8 Documents Required for International Travel

When visiting another country, a passport is the number one requirement. If you don't have one, you should apply for one well in advance so that your application can be processed on time and well before your trip. 

• Passport processing time can vary significantly from country to country, so don’t do it last minute!
• If you already have a passport, then you should confirm its expiration date. If it expires in less than 6 months or before your trip ends, then you should renew it.

Once your passport is sorted, the second most important thing is your visa. A visa is a stamp on your passport that indicates that you are permitted to enter another country, making it one of the most critical documents for international travel.

While there are a few countries offering visas on arrival to Indians, most of them require an advance application that needs proper planning often requiring weeks. Thus, you should check if your travel destination offers a visa on arrival or not, and prepare your international travel documents accordingly.

Despite improvements in the pandemic, countries continue to take precautions as the coronavirus still poses a huge threat to everyone. Travelling after COVID-19 still requires some documents for international travel like a negative COVID-19 report, vaccination certificate, etc.
Some countries even require a health declaration form and so on. These requirements vary considerably across different countries as well as airline carrier companies. Make sure that you enquire about all of these and prepare your COVID-19 documents as per the latest guidelines.

It's important to carry both originals along with a few copies of your ID proof while visiting another country. They will be required while checking in to your hotel or attending certain events or seminars.

While these are pretty obvious, some people may still forget them among too many things they need to manage. These documents are crucial and must be available as soft copies, if not hard ones. In many countries, documents required for international travel are necessary to process your visa as well. These are important documents to carry for international travel and must be kept safe and available if required at that country's immigration counter upon your arrival. 

Your whole trip depends on this. Your itinerary requires a lot of time and effort according to which you will book hotels, adventure activities, festivals, events, etc. Unless your itinerary isn't finalized, your trip can't be organized to make the most of it. Also, many countries require a detailed itinerary before issuing your visa. If your itinerary is not sound or fails to meet the purpose of the visit then there may be a delay in the visa procedure.

While the digital mode of payment is common and accepted in most countries abroad, it is still important to carry their local currency for things where online payment isn't an option. Exchanging currency abroad may consume more time, so it is recommended to do it in India. Many people also prefer traveller’s cheques, which are useful documents needed for overseas travel. Doing this in advance will also save you time and any conversion charges. You can also find a credit card with zero foreign transaction fee to save some money while abroad.

If you're going to attend a festival or theatre, chances are that you had to buy your ticket well in advance. Many adventurous activities and exciting events that you plan to attend may be sold out by the time you reach the country. To be safe, it is good to book them as soon as you have planned your itinerary.

Travelling abroad is thrilling and equally risky because of so many uncertainties. There are things that you may be completely unaware of and may find yourself in legal trouble unknowingly. Not only such situations will spoil your plans, but also cost you a lot of money beyond your spending budget. Having a travel insurance plan will save you from these woes or the stress of facing one of these issues.

Many plans can be bought instantly without any prior medical checkups. You can also customize your plans according to your budget and requirements by comparing different policies and the available optional add-on covers. Keep in mind that these will vary significantly with geographic location, age of the travellers, any pre-existing issues, etc. Make sure to give this enough time and consideration before finalizing!