Now that more Americans are vaccinated, many are excited to start traveling overseas again. As of September 2021, NBC points out that more than 40 countries are fully open to American tourists. Meanwhile, more than 170 countries require negative Covid-19 tests from travelers as a safety measure, along with the usual requirements. To ensure that you have a safe and smooth trip, here are all the things that you must secure before traveling overseas:
Different methods of payment
When traveling overseas, it’s best to prepare for any situation by bringing credit cards, ATM cards, and cash. In fact, travelers may benefit more from bringing one to two credit cards during their trip. Petal highlights that having many credit cards can be beneficial, especially if overseas retailers use different card issuers. Plus, those who love to travel may get extra flyer miles from specific credit cards. On the other hand, ATM cards are useful whenever you need to pay with cash. The exchange rate is usually more favorable through the ATMs, but you’ll also need to consider the transaction fees that your bank may charge. All in all, having different payment methods ensures that you can transact with any vendor, regardless of the types of payment they accept.
Necessary travel documents
Even before the pandemic, there were already a lot of documents that travelers needed to prepare before going on a trip. The very first thing you’ll need is your passport, which has to be valid for at least six months, according to the State Department. Additionally, you need to check whether a visa is required for the country you’re traveling to. And aside from these, you'll have to prepare identification documents, such as your driver’s license or a TSA-approved ID. Finally, it’s worth packing your travel itinerary documents, such as proof of accommodation, air tickets, and even your list of planned leisure activities as you might be asked to present them.
Travel insurance
Most people don’t avail of travel insurance due to financial concerns. However, our article on ‘How to Pick the Right Travel Insurance Policy’ emphasizes that this can actually be a very costly mistake, since you may be charged as much as $250,000 if you get ill or injured in other countries. For instance, an air ambulance in the US costs around $10,000-$40,000. In comparison, this service would be equivalent to $100,000-$200,000 in Asia. Of course, no one wants to think of accidents when booking vacations. But this huge price difference is one of the main reasons why it’s more cost-efficient for travelers to be prepared.
Other medical needs
The other health considerations that you need to take into account are your vaccines and medications. The latter is a crucial requirement, especially if you have critical illnesses. You have to allocate enough medicine for yourself before flying, since it may be harder to acquire these prescriptive drugs in other countries. And given that the world is slowly opening up again after the global pandemic, the CDC suggests that you wait for two weeks after your last dose in the Covid-19 vaccination series before traveling for leisure. This is to ensure that the vaccine takes effect. You also need to take into account the medical requirements of your destination country. For instance, most countries will require you to provide vaccine certificates or test results before you can be granted entry. These are all essential requirements that you must prepare before traveling in the new normal.
It's important for you to secure your payment methods, travel documents, insurance policy, and health requirements before you go on your vacation. This is to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable trip overseas. So, remember to check and double-check these requirements before you even think of booking that ticket!