VFW
| Philippines | Angeles (2485), Olongapo (11447), Cebu City (12130), Makati (12231), Baguio (124), Bauang (9892), Puerto Princesa |
|---|---|
| Thailand | Pattaya (9876), Bangkok (9951), Korat (10217), Udon Thani (10249), Chiang Mai (12074), Ban Chang (12146) |
| Cambodia | Phnom Penh (11575, Mayaguez Memorial) |
| Europe | Department of Europe posts across Germany and Italy |
| Japan & Korea | Department of Pacific Areas posts |
American Legion
| Latin America | Department of Latin America (formerly Mexico): Lake Chapala, Ajijic, Puerto Vallarta, Banderas Bay, Mexico City, plus Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina |
|---|---|
| Philippines | Department of the Philippines |
| Europe | Department of France, with posts across Europe and one in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand |
Post numbers and meeting places change. Use the official locators to confirm before you go. Many overseas bases also have a Retiree Activities Office for military retirees.
Get answers from vets who've done it
The VA Benefits Abroad channel is free. Ask about your country, your claim or your hospital.
Free claims help from VFW and Legion service officers
Both organizations help with VA claims for free. The VFW says its National Veterans Service helps anyone seeking help with the claims process, free of charge, and its service officer directory includes Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific Areas. The American Legion says its service officers help regardless of membership. Use the Legion's service officer finder to locate one.
Whoever helps you should be accredited by VA. You can check any name in VA's accredited representative search. Overseas, most of this help happens by email, phone or video, so you don't need a post nearby to get it.
Who can join
| VFW | Honorable service plus a qualifying campaign or expeditionary medal, hostile fire or imminent danger pay, or 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days of service in Korea. Check the VFW's full eligibility list. |
|---|---|
| American Legion abroad | The Legion's Foreign Departments and Posts Association of the Legion (FODPAL) counts more than 15,000 members and 250 posts in six departments outside the continental U.S., including France, Latin America and the Philippines. |
Visiting a post for the first time
- Confirm the meeting time and place on the official locator. Posts move.
- Bring a copy of your DD214 if you plan to join.
- Ask whether the post has a service officer, or who it works with for claims.
- Ask which local hospitals and doctors members use with the Foreign Medical Program.
- Ask about events for spouses and families.
Common mistakes
- Paying anyone to file an initial claim. Accredited VSO help is free.
- Assuming a post's informal advice replaces an accredited representative.
- Giving up after one visit. Posts differ, so try another nearby.
- Waiting until you need help to show up. The best time to meet a service officer is before a claim, a hospital stay or a family emergency.
Can't find a post near you? Join the free OCONUS Veterans community. Members often start informal meetups where no post exists.
How this helps in real life
Example scenario (composite, not a real person): A Gulf War veteran moves to Angeles City and finds the local VFW post through the foreign post locator. At his first meeting he asks who helps members with claims, and is pointed to an accredited service officer who files his increase claim at no charge.
Questions about your situation?
Ask in the VA Benefits Abroad channel. Vets who've filed from your country answer fast.
Last reviewed November 2026. Information only. Confirm with the official sources.
