Okinawa Forums

I will be moving to Okinawa for a short period- about 9 months or so- My husband is a marine that is stationed there- Can someone please tell me what I need to live there? If i need a visa? I am going to visit in May and I want to get things organized when I go then- Thank you very much for your help!

Regards

Hello,

Welcome to the forums,

I'd like to answer your questions, but first, I need some more information. Is your husband on an unaccompanied tour? I'm assuming that he is. Also, do you know if you'll be able to stay on base with him, or does he have his own housing off base? Finally, are you eligible for SOFA visa status? SOFA is the visa status that all the American military and associated personnel have.

If you're not able to get SOFA status, then you'll probably have to come on a tourist visa.  If you come on a tourist visa, you don't need to do anything in advance, but you will be limited to only three months in the country.

I'm not an expert on military visas and such, but I'll do my best to help you. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Good luck,


John

I will DEFANITELY be staying out of my own pocket- One of those, "Maybe I will see him everyday" kind of things. He will be working the whole time. He might be gone for weeks at a time in different countries.

What do I need for a Visa? SHould I get updated on my shots?

Thank you so much for you help!!

Well, if you're not getting a SOFA visa, you can either get a tourist visa or a working visa. To get a SOFA visa, I'm not exactly sure what you need, but it would involve some kind of military sponsorship I guess.

For a tourist visa, you won't need anything. Just a passport and yourself. The bad part about this is that it will only be valid for 3 months. Then you have to leave the country to get it renewed.

You're other option would be a work visa? For that you'll need a college degree and a company willing to sponsor (hire) you. This visa will be good for a year.

About shots, I don't think anything special is needed. It's like living in the US climate/hygiene wise.


One other thing you might want to bring is an international driving permit. And you'll also be required to have a ticket leaving the country (round trip) if you enter on a tourist visa.

What are you thinking about for housing while you are here?

John