Your orders are overseas, and shipping a car suddenly means a Vehicle Processing Center, an ocean voyage, a foreign customs desk, and a rulebook that decides whether your car is even allowed in the country. It is a different world from a stateside move — but it is also the one case where the government ships a car for you. Get the process and the limits right and it goes smoothly. We help service members navigate it, so here is the OCONUS guide.
The short answer: For an OCONUS PCS, the government generally ships one POV at government expense (up to 20 metric tons) through a Vehicle Processing Center and ocean vessel. A second car is your own cost, some host countries restrict imports, and the trip takes weeks to months. Always confirm country rules and your entitlement with your transportation office first.
OCONUS means outside the continental United States — an overseas duty station. Shipping a car there during a PCS is a fundamentally different process from a domestic move, and in one key way a better one: the government generally ships a vehicle for you.
Where a CONUS move leaves POV shipping entirely on you, an OCONUS move includes one government-shipped vehicle. But that comes wrapped in a formal process — Vehicle Processing Centers, ocean freight, customs, and country-specific rules — that you need to understand before you start. Our military car shipping hub covers how this fits the broader entitlement picture.
The core of OCONUS shipping is simple to state. For an overseas PCS, the government typically ships one POV at government expense, up to a size limit, to your new station. You are not paying market rate for that first vehicle — a real benefit compared to a stateside move.
The limit matters: the entitlement generally covers one vehicle measuring 20 metric tons or less. Most passenger cars fall well under that, but a very large truck or van is worth measuring. If your POV exceeds the limit, you may owe the excess cost. And the entitlement is for one vehicle — a second car is your own expense.
The Vehicle Processing Center, or VPC, is the official hub of the whole process. You do not hand your car to a regular auto carrier; you deliver it to a VPC near your departure point. There, the car is inspected, documented, and prepared for ocean shipping.
From the VPC, your vehicle travels by ocean vessel to a VPC near your new overseas station, where you collect it after it clears the local process. The VPC manages the port and shipping logistics on the government side, which is what makes the one-POV entitlement work. Follow its preparation checklist exactly — a car that fails the VPC inspection can be delayed or rejected.
Here is the step that catches people, and the one to check first. Not every country lets you bring your car. Some host nations restrict or prohibit importing certain POVs based on emissions standards, vehicle age, which side the steering wheel is on, or vehicle type.
Before you plan around shipping your car, confirm the country-specific rules with your local transportation office. Never assume your vehicle is eligible. Discovering at the VPC that your car cannot enter your destination country is an expensive, timeline-wrecking surprise — and an avoidable one.
An ocean voyage takes time. OCONUS car shipping often runs several weeks to a couple of months door to door, far longer than any domestic move. That means a gap after you arrive at the new station before your car catches up.
Plan for it. Arrange interim transportation overseas, and build the wait into your PCS timeline so it does not blindside you. Starting the VPC process as early as your orders allow shortens the gap on the far end. The contrast with a quick stateside move is covered in our PCS car shipping process guide.
Because the government covers only one POV, a second vehicle is entirely your cost — and overseas, that cost is considerable given ocean freight. A second car ships through a private international carrier, separate from the VPC process.
Many families weigh this carefully and choose to ship one car and sell or store the other, rather than pay for two overseas moves. If you do ship a second vehicle privately, a service-member discount can apply to that arrangement, as our military discount guide explains. What the government covers versus what you pay is detailed in our cost and reimbursement guide.
The return from overseas works in reverse. The government generally ships one POV back through the VPC process, with the same one-vehicle entitlement, size limit, and lengthy ocean timeline. You deliver the car to the overseas VPC and collect it stateside.
Confirm your specific return entitlement with your transportation office, since it depends on your orders and tour length. Plan the same way you did going out: start early, arrange interim transport, and follow the VPC checklist.
One caveat runs through this whole guide: overseas entitlements and country rules are set by policy and change. The one-POV rule, the 20-metric-ton limit, and the VPC steps here are 2026 estimates to orient you, not guarantees for your move.
Confirm your exact entitlement and your destination country's import rules with your installation transportation office (TMO/PPSO) or Military OneSource before you plan. They are the authoritative sources for your orders and situation.
OCONUS car shipping is more generous than a stateside move — the government ships one POV — but more involved, with a VPC process, an ocean timeline, a size limit, and country rules that can stop a shipment cold. Check your destination's import rules first, start the VPC process early, plan to be without the car for weeks, and verify every entitlement with your transportation office. Start at our military car shipping hub for the full picture.
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OCONUS means "outside the continental United States" — an overseas duty station. OCONUS car shipping is transporting your personally owned vehicle to or from an overseas assignment during a PCS. Unlike a domestic move, the government generally ships one POV at its expense through an official process.
Generally yes — for an OCONUS PCS, the government typically ships one POV at government expense, up to a size limit, through a Vehicle Processing Center. A second vehicle is your own cost. This is more generous than a CONUS move, where the DoD does not pay to ship a POV at all.
A VPC is the official drop-off and pickup point for government-shipped POVs. You deliver your car to the VPC near your departure, it is inspected and prepared, then shipped by ocean vessel to a VPC near your new station, where you collect it. The VPC handles the port and shipping logistics on the government side.
Yes. The government generally ships one POV measuring 20 metric tons or less. If your vehicle exceeds that measurement, you may have to pay the excess shipping cost. Most passenger vehicles fall well under the limit, but very large trucks or vans are worth checking before you plan.
You can, but at your own expense — the government covers only one POV for an OCONUS move. A second vehicle ships through a private international carrier, and the cost is considerable given the ocean freight. Many families ship one and sell or store the other rather than pay for two overseas moves.
No — and this is critical to check early. Some host countries restrict or prohibit importing certain POVs, based on emissions, age, steering side, or vehicle type. Your local transportation office can tell you the country-specific rules before you commit to shipping. Never assume your car is eligible until you confirm.
Much longer than a domestic move — often several weeks to a couple of months door to door, because the car travels by ocean vessel. Plan to be without it for a stretch after you arrive, and arrange interim transportation at the new station. Build this gap into your PCS timeline.
The return works in reverse: the government generally ships one POV back through the VPC process. The same one-vehicle entitlement, size limit, and timeline apply. Confirm your return entitlement with your transportation office, as it depends on your orders and tour.
The government-shipped POV goes through the official process at government expense, so a carrier discount does not apply to it. But a second car you ship privately, or any related domestic leg, can carry a service-member discount. Our military discount guide covers privately arranged shipments.
Your installation transportation office (TMO/PPSO) and Military OneSource are the authoritative sources. The details here — the one-POV rule, the 20-metric-ton limit, VPC steps — are 2026 estimates to orient you. Overseas rules and country restrictions change, so verify your specific situation before shipping.
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