A practical newcomer guide

Håfa adai. Make Guam feel like home.

Moving to Guam or newly arrived? Start with the steps that matter most, find current official resources, learn how to move through the island with respect, and discover ways to meet the community.

Start your arrival checklist Find something to do this week

Official links verified August 31, 2026. Always confirm time-sensitive requirements with the linked agency or installation.

A move to Guam is more than a change of address. The time zone, weather, shipping, health care, transportation, housing, and island geography can change how ordinary errands work. Guam is also a place with a living CHamoru culture, deep family ties, distinct villages, and a history that newcomers should take time to understand. This guide gives you a calm place to begin, then sends you to the official source when the answer can change.

This community guide is not an official Department of Defense resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or speaking for the Department of Defense, any military branch, the Government of Guam, or any linked organization. It does not replace your orders, command instructions, your sponsor, a housing office, medical screening, or the linked installation guidance. Policies and contacts can change.

Where to start

Pick your situation.

Reviewed Aug 31, 2026

Planning my move

Records, shipping, pets, health, remote-work approval, and the timeline that works backward from your report date.

 Reviewed Aug 31, 2026

My first 72 hours

Safe lodging, dependable transport, weather alerts, groceries and medicine, and what not to rush into.

 Reviewed Aug 31, 2026

Daily life and services

Power, water, trash, internet, driver’s license, schools, and health care, with links to the live source.

 Reviewed Aug 31, 2026

Culture and respect

CHamoru language and values, village names, history, and how a newcomer becomes a good neighbor.

 Reviewed Aug 31, 2026

Things to do

A first free afternoon, a first weekend, history, the outdoors done safely, and ways to meet people.

 Reviewed Aug 31, 2026

Military and PCS support

Sponsor first, then the correct official newcomer, relocation, housing, and check-in page for your installation.

Show military and PCS steps General newcomer content stays primary; the audience filter that reorganizes the page is on the build list.

The arrival checklist

Organized by when the decision should happen.

Exact day counts are a guide, not a guarantee. Some pet, medical, passport, housing, child-care, and shipment processes need more time. You can check items off in your browser; nothing is saved to an account, and we do not ask for orders, addresses, medical conditions, or dependent names.

  • As soon as the move is likelyContact your sponsor and open the installation newcomer page. Start overseas screening and EFMP coordination when applicable. Read the current Guam pet-import rules before booking travel. Begin school and child-care research. Get remote-work approval in writing. Compare shipment, vehicle, and lodging options and keep every estimate.
  • About 90 days beforeGather orders, IDs, birth, marriage, school, immunization, insurance, pet, vehicle, and prescription records, with an encrypted backup. Ask the housing office which appliances are included before shipping large items. Do not sign an off-base military lease before the housing-office process is done.
  • About 30 days beforeRecheck pet clearance and routing. Confirm airport or Patriot Express arrival and who will meet you. Confirm temporary transport. Check the current Guam Customs declaration. Review National Weather Service Guam and Guam Homeland Security preparedness guidance.
  • First 72 hoursComplete installation and unit check-in with your sponsor. Confirm safe lodging before large purchases or a lease. Get dependable transport for the real commute. Check weather alerts. Locate groceries, urgent medicine, and fuel or charging. Do not rush a vehicle, lease, or internet contract.
  • First 30 daysInspect housing for drainage, storm protection, cooling, moisture, water pressure, and commute time. Use the current Department of Revenue and Taxation checklists for license and vehicle matters. Start Guam Power Authority, Guam Waterworks Authority, and Guam Solid Waste Authority service. Confirm internet inside the home. Finish school, medical, and pet arrangements. Find your village mayor’s office. Set a typhoon plan. Visit one cultural or historical site. Join one community activity, Run 4 Awareness first when registration is open.
  • Settling inLearn the history of the village where you live. Keep exploring beyond the installation and the hotel district. Follow current water, hiking, heat, storm, and reef guidance. Support locally owned businesses. Volunteer, join a club, or take part in a community run or walk.

Each section links to its official source. Report a change.

Meet Guam in motion.

Run, walk, or wheel with people from across the island at the annual Run 4 Awareness. The 2026 Sunset Run supports diabetes awareness, free community screening, and opportunity for Guam youth.

See the next Run 4 Awareness event
Housing and utilities

Choose the address after you test the life around it.

Before you sign, walk the home and the block. Take this list with you:

  • Drive the commute at the actual reporting or work time, not midday.
  • Installation or employer access requirements, and who is responsible for the lease, deposit, utilities, and maintenance.
  • Storm shutters or protection, drainage, cooling, and moisture control. Look for visible mold or water damage.
  • Power outlets and surge protection, and the condition of large appliances that come with the home.
  • Water pressure, and water-storage arrangements if there are any.
  • Mobile signal in the rooms where people will work or sleep, and wired internet options at the exact address with the installation lead time.
  • Parking, lighting, safe entry, mail and package delivery, pet rules, school and child-care travel, and the nearest groceries, medicine, and appropriate health care.

Military: Camp Blaz currently warns incoming Marines not to sign an off-base lease before working with the housing office. Every installation has its own assignment, inspection, and allowance process. Follow the current housing-office process for your installation first.

Do not rely on this page for deposits, rates, office hours, or service boundaries. Start or move service through Guam Power Authority, Guam Waterworks Authority, and Guam Solid Waste Authority. Find your village office in the Mayors’ Council directory.

Getting around and arrival

Do not assume a car is unnecessary, and do not assume transit covers your commute.

Guam has public transit, taxis, rental vehicles, and other options, but service area, frequency, accessibility, and operating days may not fit every commute. Check the current route and schedule before you choose a home or decide you can go without a car.

Arrival looks different depending on how you come in: a commercial airport arrival, a Patriot Express or Andersen arrival, an accompanied family, an unaccompanied service member, or a pet arrival. If you are military, every arrival path starts with contact your sponsor and the specific installation instructions.

Pack, buy, or decide later

A checklist, not a winner.

Carry or ship with care

Essential records and secure copies. Prescription medicines and medical documentation. Employer-approved work equipment. Specialized hobby, adaptive, or professional items after checking carrier restrictions. A limited first-week supply of child or pet essentials. Irreplaceable personal items that tolerate humidity and shipping.

Usually available after arrival

Ordinary groceries and household basics. Surge protectors, flashlights, batteries, cleaning and humidity-control products. Common furniture and appliances, subject to availability and price. Local phone and internet plans. Emergency-kit supplies you can buy and store safely.

Decide after housing is known

Large furniture and extra appliances. Outdoor storage. Generators and fuel containers. Dehumidifiers or added cooling. A second vehicle. Large hobby gear.

Availability, shipping rules, prices, included military-housing appliances, and household needs vary. Check the current carrier, installation, housing office, retailer, and exact address before a large purchase. People online disagree about the best provider, neighborhood, vehicle, or furniture. Use the checklist and decide for your own situation.

Internet, mobile, and remote work

The exact-address test.

Service quality on Guam varies by exact address, not by village. Before you rely on a home for work:

  • Ask providers, with the exact service address, whether service is wired, fiber, cable, fixed wireless, or mobile, and the installation lead time and equipment.
  • Check mobile signal inside the home, in the rooms you will actually use.
  • Test video calls at the hours you will be working.
  • Ask your employer, in writing, about approved networks, VPN, data handling, payroll, tax, security, and working hours.
  • Plan an employer-approved backup if continuous access is essential.

Guam follows Chamorro Standard Time, UTC+10, all year and does not observe daylight saving time, so the difference from the continental United States changes when mainland clocks change. (NIST)

Weather and household readiness

Rain, heat, and typhoons are ordinary island life. Plan for them.

Guam is warm and humid all year. Rain, marine conditions, heat, tropical systems, and typhoons can affect daily plans. Tropical cyclones are possible year-round, with more activity generally from June through December. Check the National Weather Service Guam and Guam Homeland Security for current conditions and instructions, and set up power alerts.

Build a household plan: a communication and meeting plan; water, food, medicine, lighting, radio, batteries, sanitation, and child, elder, and pet needs; records protected from water; vehicle and fuel planning that matches current instructions; alert subscriptions; a shutter or safe-room plan; and safe cleanup information after a storm. The number of days of supplies to keep should follow current GHS guidance, not a fixed figure.

A portable generator can kill through carbon monoxide. Use it outdoors only, at least 20 feet from buildings, with the exhaust pointed away from the home. Never use it in a house, garage, shed, crawlspace, or any enclosed area. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and current safety guidance (CPSC). For any electrical connection, use a qualified professional and follow current codes and utility guidance.

Culture and respect

Listen before explaining.

You do not need to know everything on the day you arrive. Begin with curiosity, learn the village names, and remember that many places carry family, cultural, environmental, or wartime meaning. Håfa adai is a welcoming greeting. Inafa’maolek is a CHamoru value tied to harmony, reciprocity, and mutual responsibility. Treat manåmko’ and elders with respect. Ask permission before photographing people, private property, or cultural places. Do not touch or remove coral, wildlife, or historic material. Guam is home to families, villages, and a living Indigenous culture, not a remote duty station or a vacation backdrop.

Written with the Guam Museum, Guampedia, the University of Guam, the Guam Visitors Bureau, and the Mayors’ Council of Guam as sources. If something here reads wrong to you, tell us and we will fix it.

Things to do without the overwhelm

Five first experiences.

  1. Start with history. The Guam Museum, or the War in the Pacific National Historical Park visitor center, after checking current hours.
  2. Learn the village you live in. Use the Mayors’ Council village guide and find the current mayor’s office.
  3. Choose a public outdoor place safely. Check weather, surf, reef, access, and site rules before you leave.
  4. Find a current community event. The Guam Visitors Bureau calendar, village information, or a verified organizer page.
  5. Move with people. Run 4 Awareness first when it is active, then the Guahan Running Club and other verified clubs.

Near any activity: never swim alone; check current surf, currents, and warnings; use a qualified guide on unfamiliar trails; do not enter caves, closed areas, or restricted property; unexploded ordnance can still be present, so do not touch suspicious objects, move away and call 911.

Military and PCS

Contact your sponsor first.

This module routes you to the correct current official page. It does not copy changing contacts and policies. Pick your installation, then work the common steps: contact the sponsor, use Plan My Move and the installation page, start overseas screening and EFMP coordination when applicable, confirm arrival and pickup, confirm lodging and the housing-office process, start pet planning early, research schools and child care, and use orientation, loan-locker, and family-support programs.

Camp Blaz currently warns incoming Marines not to enter an off-base lease before working with the housing office. Follow the current housing-office process for your installation before signing. Do not use military seals, branch marks, or installation logos as decoration or to imply endorsement.

Official links, by topic

Go to the live source.

Verified August 31, 2026. Requirements, fees, hours, and schedules change, so confirm time-sensitive details with the linked source.

A generator can kill through carbon monoxide. Use it outdoors only, at least 20 feet from buildings, exhaust pointed away from the home. Never use it indoors or in a garage. For any electrical connection, use a qualified professional and follow current codes and utility guidance.

Time zone: Guam follows Chamorro Standard Time, UTC+10, all year, and does not observe daylight saving time, so the difference from the continental United States changes when mainland clocks change. Built from current official sources; local community review is part of publication. Report a change or suggest a section.

Meet Guam through movement

The fastest way to meet people here is to move with them.

Guam keeps a steady rhythm of runs, walks, and community events. They welcome newcomers and military families, and they are a quick way to learn the island and make friends.

Meet Guam at the 2026 run

Back to Running and Walking on Guam