International travel checklist: everything before you fly

Passport

• Validity: most countries require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. Check both your destination and any layover countries — transit rules vary.
• Blank pages: at least 2 blank pages required by many countries for entry stamps; some require more. Count them before you book.
• Renewal timeline 2026: US passport renewal by mail currently takes 8–10 weeks routine, 5–7 weeks expedited. In-person appointments at passport agencies take 2–3 business days but require proof of imminent travel (a booking confirmation with departure within 14 days).

Visa

• Check your destination's visa requirements at travel.state.gov— the US government's official source, organized by country.
• Visa categories: tourist visa, e-visa (apply online), visa on arrival, or no visa required. E-visas often take 24–72 hours; paper visas can take 2–8 weeks, so apply early.
• Apply for Global Entry or NEXUS if you travel internationally more than once a year — processing now takes 3–6 months (interview required), but you also get TSA PreCheck for domestic flights.

Health

• Check CDC recommended vaccines for your destination at cdc.gov/travel. Some countries require proof of certain vaccinations (yellow fever, etc.) at the border — not just a recommendation.
• Prescription medications: get a 30-day supply excess and keep all medications in their original labeled bottles when traveling internationally.

Travel insurance

• Your credit card may already cover medical emergencies, trip cancellation, and lost baggage — verify your card's specific coverage before relying on it for international trips.
• If card coverage is limited, consider a standalone travel insurance policy — especially for medical evacuation, which credit cards rarely include.

Bookings

• Confirm your international flight booking has your name exactly as it appears on your passport — mismatches can cause check-in problems, especially internationally.
• Add your Known Traveler Number (Global Entry PASSID) to all bookings to receive TSA PreCheck on qualifying flights.
• Download your airline's app and enroll in check-in and flight status notifications.
• Book your airport transfer or research public transit to and from your hotel at the destination — do this now, not at midnight when you land.

Technology

• International phone plan: add a daily plan to your US carrier ($5–10/day for most), or set up an eSIM through a service like Airalo or Holafly before you leave, or plan to buy a local SIM on arrival.
• Download offline maps (Google Maps offline areas) for your destination — essential if you're navigating on a local SIM with limited data.
• Set up mobile payment (Apple Pay / Google Pay) — widely accepted internationally and reduces card skimming risk at foreign ATMs and shops.

Money

• Notify your bank of your travel dates and destination — many cards are frozen for suspected fraud when charges appear in a foreign country without advance notice.
• Know your card's foreign transaction fees. Cards with 0% foreign transaction fees include Chase Sapphire, Capital One Venture, and Charles Schwab debit.
• Avoid airport currency exchange booths if possible — the rates are poor. Use ATMs at your destination or get a small amount of foreign currency from your bank before you leave.
• Keep $100–200 USD cash as an emergency backup — universally accepted as an exchange currency if your card fails.

Documents

• Scan your passport, visa, travel insurance policy, hotel confirmation, and itinerary — email copies to yourself and save them offline on your phone.
• Take a photo of your packed bag contents before closing it — makes a lost or delayed luggage claim significantly easier to file.

Check-in

• Check in online — most international airlines open check-in 24 hours before departure; some open 48 hours for long-haul routes.
• Confirm your seat assignment and download your boarding pass to the airline app so it is accessible offline.

Know your arrival airport

• Download the CBP Mobile Passport Control app if you are returning to the US — it lets eligible travelers complete their customs declaration digitally and use a faster dedicated lane at 40+ US airports.
• Research Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks at your destination — many international airports have them for faster self-service processing on arrival.

Carry-on essentials

• Passport — keep on your person or in your carry-on, never in your checked bag.
• All visas and entry documents — printouts recommended as a backup alongside digital copies in case of connectivity issues.
• Travel insurance policy and emergency contact numbers — stored in your phone and on a physical backup.
• Prescription medications — minimum a 2-week supply in carry-on, not in checked baggage, in original labeled bottles.
• Power adapter for your destination — check the plug type before you leave. A universal travel adapter covers most countries.
• Empty water bottle (fill after security), neck pillow, eye mask, and earplugs for long-haul comfort.

At the airport

• If buying duty-free liquids for international travel, keep the sealed bag and receipt — you may need to show both at international connections for re-screening.
• If you must exchange currency at the airport, use a bank-operated booth — avoid the first-row kiosks near arrivals, which typically have the worst rates. Better to withdraw from an ATM at your destination.

Leaving the US

• You do not fill out a customs declaration form when departing the US — only on return.
• There is no restriction on how much currency you can carry out, but you must declare $10,000 or more in cash or monetary instruments.

Returning to the US

• Fill out the CBP customs declaration form on the plane — or use the Mobile Passport Control app to complete it digitally before landing and use the faster dedicated lane.
• Declare any purchased goods over the $800 per-person duty-free exemption. Undeclared goods above the limit can be seized.
• Most fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats are not allowed into the US — declare what you have or dispose of it before reaching the customs officer.
• Global Entry members: skip the standard customs queue and use the kiosk — your PASSID expedites processing. Enrollment guide: Global Entry enrollment step by step.