Overseas Travel Checklist 2024: Essentials & Tips

Travel insurance

Although travel insurance is mostly not required to travel to many countries now, it is still strongly recommended. Having a travel insurance plan with adequate coverage will allow you claim for in-patient hospitalisation expenses overseas including medical, surgical, nursing or hospital charges, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage, so it’ll definitely prepare you better for such unexpected situations. If you have any pre-existing conditions or if you’re doing any extreme sports, make sure that your travel insurance covers those as well.

Approved passport and visa

Unless you’re from one of the countries which are on a visa-free entry agreement with that particular country you’re travelling to, you’ll have to apply for an e-visa or other types of relevant visa to travel to your preferred destination as a tourist or for business. The most common types of tourist visa are usually single entry visa, multiple entry visa and transit visa.

You’ll also need to remember to check the validity status of your passport to avoid being turned away at the airport and having to postpone or cancel your flight and accommodation bookings. The general rule of thumb is that your passport needs to have at least 6-months of validity before your date of departure. If it doesn’t you’ll need to renew your passport. You may want to refer to our guide on applying and renewing your passport here.

Credit cards and multi-currency wallets

Your go-to travel credit cards are definitely one of the things that you’ll pack in your travel wallet, because there's just many reasons to use your credit card overseas, whether it's clocking air miles, getting free flights, hotel stays, dining rewards, cashback, lowest fees, frequent flyer programme benefits or other benefits.

If you're shopping around for better travel credit cards, you may find MoneySmart's Best Credit Card for Overseas Spending page helpful for you to compare different credit cards and their perks. Do bear in mind the credit card foreign transaction fees and other administrative charges that you may have to pay for different cards, but many banks do offer discounts or waivers for foreign transaction fees, or you can compare multi-currency wallets and pick one that can help you avoid foreign currency transaction fees.

Accommodation and flight documents

You'll definitely need your personal identification cards such as your passport and driver's licence, whether it's for clearing immigration or for verification purposes at the accommodation you've booked.

Remember to print hard copies of the airline reservations, hotel confirmations and rental car details, just in case the soft copies in your phone can't be accessed due to a flat battery or connection issues.

Connectivity gadgets and apps

Power adaptors, Wi-Fi devices, translation and offline maps may be small stuff and can get easy to forget about, but you'll need them all the time when you travel as your mobile devices, cameras, and other electronic gadgets will probably need the extra energy for all the photography and videos taken, and you may need some guidance for navigation during your trip.

Note that different regions have different types of adaptors, do check international standards before your trip so that you'll know which device you should purchase to fit your charging cords

As for portable Wi-Fi, some rentable options include Yogofi by Travelwifi, Changi Wi-Fi, Y5buddy and Traveler-Wifi. These can help you stay connected as it is especially important in situations of emergencies, such as unexpected terrorist attacks or natural disasters.

Travel-sized toiletries

Travel-sized toiletries are convenient and help you adhere to airline regulations for liquids. Don't forget essentials like toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and sunscreen.

Travel-friendly First-Aid kit

A compact first aid kit with band-aids, pain relievers, antiseptic wipes, and any necessary medications can be a lifesaver in unexpected situations.