RAF Mildenhall

"Provide a ready force and strategic forward base, projecting airpower through unrivaled air refueling across Europe and Africa."  RAF Mildenhall is part of the United States Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA).

All members PCSing to the United Kingdom are required to travel in civilian attire.

Please coordinate with your sponsor and leadership for details and share information with them for any assistance you may need.

The U.K. is a high cost of living area, and energy prices have significantly increased. The currency used in the U.K. is pounds sterling. Money can be exchanged from dollars to pounds (or vice versa) at the bank, credit union or clubs.

Please join our monthly Pre-Arrival Orientation event to help plan your upcoming relocation to the U.K.  For details email the Military and Family Readiness Center.

All dependents must be command sponsored and have a U.S. no fee passport to accompany military members on your tour to the U.K. All U.S. Civilian employees, and their dependents must have a Visa prior to arrival in the country. U.S. Contractors must have Visas reflecting their contract terms. The Visa may cost approximately $1000.00 (prices subject to change) and is a reimbursable expense. An "Official No-Fee Passport" can be obtained from your local Military Personnel Flight. For additional information on passports and Visas visit this webpage, in addition to the U.K. border agency Website.

An added benefit of a USAFE assignment is the ability to travel in Europe and see sights that many people spend a lifetime just dreaming about. In addition to the documents required for PCSing to the U.K., it is imperative to obtain a tourist passport prior to arrival in the U.K. if you expect to travel for leisure purposes.  Per the Foreign Clearance Guide for the U.K.:  Due to limited resources at US Embassies/Consulates and OCONUS military passport application processing locations, DOD personnel and Eligible Family Members planning to perform unofficial (personal) travel during or in conjunction with the official overseas assignments should obtain a Regular (Tourist) Passport at their own expense prior to departure from CONUS.

In order for pets to come into the U.K. with little or no quarantine, a certain procedure must be followed. Details on this procedure can be obtained here.  Read the Animal Welfare Act to ensure you understand how to care for your pets while in the UK.  If arriving from CONUS you are required to use the Patriot Express rotator flight to RAF Mildenhall, unless it's fully booked.  Book early to get space for up to two pets per family.

Lodging is offered on base at the Gateway Inn, commercial 011-44-1638-542965 or DSN 314-238-2965, or email the team. Arrange for your lodging well in advance of your arrival, as bookings can be made before you receive PCS orders.  Lodging has twenty rooms available for pets. Non-availability slips are unlikely to be given if a normal room is available, so in that instance, you will need to find a local kennel or cattery, or start a short-term lease until you move into a permanent residence. If the Gateway Inn is full, lodging may also be available at the Liberty Lodge, RAF Lakenheath, 011-44-1638-546700 or DSN 314-226-6700. RAF Lakenheath is a neighboring USAF base about 15 minutes drive from RAF Mildenhall.

Ensure that you do not bring American cordless devices to the U.K. as there is a good chance the frequency will interfere with the local emergency response system. Fines of 5,000 pounds can be issued to all offenders. Do not import cordless telephones operating below 853 MHz which do not conform to the UK requirements as these are prohibited.

Official Passports and Visas

All dependents must be command sponsored and have a no-fee passport to accompany military personnel on an official tour to the U.K. Your local MPS will be able to help with the process for all appropriate documents needed to bring dependents into the U.K. To initiate this process, contact your local Passport Agent within 15 days of receiving the initial briefing in virtual MPF. On average, it can take approximately 120 days (6 - 8 weeks) to process no-fee passports. IAW DoD 1000.21-R, Chapter 4, Item D.3.b., if passports are not received by the departure date, personnel should not, under normal circumstances, be allowed to out-process and/or depart without the required passport. If you have not received dependent's passport within 30 calendar days of your report no later than date, then you should request a RNLTD delay. DOD civilian employees and their dependents MUST have no-fee passports and a 5-year visa (if staying in the country for more than six months) prior to arrival. DOD-sponsored contractors and their dependents must have passports and visas reflecting their contract terms. 

Please use the following websites for more passport and visa information:

• DOD Electronic Foreign Clearance Guide
• GOV.UK
• Passport and Visa Information

These actions are necessary to prevent unforeseen hardships to the military and civilian members and their families. Therefore, as the last reiteration, it is essential, members do not out-process without having the appropriate passports/visas for themselves (if applicable) and/or dependents.

Arriving in the UK without the appropriate documents, could result in your family being denied entry or deported. There are also consequences for unaccompanied dependents (those who are in-country where the sponsor is NOT assigned). Please see the ‘Check-in procedures’ topic for more details and contact MPF at DSN 314-238-2222 or commercial 011-44-1638-542222.

Base Operator

The contact number for the base operator is 011-44-1638-541110 and DSN 314-238-1110.