TDY to Stuttgart: Your First Week

Your first week on TDY sets you up. You need to know where you report, where you stay, how you get around and who pays for what. This guide gives you an order of questions to settle before you fly and in your first days on the ground.

Your orders, your sponsor and the responsible office always have the final word on what applies to you. Every rule on this page shows the official page it comes from and the month we checked it.

• Before you fly
• Does CPF check-in apply to you?
• Your first days on the ground
• Money on TDY: per diem
• Offices that may come up
• What often goes wrong
• If your stay gets longer
• Who to ask

Before you fly

• Get your report-to contact and address. Ask your receiving unit or sponsor. The Central Processing Facility (CPF) lists “connect with your sponsor” as the first of its pre-arrival tips.

  Source: USAG Stuttgart CPF Checked: Nov 2026

• Ask about lodging before you book anything. Your travel or finance office knows which lodging your orders allow. The CPF also lists contacting on-post lodging to check availability as a pre-arrival tip. The Housing Office page says Army Lodging provides hotel rooms for Department of Defense (DoD) travelers on official business, with hotels on Panzer Kaserne and Kelley Barracks. If your orders allow off-post lodging, our furnished apartments for TDY are one option; confirm the booking with your travel or finance office first.

  Sources: USAG Stuttgart CPF, USAG Stuttgart Housing Checked: Nov 2026

• Plan your arrival. Most travelers land at Stuttgart Airport or Frankfurt Airport, then continue by train, taxi or pickup.
• Save your address offline. Put it in your phone as text or a screenshot in case you have no data when you land.

Does CPF check-in apply to you?

The CPF is the garrison’s in- and out-processing center. Its page says all incoming service members of every branch, Reserve and National Guard personnel, and DoD civilians must complete in-processing. For Army personnel on certain orders it names ADOS and mobilization orders of 90 days or more, and for Reserve and National Guard personnel it names ADOS orders over 179 days. It also says foreign military members, NAF employees and contractors are not required to in-process but may visit for help.

The page does not describe a separate rule for other TDY orders. So ask your sponsor or unit whether and when you check in, and what to bring.

Source: USAG Stuttgart CPF Checked: Nov 2026

Your first days on the ground

Get around

Look up your first commute and one backup route in the VVS journey planner. Our Public Transportation guide explains the buses, U-Bahn and S-Bahn and how tickets work.

Phone

The USAG Stuttgart newcomer page says an unlocked phone works on other networks worldwide and lets you buy a local data plan on or off post. A locked phone works only on your current carrier’s network. It can roam on international networks, but roaming fees tend to be hefty. Check with your carrier before you fly. Then see Setting Up A Cell Phone Plan.

Source: USAG Stuttgart For Newcomers Checked: Nov 2026

Cards and cash

Germany uses the euro. The newcomer page says cash is more widely used in Germany than in the U.S., and most stores, shops and restaurants accept Visa and Mastercard. Carry a bit of cash for places that do not take cards.

Source: USAG Stuttgart For Newcomers Checked: Nov 2026

Power

Germany’s household power is 230 volts at 50 hertz, with Schuko (Type F) sockets. A plug adapter only changes the plug shape, not the voltage, so check the label on each charger and device for 230 V before you plug it in. The newcomer page says some small U.S. appliances work with a transformer, but many do not work properly even with one. Check your chargers and devices before you pack.

Sources: German low-voltage connection rules (NAV §7), USAG Stuttgart For Newcomers Checked: Nov 2026

Emergency numbers

Save 112 for fire and ambulance (it works across Europe) and 110 for the police in Germany. The City of Stuttgart says emergency calls to 112 from a cell phone work throughout Europe, free of charge, but only with a SIM card. More in our Emergency Services guide.

Source: City of Stuttgart: Emergency services Checked: Nov 2026

Money on TDY: per diem

Per diem is a set allowance for lodging, meal and incidental costs on official government travel. For foreign locations such as Germany, the U.S. Department of State sets the rates, and they change. You look them up through the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO). We do not list amounts here. Look up the current Stuttgart rate for your travel dates in the DTMO per diem tool, and ask your approving official what your orders allow. Lodging and meals are separate parts of per diem, so it is not one daily budget to spend as you like. Our allowances guide explains how to read the tool.

Sources: DTMO: Per Diem Rate Lookup, U.S. Department of State: 14 FAM 576.2-2 Checked: Nov 2026

Offices that may come up

• VAT (tax relief) office. Ask your sponsor whether tax relief forms apply to you before you buy anything big. The VAT office page says enrollment is in person only.

  Source: Stuttgart MWR: VAT Checked: Nov 2026

• Driving and rental cars. The Drivers Testing page, written for personnel on PCS orders, says they cannot legally drive a rental car in Germany without a USAREUR driver’s license. This is not a rule for every visitor to Germany, so ask your unit which license applies to you on TDY before you plan a rental car. More in The USAREUR Driver’s License.

  Source: USAG Stuttgart Drivers Testing Checked: Nov 2026

• Reimbursement. Keep itemized hotel bills and receipts, and ask your finance office what it needs. Medical questions go to your unit first. If you get sick, our guide to sick or injured in Germany covers the basics.

What often goes wrong

If your stay gets longer

If your assignment turns into a longer stay, start with Your First 30 Days in Stuttgart. Furnished apartments are one option for your TDY.

Who to ask

• Your sponsor or receiving unitreport-to contact, check-in and what to bring.
• Your travel or finance office, or approving officiallodging, per diem and reimbursement.
• CPFwhether in-processing applies to you.
• Not sure who? See Who to Ask: Offices for Military, DoD Civilians, Contractors and Families.

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