Base guide

RAF Lakenheath

5 min read

  • 9 sections
  • 15 sources
On this page
  1. Cost of living and lodging allowance
  2. Arrival and Newcomer's Orientation
  3. Housing: one office for Lakenheath and Mildenhall
  4. Bringing a dog or cat to Great Britain
  5. Medical care
  6. Schools and child care
  7. Driving on the left
  8. Legal assistance
  9. Before you leave the States

RAF Lakenheath, near Brandon in Suffolk, England, is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, which the MilitaryINSTALLATIONS page for Lakenheath describes as “USAFE’s only F-35/F-15 fighter wing”, flying the F-35A and F-15E. Lakenheath is also the hub for its neighbors: one housing office serves RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, the 48th Medical Group runs RAF Lakenheath Hospital, and the school complex spans Lakenheath and RAF Feltwell. Base operator: +44-1638-521110, DSN 314-226-1110.

Cost of living and lodging allowance

The MilitaryINSTALLATIONS overview of Lakenheath says the UK is a higher cost-of-living area than most places near U.S. installations, with expenses you may not have paid before, such as a television license, the MOT vehicle test and road tax. It advises building a spending plan before you leave, paying down bills, buying dual-voltage electronics, and, for two-income families, preparing for a delay before a spouse finds work.

Temporary Lodging Allowance is not automatic and must be justified and authorized, the Lakenheath check-in page warns; ask the Housing Management Office at +44-1638-52-2000 or DSN 314-226-2000. TLA is not authorized for unaccompanied E-1 to E-4 with less than three years of service, including geographical bachelors; your sponsor should arrange a dormitory room before you arrive.

Arrival and Newcomer’s Orientation

On arrival, contact your commander support staff and unit sponsor, the check-in page says. Newcomer’s Orientation runs each week, Tuesday and Wednesday, at Eagle’s Landing, and covers the housing and dorm brief, travel vouchers, TRICARE in-processing and the 3rd Air Force driver’s license test; you can enroll before you arrive. Bring dependents’ medical clearance forms, all travel receipts and your itinerary.

Housing: one office for Lakenheath and Mildenhall

The Housing Office at Lakenheath serves both RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, per the Lakenheath housing page: from the United States, call 011-44-1638-52-2101. Off-base rentals near the bases are mostly detached, semi-detached and terraced houses; British houses are generally smaller, and you need your own liability and personal property insurance.

Liberty Lodge has temporary lodging at Lakenheath and Mildenhall, with a maximum stay of 30 days if available, and you pay up to 15 days of billeting cost on arrival, per the Lakenheath temporary housing page. There is no guarantee of a room; during high PCS season families may have to stay off base. Reservations: 011-44-1638-526713 or DSN 314-226-6713.

Bringing a dog or cat to Great Britain

Great Britain sets its own rules. According to GOV.UK’s guide to bringing a pet to Great Britain:

  1. Check that your route is approved for pet travel.
  2. Microchip your pet before its rabies vaccination.
  3. Vaccinate against rabies; you must wait at least 21 full days after the first vaccination before travel.
  4. Get the right pet travel document. A Great Britain pet health certificate is accepted from any country, must be signed by an official veterinarian, and your pet must enter Great Britain within 10 days of its issue.
  5. Dogs need tapeworm treatment no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days before arrival.

If you do not follow these rules, your pet may be put in quarantine for up to 4 months, or refused entry if you travelled by sea, at your expense. You cannot bring a banned breed into Great Britain unless it already has a valid Certificate of Exemption; GOV.UK’s banned dogs list names the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully.

Within two weeks of arrival, register your pet at the RAF Feltwell Veterinary Clinic, the only U.S. military veterinary clinic for the United Kingdom and Iceland, with monthly satellite clinics at RAF Alconbury and RAF Croughton, per the Lakenheath pet shipping page.

The same Great Britain entry rules apply across England; base-specific steps, such as Mildenhall’s requirement to fly pets as cargo through a pet broker, are in the guides to RAF Mildenhall, RAF Alconbury, RAF Croughton and RAF Fairford.

Medical care

The 48th Medical Group runs RAF Lakenheath Hospital; appointments and telephone consults: DSN 226-8010 or 01638-528010, per the Lakenheath health care page. The page lists hospital closures on federal holidays and the first and third Wednesday of each month.

Emergency numbers from the Lakenheath emergency assistance page:

  • On-base emergency (police or medical): 911.
  • UK emergency: 999, or 112 from any mobile phone.
  • UK non-emergency: 111 for medical, 101 for police.
  • Security Forces, non-emergency: DSN 314-226-2333 or +44-1638-52-2333.

Schools and child care

The RAF Lakenheath/Mildenhall/Feltwell School Complex has five DoDEA schools with approximately 2,000 students, according to the Lakenheath education page:

  • On RAF Lakenheath: Lakenheath Elementary School (pre-K to 3rd grade), Liberty Intermediate School (4th and 5th) and Lakenheath High School (9th to 12th).
  • On RAF Feltwell, 11 miles away: Feltwell Elementary School (pre-K to 5th) and Lakenheath Middle School (6th to 8th), plus the School Bus Office.

The Child Development Centers care for children 6 weeks to 5 years old; in October 2026 the page put the long-term care waitlist at 0 to 12 months, and you can join it before you arrive. Family Child Care homes take children six weeks to twelve years, per the Lakenheath child care page. CDC: 011-44-1638-525818.

Driving on the left

You must attend the 3rd Air Force Driver’s Training class within 15 days of arrival, and you need a valid U.S. or EU license to get your UK driver’s permit, according to the Lakenheath motor vehicles page. Study the British Highway Code before the written exam. You must be 17 to drive in the UK. Imported and UK-bought vehicles must be registered at Pass and Registration within three working days of arrival or purchase, and it is illegal to drive a vehicle without a valid MOT on public record, except to a pre-booked MOT appointment or home from the Mildenhall vehicle processing center. Pass and Registration: 011-44-1638-52-5982.

Legal assistance and wills are by appointment on Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. and Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m.; notary and powers of attorney are walk-in, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., per the Lakenheath legal assistance page. The office also offers British legal assistance by appointment.

Before you leave the States

Book Liberty Lodge as early as you can, put your child on the CDC waitlist, and start your pet’s microchip and rabies timeline at least 21 days before travel, with tapeworm treatment for dogs inside the final 1 to 5 days. Then budget for England’s extra costs, from the TV license to road tax.

Sources

installations.militaryonesource.mil

gov.uk