About TLA
What is TLA?
TLA is the OCONUS analogue of TLE. It offsets temporary lodging while you wait for permanent quarters after arrival at an OCONUS PDS, or during your final days OCONUS before departing. Authority: DoD FMR Vol 7A Chapter 68.
Duration
Arrival TLA: ordinarily up to 60 days (FMR Ch 68 par. 4.6.1), with additional periods approvable in increments of 15 or fewer days. Departure TLA: the period cannot start more than 10 days before you leave the PDS (par. 4.9.1).
Family percentage
Per FMR Ch 68 Table 68-11 the lodging and M&IE percentages are not always the same: member alone = 100% of the lodging ceiling but only 65% of M&IE; member + 1 dependent (two people) = 100% / 100%; each additional dependent 12+ adds 35% and each additional dependent under 12 adds 25% to both. Service member couples lodging together use 65% each.
Key rules
TLA is actual cost lodging up to the ceiling — keep receipts. No $290/day cap (unlike CONUS TLE). TLA is not payable on the reporting day when MALT Plus is payable for that day (par. 6.1.4.2). Gov quarters available: lodging reimbursement is capped at the Government quarters cost (Ch 68 par. 4.4.2). Adequate cooking and eating facilities in the temporary lodging cut M&IE in half on every day except the first and last (par. 6.3.4.1).
Locality rates
OCONUS TLA rates differ from GSA Standard CONUS and vary widely. The calculator's locality search pulls the official DTMO OCONUS per-diem table (refreshed monthly); you can verify any locality at the DTMO Per Diem Rate Lookup.
Tax treatment
TLA is tax-exempt. Not subject to federal, state, or FICA withholding.
What replaces TLA
TLA stops when you sign a lease or accept quarters. From that day the Overseas Housing Allowance covers rent up to your locality ceiling plus a utility allowance, and overseas COLA runs from the day you report. The travel days that got you there were paid separately under MALT and per diem, which is why TLA is not payable on a day MALT Plus is.
About this entitlement
What you need to know — straight from the regulation
What TLA covers
Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) partially reimburses authorized lodging and meal expenses at an OCONUS permanent duty station while a service member and authorized dependents occupy temporary lodging. TLA applies both on arrival (pending assignment of permanent quarters) and on departure (prior to leaving the OCONUS PDS).
TLA is administered under DoD Financial Management Regulation Vol. 7A Chapter 68, under the station-allowance authority of 37 U.S.C. § 405.
DoD FMR Vol 7A Ch 68 · 37 U.S.C. § 405
Duration and ceiling
Arrival TLA ordinarily should not exceed 60 days per FMR Ch 68 par. 4.6.1, and the OCONUS TLA Authority may authorize additional periods in increments of 15 or fewer days for reasons beyond the member’s control (HHG has not arrived, Government quarters delayed, suitable housing unavailable — par. 4.6.1.1–4.6.1.6). Departure TLA cannot start more than 10 days before you leave the PDS per par. 4.9.1 and Table 68-10.
Daily reimbursement equals actual lodging cost up to (locality lodging × lodging percentage), plus (locality M&IE × M&IE percentage) from Table 68-11 — those two percentages are identical except for a one-person household, which gets 100% of the lodging ceiling but 65% of M&IE. When the temporary lodging has adequate cooking and eating facilities, M&IE is halved on every day except the first and last (par. 6.3.4.1). TLA is not subject to the $290/day combined cap that constrains CONUS TLE.
DoD FMR Vol 7A Ch 68 par. 4.6.1, par. 4.9.1, par. 6.3.4.1, Table 68-10, Table 68-11
Tax treatment
TLA is a non-taxable travel allowance and is not reported as wages on the W-2. No federal, FICA, or state income tax is withheld from TLA payments.
DoD FMR Vol 7A Ch 68 · IRS Publication 3 (Armed Forces' Tax Guide)
Source & references
- Primary source
- DoD FMR Vol 7A Chapter 68 (Temporary Lodging Allowance) — view official publication
- Regulatory reference
- DoD FMR Vol 7A Ch 68 · 37 U.S.C. § 405
- Effective date
- FY2026 (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026)
- DTMO Per Diem Rate Lookup (OCONUS)
- https://www.travel.dod.mil/Travel-Transportation-Rates/Per-Diem/Per-Diem-Rate-Lookup/
Military Toolkit is not affiliated with the Department of Defense, DFAS, DTMO, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any government agency. Rates and rules on this page are pulled directly from the publications cited above. Always verify with your finance office, TMO, or the official rate page before making financial or planning decisions.
The rest of the OCONUS stack
TLA bridges the lodging gap, but the overseas entitlement stack is bigger. Once you move into permanent housing, OCONUS COLA adjusts your paycheck to local prices (landing stateside in a high-cost area instead? that is CONUS COLA). Shipping household goods yourself? Estimate the payout with the PPM / DITY move calculator. And if you are not sure whether your move gets TLE or TLA, the TLE vs TLA guide settles it.