First trip abroad checklist: what to sort before you go

Your first trip abroad has a few extra steps that a domestic trip does not. None of them is hard, but several take time, and the ones people forget are the ones that can stop you at the airport. This checklist covers them in the order to do them.

The rules behind most of these items are set by governments and change over time. Where that is the case, this article tells you what kind of rule exists and where to check it, not the current detail.

Months before: documents

Passport. If you do not have one, apply first, because it can take longer than you expect. If you have one, check the expiry date. Many countries require a passport to be valid for a minimum period after you arrive, or leave, and the rule differs by country. Look up the requirement for your destination before you book.

Entry rules. Find out whether you need a visa, an electronic travel authorisation, or neither. This depends on your nationality, where you are going and how long you plan to stay. Check the official government site of the country you are visiting and your own government's travel advice. Avoid third-party sites that charge a fee to do what the official site does free or cheaply.

Onward and return travel. Some countries ask to see proof that you will leave. Have your return or onward ticket easy to find.

Weeks before: protection and health

Travel insurance. Buy it when you book, not the week you leave, so it covers cancellations if something goes wrong before departure. Read what it covers for medical care, lost baggage, cancellations and the activities you plan to do. Check that the amounts are sensible for where you are going. If you are unsure what the terms mean, travel insurance explained goes through them.

Health. Ask a travel clinic or your doctor whether any vaccinations or precautions are advised for your destination, and how far ahead to start them. If you take regular medication, find out how to carry it. Rules about bringing medicines into a country vary, so check them on the destination's official site and keep medicines in their original packaging with a prescription or letter if the rules suggest it.

Your own country's advice. Register for any traveller notification scheme your government runs. It is how they can reach you in an emergency.

Weeks before: money

Tell your bank. Some banks block cards used abroad without warning. Check how yours behaves overseas and whether you need to set anything up in its app.

Know how you will pay. Cards are widely used in many places and cash matters in others. Take at least one card you can use abroad and a second as a backup, kept apart from the first. Carry a little cash in the local currency for the first day.

Check the fees. Banks and card providers charge in different ways for spending and cash withdrawals in another currency. Read your own terms, as they are different for everyone. Set a budget. Decide roughly what you will spend per day and keep a running total. If you are travelling with someone, agree who pays for what, and log it as you go; how to split travel costs with friends explains the habit.

The fortnight before: phone and practical bits

Phone. Find out what your plan charges for using data abroad, which can be very high. The usual choices are a roaming add-on from your provider, a local SIM, or an eSIM bought for the trip. Decide which before you leave, since some need setting up in advance.

Plug adapter. Plugs and voltage differ around the world. Find out which plug type your destination uses, and whether your devices can handle the voltage. Most phone and laptop chargers can, but hair dryers and shavers often cannot.

Download what you need. Save maps of the area for offline use, your tickets, and your accommodation address. Do it on wifi at home.

Copies of important documents. Keep a copy of your passport, insurance details and key bookings somewhere other than the originals: in the cloud, and a printed copy in your bag.

Emergency numbers. Look up the local emergency number and the address of your country's embassy or consulate in the place you are going.

The week before: packing

Start with the things that are hard to replace: documents, medicines, chargers, and anything you need for the first night. Then clothes for the weather you will get, not the weather you hope for.

Check the airline's baggage rules for the size and weight of your bag and what you can carry in the cabin. Rules about liquids and other items in hand luggage are set by airports and security authorities and they change, so check them close to the date you fly. A packing list that knows where you are going can help you avoid packing things twice.

The day before

• Check in online if it is available, and save your boarding pass offline.
• Charge your phone and any power bank.
• Put passport, boarding pass, cards and some cash somewhere you can reach them without opening a bag.
• Work out how you are getting to the airport and how early to leave.
• Look at how you will get from the airport to your first night.
• Write down your first address in the local language if you can.

At the airport and on arrival

Arrive with more time than you think you need on your first international trip; the check-in, security and passport control steps all take time, and you will be slower the first time. Keep your documents in hand when you reach the border queue, and answer questions simply and truthfully.

On arrival, get money or your phone sorted first, and take the simplest route to your first bed. The first night does not need to be clever.

What to do next

Start with the two items that take longest: the passport and the entry rules. Everything else can wait until those are confirmed. Then work through the rest of the order in how to plan a trip, step by step.