International Travel Checklist for Documents, Paperwork and Luggage

Before you travel abroad, check the document required in your destination and transit countries, the entry requirements, insurance, the rules for carrying medication, access to money, roaming and baggage restrictions. Only once those are sorted, fill in your usual list of clothes and toiletries. Requirements can change, so confirm them again right before your trip.

This isn’t another general packing guide. It covers only the international layer: border documents, the EHIC, insurance, currency, internet, your flight, customs rules and fitting the list to the country. For counting clothes, choosing a bag and everyday toiletries, see the general travel packing list.

Pre-departure paperwork checklist for international travel

Start with the things you can’t easily replace once you’re there. An extra pair of pants won’t make up for a missing passport, a required visa or a medication you take regularly. Choose clothes and toiletries only after you’ve checked the paperwork.

The two-copy rule - keep your documents and emergency numbers in two independent places, for example offline on your phone and on paper, or in encrypted cloud storage you can reach from another device. A copy doesn’t replace the original at the border, but it makes things easier if you lose a document.

Travel documents for international trips

An ID card is enough only where the country’s rules allow it. When traveling in the European Union and the Schengen Area, an EU citizen should carry a valid ID card or passport. A driver’s license and a payment card are not travel documents. Children also need their own ID card or passport.

When traveling outside the EU, check your foreign ministry’s travel advice for the country. Verify each of these separately:

• which document is accepted and how long it must be valid;
• whether you need a visa, an electronic travel authorization or an arrival form;
• whether you need a return ticket, proof of accommodation or a certain amount of funds;
• which rules apply during a layover in a transit country;
• whether a minor traveling with one parent or guardian, or without their parents, needs additional consent;
• whether your driver’s license is recognized and which documents a driver must carry.

Don’t assume there’s a fixed six-month passport validity rule. Some countries apply it, others set different periods. What counts is current information for your specific destination and transit country.

Save your insurance policy number, accommodation address, tickets, boarding passes, transportation bookings and the contact details of your country’s consulate. If you’re heading somewhere communication may be difficult, check whether your foreign ministry lets you register your trip.

Travel insurance and the EHIC

The EHIC and private travel insurance do different jobs. The European Health Insurance Card confirms your right to necessary treatment in the public healthcare system of an EU or EFTA country on the same terms as its residents. That may mean a copay if local patients pay one too.

The EHIC doesn’t replace a policy chosen for your trip. Before you buy insurance, check medical costs, medical transport and repatriation home, personal liability, baggage, chronic conditions and activities such as diving, trekking, skiing or riding a scooter. Save your insurer’s emergency number and the claims procedure.

If you’re eligible, you can get an EHIC for free from the public health insurer that covers you. Check the expiry date on every card, including your children’s.

Medication, vaccinations and health while traveling

Bring the medications you take regularly, with extra in case your return is delayed. Keep them in their original packaging, and when you fly, keep the supply you need most in your carry-on. Write down the names of the active ingredients, because brand names may differ abroad.

Before you go, check whether your destination or transit country restricts the medication you’re carrying. This applies to some psychotropic drugs, narcotics and products sold over the counter at home, among others. If a medication needs a prescription, a certificate, a translation or storage at a specific temperature, prepare the documents and transport as your doctor, pharmacist and the relevant authorities advise.

If you’re traveling to the tropics or somewhere with different disease risks, plan ahead with a travel medicine doctor. Public health guidance recommends doing this ideally 6 to 8 weeks before your trip. The doctor will assess your route, length of stay, health and any required or recommended vaccinations.

For basic supplies matched to your route, see the separate travel first aid kit list. Don’t pack random medications just in case without checking contraindications and how to use them.

Money, cards and currency

Take at least 2 independent ways to pay when you travel abroad. The simplest setup is 2 cards kept separately plus a small amount of cash for transportation, tips, restrooms or places without a card reader. Check the currency, the fees for payments and withdrawals, your card limits and how to block your card.

• Don’t keep both cards, all your cash and your documents in one wallet.
• Write down your bank’s phone number somewhere other than the app, which you could lose along with your phone.
• Check that logging in and approving payments will still work after you switch SIM cards.
• When paying in a foreign currency, read the card reader or ATM screen before you accept the exchange rate.
• For a longer trip, set a daily budget and keep a reserve for a change of transportation or an extra night.

Exchange cash at a trusted exchange office, or withdraw it once you know the fees. There’s no single cheapest method for every card and country. Compare your own bank’s fees with those of the foreign currency account you use.

Phone, roaming, internet and offline maps

Before you cross the border, check how much calls, texts and data cost on your plan. In the EU, you usually roam at domestic prices, but your carrier may apply fair use rules and data limits. Outside the EU, the EU rules don’t apply.

If your plan doesn’t cover your destination, turn off mobile data until you activate the right roaming option, a local SIM card or an eSIM. Be especially careful about automatic connections to satellite networks on ships or planes, because standard EU roaming rules don’t cover them.

Before you go, download a map of the area, your accommodation address, an offline translator, tickets and key phone numbers. Check that your charger works with the voltage and outlets in your destination. Buy an adapter for the country’s actual plug type, not for the continent.

Carry-on luggage for international flights

If you’re wondering what to pack for a vacation by plane, start by sorting things by what happens if your bag gets lost. Essentials that are hard to replace stay with you, while ordinary clothes can go in your checked bag.

Your carry-on should hold everything you need to start your trip and to get through the first day if your checked bag is delayed. That means documents, medication, your phone, money, valuable electronics, a charger and a basic change of underwear and a T-shirt.

Don’t copy limits from a random list online. Free baggage sizes depend on the airline and fare, and security rules can differ between airports. If you’re unsure about a specific item, check the security rules at your departure airport. Read your airline’s rules separately.

Treat a power bank like a spare battery. Before your flight, check its capacity in Wh and the airline’s rules. Don’t put an item in your checked bag just because it didn’t fit in your carry-on. First make sure it’s allowed in the hold at all.

What depends on your destination

Don’t build another list of clothes and toiletries from scratch. Copy the general travel checklist, then add only the items that the country, the season and local rules call for.

• Climate and season: check daytime and nighttime temperatures, rainfall, humidity and the weather at altitude or at sea.
• Outlets and voltage: find out whether you need an adapter and whether your devices handle the local voltage.
• Dress codes: add the clothing required at places of worship, government offices, the hotel restaurant or during planned activities.
• Health: add protection from sun, insects or cold based on your destination and medical advice.
• Getting around: check the driver’s documents, the car’s mandatory equipment and the accessories you’ll need in a rental car.
• Product availability: bring your own supply only if you can’t easily buy the product there or you need a very specific one.

Before packing food, plants, seeds, alcohol, tobacco or animal products, check your destination’s customs rules and the rules for returning to the EU. What you can buy or carry within one country isn’t necessarily allowed across a border.

How to adapt your list for Turkey, Greece, Egypt and all-inclusive trips

Searches like “what to pack for Turkey”, “Greece packing list” or “what to bring to Egypt” shouldn’t lead to one rigid list. The same country can mean an all-inclusive hotel, a city break, a cruise, a trek or a business trip. Always combine the destination with how you’ll spend your time and when you’re going.

For Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Malta, Tunisia, Thailand and any other destination, run the same check: entry document, transit, health, insurance, currency, internet, outlets, climate and local restrictions. Get your answers from your foreign ministry’s current travel advice for the country, not from a list published a few seasons ago.

What to pack for working abroad

Going abroad for work takes two lists: luggage for the trip and the documents you need to live and work there legally. The paperwork depends on the country, your citizenship, length of stay and profession, and on whether you’re going on your own, through an agency or as a posted worker.

Besides the usual checklist, prepare:

• your contract, employer details and written accommodation terms;
• documents on your right to work and reside, if required;
• diplomas, licenses, certificates and translations required in your profession;
• social security and health insurance documents;
• work clothes, or information on what your employer provides;
• a budget to last until your first paycheck, covering travel, a deposit and basic shopping;
• copies of contacts and documents stored somewhere other than your phone.

Check the employer and the accommodation address before you hand over money or documents. Don’t give your original passport to an intermediary. For work in the EU, start with the official Your Europe information on working abroad and the residence rules of the country. For a country outside the EU, use its official government websites and your foreign ministry’s travel advice.

International travel packing list for a trip with a child

Every child needs their own travel document. Before you go, also check the consent requirements for the other parent or guardians, especially if the child is traveling with one parent, with someone else or alone. Requirements may come from the country’s laws, the airline’s rules and the circumstances of the trip.

Add to your child’s carry-on:

• any medication they need and a short medical note for the caregiver;
• food and drinks allowed on your route;
• a change of clothes for the child, and for a young child, one for the caregiver too;
• diapers, wipes and hygiene products for the journey, with extra in case of delays;
• a small comfort item and an activity that doesn’t need internet;
• a card with the child’s name and the caregiver’s phone number.

Check the rules for strollers, car seats, milk, food and liquid medication directly with the airline and the airport. Don’t assume the procedure will be the same on the return flight.

When to start preparing for an international trip

The last check is there to catch changes, not to replace earlier preparation. You usually can’t sort out a passport, visa, vaccination or the right document for a child while standing in the check-in line.