International travel is exciting as it allows you to experience different cultures and broaden your perspective. But before embarking on such wholesome experiences, you must ensure you have the correct paperwork to facilitate your journey. Otherwise, you can face delays or even be denied the chance to leave or re-enter your country. We look at the most essential documents to your journey:
What Documents Must You Have?
Before leaving for any country, you must understand its entry and exit regulations, which determine the documents you need. However, you will find that most regions require the documents below most of the time:
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A Valid Passport
Almost all regions require you to present a valid passport when entering or leaving the country. The passport is an internationally recognized identification document. Thus, this document is necessary for customs processing, booking, boarding flights, and checking into a hotel. You will also need the passport (or its copy) to enter most buildings and attraction sites in the destination country.
Not all passports are valid for international travel. Instead, only passports that meet the conditions below are acceptable:
- The passport must meet the minimum entry criteria in the host country: Most countries set the minimum validity to six months, while others accept less validity. Ideally, you should have at least six months of validity for short stays. And if you want to stay longer, longer validity will justify your extension. Renewing expired passports or those with low validity is thus a good move.
- The passport must have enough blank pages: Some countries need one, others need two, while others consider your onward destinations when determining the number of pages. You must ensure you have enough pages (not including the endorsement pages), or you can get turned away.
- The passport must be in good condition: Most passports wear out over continued use. That should not be an issue. But damage and alteration invalidate a passport.
Any passport that does not check these boxes is unsuitable for international travel. Luckily, you can always use Travel Visa Pro expedited passport renewal services to get a new one or renew your current one in days!
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A Visa
A visa is a permit that allows you to engage in specific activities in a foreign region. How do you determine if you need a visa?
- The region’s rules: Different countries have different visa regulations for visitors. For example, a U.S. citizen traveling to Turkey for tourism must have a visa. But the same U.S. citizen will not need a tourist visa if traveling through the Schengen Region for a month.
- Your travel purpose: Some countries allow some nationals to travel visa-free, but this applies to specific activities such as tourism and business. Thus, if you want to study, reside, or work in most countries, you must get a visa before leaving the country.
Countries that require visas request visas and valid passports when processing visitors through customs. Thus, failure to comply with visa regulations has several consequences, including being sent away.
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Flight Tickets
As you go through customs, you must show your flight tickets, which can be onward or return. These show when you will leave the destination, thus assuring the immigration officers that you will abide by the immigration rules. Even if you have booked the flight online, having physical tickets or boarding cards is important.
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A Travel Itinerary
Even when you have a visa, most tourists must present a travel itinerary to justify their visit. The itineraries show where they will stay, what they will do, and when they will leave the country. Interestingly, even visa-free countries often require such itineraries. So, carrying one can help you get through customs faster. It can also guide you on where you need to be and help you get the most out of your trip.
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Identification Documents
Why does anyone need their identification documents if they have a valid passport? Many reasons! First, you can use them instead of your passport in instances where using a passport is not mandatory. Secondly, you can use them to replace your passport if you lose it or someone steals it. In most cases, your country’s embassy will require proof of identification. And the sooner you can provide it, the sooner you can get a new passport and return home. So, pack at least one extra ID when leaving home.
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Travel Insurance
What can go wrong on a trip? Errm, everything! People get injured, lose their passports, fail to find their bags on the carousel, etc. Anything that can go wrong is a risk to your trip and well-being. Thus, having travel insurance is not a luxury but a necessity. In some cases, customs officers will request a copy of your travel insurance which protects the destination country from taking on any burdens from medical or financial crises. Get a good insurance cover from a reliable company to cover your bases.
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Vaccination Certificates
Countries impose vaccination rules based on the endemics to which they have exposure. For example, people traveling to Tanzania should have yellow fever certificates. And up until 2023, most countries required their guests to have COVID-19 vaccination certificates. You should thus read about the vaccination requirements in your destination. Yellow fever and polio vaccinations are often necessary for people who have traveled through or are traveling to tropical African countries and some Central and South American regions.
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Driver’s License
Do you plan to drive while in the foreign country? If yes, carrying your driver’s license is integral to following the traffic rules at the destination. You can usually use a driver’s license from your country. But you should always check with the applicable authority. Also, you should determine if you have a limit on how long you can use your license. Some countries require you to take a test after a certain period and get a local license to keep driving.
Given the importance of these documents, keep them safe and do not carry them with you unless necessary.
