The State Department must approve all DETO requests. DoD Components may develop their internal procedures to determine DETO eligibility. However, the Chief of Mission (COM) within each country where the work will take place has the ultimate authority to approve the arrangement. The circumstances of approvals will vary from country to country as well as from case to case. 

No. DETOs are categorized as telework per the statutory changes to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (P.L. 117-81 § 6202), which required Federal agencies to establish DETO (Domestic Employee Teleworking Overseas) policies within their agency ‘telework requirements’ and to determine within those policies the circumstances in which an employee would be permitted to perform official duties from an approved overseas location temporarily. This provision amended 5 U.S.C. 6502 (the Telework Enhancement Act) to require all Executive agencies to include DETO policies within their telework policies. 

On average, DETO requests can take up to 6-9 months to review for final determination. 

Yes. Employees are not authorized to perform the duties of a position whose regular worksite is located in the United States at an alternative worksite in a foreign location without an approved DETO agreement. 

Yes. Supervisors may amend DETO agreements at any time by providing written justification based on the office’s needs and with prior notification of 90 days. Amended agreements must be routed through the State Department’s National Security Decision Directive 38 approval process for final approval determination by the Chief of Mission (COM). 

Yes. Either the employee or supervisor may cancel a DETO agreement before its prescribed termination date. The notice of cancelation must be submitted, in writing, 90 calendar days before the effective date. 

The agreement improves the economic security of some military families by enabling eligible federal employees who accompany their Service member or DoD civilian spouses on assignments to military installations overseas to quickly be approved to work remotely, allowing more spouses to keep their federal jobs during permanent change of station (PCS) moves.

Under the MOA, the DoD will provide a range of required security services to covered DETOs that are normally carried out by regional security officers at U.S. embassies and consulates (e.g., emergency planning, evacuation assistance, initial incident response for serious incidents).   Additionally, the State Department will accept DOD’s suitability determination for DETO residences and will not require additional inspections using State Department standards. 

Under this MOA, the DOD and the State Department will work together to facilitate approval of DETO arrangements for federal employees who are spouses of military and DOD civilian employee sponsors.

More federally employed spouses will be able to maintain their careers, improve their economic security and keep their families together while they accompany their service member or DOD civilian employee spouse overseas. 

The MOA took effect April 18, 2024. 

This MOA is limited to areas where DOD has approved assignments and where DOD has established Military Housing Offices serving the military installation community. 

DOD employees should reference Section 5 of DODI 1035.01, “Telework and Remote Work,” which contains policy for domestic employees temporarily working from overseas pursuant to DETO arrangements. Federal employees from other executive branch agencies should contact their DETO coordinator or human resources office. 

Any military spouse who is an executive branch employee wanting to work overseas must first get approval by their supervisor in the agency where they work. 

No. The new MOA does not impact anyone working overseas with an approved DETO agreement.

Federal employees may not be approved to work remotely from a foreign location prior to obtaining approval from the State Department pursuant to the DETO program. They may be approved by their agency employer to telework or work remotely from locations within the United States. 

Employees or their employing agency may either pay to make necessary upgrades to meet the required standards or must find a different residence that meets required standards.