Traveling internationally brings a specific set of challenges to travelers well beyond that of any domestic journey. Documentation, licensing, power for travel gear, insurance, healthcare, and bill payment are all issues of concern that domestic travelers don’t encounter.
Here’s my international traveler’s checklist to piggy-back on your normal domestic checklist to assist you in having a problem-free international journey:
The six-month passport rule:
More than 50 countries across the globe require visitors’ passports to be valid for at least six months, either when they enter or leave their country. Renew your passport at least nine months before its expiration. Going to Turkey? It requires U.S. passports be valid for at least eight months from the date your enter Turkey.
Check for country specific entry and exit requirements including visas and country warnings and advisories:
The U.S. State Department “country information” pages are a great place to learn detailed information about a nation’s entry, exit and visa requirements for Americans. Travelers can find detailed information there about each country’s safety and security problems, too. Also check the U.S. State Department’s “Alerts and Warnings” page for the current, most up-to-date specific warnings and alerts about countries throughout the world.
U.S. Citizen STEP registration:
The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service from the U.S. State Department. U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad can enroll their trip’s details in it online. The information entered is available to the appropriate U.S. Embassies and Consulates in case of emergency. They use it to text and email alerts to you and contact you in case of local or family emergencies and possible evacuations. I register all my international trips at STEP.
International Drivers Permit:
If you plan to drive in a foreign country, be aware that many countries don’t recognize U.S. and other countries’ driver’s licenses as valid without an accompanying international driver’s permit. They are easily obtained before you leave home at locations such as AAA in the U.S.
Have copies of all your travel documents available in case they’re lost or stolen:
In years past, astute international travelers carried multiple printed copies of all their travel documents, passports, tickets, itinerary, wallet contents, etc., and left a copy with a friend or relative at home in case the documents were lost or stolen. Today, instead of printed copies, I recommend keeping them in password protected Adobe PDF files on your smartphone and tablet, plus another stored on the cloud.
Obtain necessary vaccinations for traveling to your destinations and fill all prescriptions:
Consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccines, medicines, advice page and speak with your physician about vaccinations and medication for your trip. Fill any prescription you’ll need for your journey. Have a complete supply, plus some extra medication for the full duration of your trip. Keep them in their original containers to prove validity. Bring copies of every prescription and proof of every vaccination you have for your trip.
Investigate travel and health insurance to use while traveling:
You may need to obtain health insurance for your trip, as some health insurance such as Medicare won’t cover you outside the U.S. General travel insurance with health coverage may suffice or you may need a specific health insurance policy. Many homeowners policies give you no coverage out of the U.S. I never travel internationally without comprehensive travel insurance, including health coverage.
Manage your credit cards and ATM card for international travel:
If you don’t have one, get a credit card which won’t charge you high fees for international use. Make sure your ATM card will work internationally so you’ll be able to obtain local currency quickly and easily. Before you leave, call your credit card company to give them your trip’s destinations to prevent fraud and problems using it while away.
Bring cash from home and some local cash if you’re not flying into a major airport:
Too many people forget to bring emergency cash for their return home. If you’re flying into a small airport at your destination it may be difficult to obtain local cash there, so bring it from home. Otherwise it’s generally easy and inexpensive to obtain local currency at bank based ATM’s, at various locations, while traveling.
Contact your smartphone cellular provider for international travel:
Your smartphone can be your best friend in an emergency or if you’re lost walking in a big city, so make sure you won’t break the bank using it. Without an international data plan and perhaps a calling plan, you can rack up high charges quickly. Alternately, consider purchasing or renting a local cellphone or SIM at your destination.
Be prepared to use local electricity to power/charge your laptop, tablet, smartphone, camera etc.:
Bring correct plug adapters necessary to use local power at your destinations. Ensure your devices can handle the voltage at your destinations or bring a transformer.
The items on this checklist can help ensure you have a successful, smooth international journey, but even more planning may be necessary for your specific trip. A quality brick and mortar travel agent can be a valuable resource to help you reserve and plan every aspect of your journey.
After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
