Documents checklist for your first international trip

Most first trip worries come down to paperwork. Get it right early and the airport is calm. Here is the list we go through with travellers.

Passport

Most countries want at least six months of validity left when you enter. Check the expiry date now, not the week you fly. Renewals can take longer than expected in busy months.

Visa

Apply with the documents the embassy asks for, and keep the confirmation with you. For visa on arrival destinations, carry the return ticket and hotel booking they may ask to see.

Insurance

Carry the policy document and the emergency number. Some visas, and some countries, insist on insurance as an entry requirement.

Tickets and vouchers

Keep your air ticket, hotel vouchers, and airport transfer details together, on your phone and on paper. Batteries die at the worst time.

Copies and extras

Carry photocopies of your passport and visa, a couple of passport photos, and your ID. Store a digital copy in your email as well. If a document is lost, a copy speeds everything up.

Not sure what your destination needs? Send us the country and we will tell you exactly what to carry.