/us, insisting that I didn’t need to renew my passport. This was misleading information. One day, while at work, I reached out to the Osan Passport Office via email. The kind airman in the office responded promptly, offering his assistance.
Interested in reaching out to the Passport office?
The entire renewal process, from start to finish, spanned approximately 8 weeks.
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.