Travel Blog


Pre-Departure Checklists

Anyone who is traveling to another country or even across country should also have pre-departure checklists. As a result it should specifically be focused on traveling to the host country for your trip. Particularly if you’re planning to stay for some time. Hence the following checklist will help you. Regardless of whether you’re going for one week or for several months or even longer.

Pre-Departure Checklists

Obviously if you are staying for a long time you will need to decide what you do with homes, bank accounts, taxes etc. and if just going for a week’s vacation many items will not apply.

  • Passports for all family members, valid for a minimum of six months
  • Visas for entry to the host country and work permits if needed
  • Airline and hotel reservations
  • Airline tickets including return reservations
  • Marriage certificate and birth certificates for all family members, especially for children
  • For divorced persons with children: legal authorization from the other parent. Also from a Canadian court to take the children out of the country
  • Medical examinations completed and proof of vaccinations
  • Dental examinations
  • Medical prescriptions, blood group information. Especially vaccination certificates
  • Photocopy of eyeglass prescriptions
  • Veterinary examination and vaccination for pets if applicable
  • Meeting a lawyer or Notary to update wills
  • Meeting an accountant to get financial and tax counsel
  • Meet  a bank officer regarding financial needs, including travelers checks,  credit card limits and money transfers

More Items to Consider

  • Advise your credit card company that you will be traveling to another country to avoid it being shut down prematurely
  • Placing important documents in a safety deposit box
  • Informing schools and teachers of the children’s departure and obtaining all official school documents, with teachers evaluations of each child
  • Making any necessary arrangements regarding your house, apartment or car( sale, sublease, insurance, etc.)
  • Confirming furniture storage and insurance
  • Moving personal effects to the host country
  • Keep track of relocation expenses. Also make photocopies of important documents to be brought with you
  • Informing health insurance authorities of your departure and taking care of additional insurance coverage if needed
  • Notify the post office of a change of address. In addition send notice of discontinuation to all services including electricity, telephone, heating company, and banks
  • Obtaining an international drivers license
  • Dispose of your car or put your car in storage
  • For independent consultants obtaining GST, PST, HST registration
  • Make a list of other personal matters to look after
  • Advise all of your friends and family of your new address and telephone numbers
  • Documentation that shows closer ties to your home country

Use Those that are Applicable

This may seem like a long list. However if you take the time to work through them, there will much less chance that you will have any issues arise when you are away from your home. Better to be able to relax and not worry, instead of wondering if everything is ok or dealing with and issue that comes up while you are traveling or dealing with business issues.

If you have has experience in this area and would like us to add additional items to the checklist, or provide advise to our readers please leave us a comment. We will review them and update this post with those comments that apply.

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One Response to “Pre-Departure Checklists”

  1. This seems like a long travel checklist, but after reviewing the list they all appear to be relevant. Thanks for putting together such a good lisy

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