Check-in Procedures

In-processing

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Your Commander Support Staff will provide you with instructions on how to enroll in the soonest Newcomer's Orientation.

Newcomer's Orientation takes place each week on Tue-Wed at Eagle's Landing. It will include a housing/dorm brief, processing your travel vouchers, Tricare in-processing, taking your 3rd AF Driver's License test, and other mandatory briefings from a number of base agencies, all in one convenient spot. Please note that this is a requirement for active duty and your official place of duty. Please do not make any appointments during these two days.

Please bring to class:

- Driver's License

- 5 hard copies of your orders

- Medical clearance forms for Dependents. If you don't have a DD form, they will accept a screenshot from My Vector

- Receipts from your travels (flights, hotels, taxis, etc.) and travel itinerary

- Your Single Unit Retrieval Format (SURF) or Career Data Brief (CDB) for reference of military service records & assignment

Review the information here to prepare for the UK's Driver Safety test: https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/highway-code-road-safety.

Housing Entitlements

Military members must complete the Housing paperwork as quickly as possible so that they can build your account. This will ensure that you and your family are provided with the necessary information to ensure receipt of entitlements and avoid excessive out-of-pocket expenses. Temporary Lodging Allowance is not automatic and must be justified and authorized. For more information and/or assistance, contact the Housing Management Office at +44-1638-52-2000 or DSN 226-2000.

BAH Entitlements

Basic Allowance for Housing no longer allows a continuation of housing allowance after signing into an overseas base. This entitlement will stop when filling your travel voucher, however lodging expenses and meal per diem are reimbursed.

Filing Your Travel Voucher

You will have an appointment to file your travel voucher during Newcomer's Orientation. You will need 5 copies of your PCS orders, VISA receipts (dependents), CONUS hotel receipt and non-availability sheet, vehicle shipment form, airline tickets, and bus/taxi receipt to Royal Air Force Lakenheath.

Driving Requirements

Anyone with a valid driving license is eligible to drive on arrival. You must complete the driver's course within 30 days of arrival to be eligible to drive in the UK and obtain petrol on base. You are eligible to obtain a rental car and obtain fuel on base with a rental agreement form and a copy of your PCS orders. Once you've completed the driver's course, go to Pass and ID, Bldg 977, to obtain your 3rd AF Permit and customs forms needed to pick up your imported vehicle from the Vehicle Processing Center in Mildenhall. You will not be able to pick up the customs forms until you have taken and passed the driver's course.

UK Immigration Rules for Military Dependents

While the United Kingdom is an exciting place to live, there are very specific rules that must be followed to enter and travel whilst residing in the United Kingdom. Failure to abide by the rules may result in being turned away from the UK border. Follow the information at the attached link as verification https://www.100fss.com/passports-visas

Military members do not need a visa but must have valid NATO orders.

Military dependents, civilians, and civilian dependents are required to have a US no-fee passport. Dependent children age 21 OR OVER on first arrival in the UK, as well as secondary dependents such as a dependent parent, NEED visas prior to arriving in the UK (Non-exempt Dependents). For more information, contact RAF Lakenheath Passport and Visa office on COMM +44-1638-52-1210, DSN 226-1210, or 48fss.passports@us.af.mil.

Contractors and contractor dependents are required to have a US tourist passport and a UK visa.

Arriving in the United Kingdom

Regardless of the airport you will be arriving at you will need to make arrangements to get to the base. The ways this can be accomplished will be by taking the train, taxi cab or by arranging collection with your sponsor.

The 24-hour arrival point for the base is Liberty Lodge Bldg. 984. Please ensure you confirm your arrival date, time and port prior to departing your home station. On arrival, you will either move straight into your dormitory room or check-in to Lodging.

Make your reservations as soon as possible by contacting Liberty Lodge at Comm +44-1638-52-6700 or DSN 226-6700 or at http://af.dodlodging.net/propertys/RAF-Lakenheath. Lodging rooms may be limited during peak times of the year. If you fail to secure a reservation, you will have to wait until the 2 p.m. check-in time. A lounge and baggage storage are available while you wait.

You may be requested to pay up to 30 days of billeting up front, please have these funds available. If you are a First Base Airman, please be sure to inform the lodging representative and ask for information about the HALO program available through the Air Force Aid Society that can be provided to bridge the expense gap of up-front lodging costs. The lodging expense will be reimbursed when filing your travel voucher.

All dependents must be command sponsored to access base resources.