Checklist to Prepare for Studying Abroad

As you prepare for the life changing experience of studying abroad, this checklist of preparations should help you make this semester abroad a less stressful and more rewarding experience.

Review Entry Requirements

You want to ensure that you can enter the host country easily and that you can exit easily when necessary.

• Make sure that you have a valid passport and that the expiration does not occur while you are abroad.
• Check if a visa is required for entry into your study abroad destination.
• Research if there are any restrictions as to what you may bring into the country so you are not facing a stressful situation upon arrival.
• Depending on your host country, you may also need to obtain vaccinations prior to travel. The CDC maintains list of recommended vaccinations. CDC guide.

Prepare List of Emergency and Other Important Contacts

You might find yourself in a situation where you don’t have reliable internet, so creating a list of important contacts numbers, and other important information and sharing it with a trusted person is a good strategy. 

• Familiarize yourself with how to dial international numbers and be sure that the numbers provided work internationally.

A few examples of necessary contacts:

• Stateside Emergency contact name, email address and contact phone number
• Medical Insurance 24/7 Customer Service Number and email contact
• Travel Insurance 24/7 Customer Service Number and email contact
• Primary doctor contact information
• Embassy American Citizen Services Phone Number and email contact
• Credit Card 24/7 Customer Service Number and email contact
• Study Abroad Coordinator Contact Number and email contact

Make Copies of Important Documents

Make paper copies of important documents to keep in a safe place including:

• Passport and visa
• Insurance cards
• Credit cards
• Covid Vaccination cards
• Drivers license
• Medical reports if applicable

It is a good idea to make copies of important documents (ie. passport, drivers license, credit cards) and leave them at home in case yours are lost or stolen.  

Register with your Embassy or Consulate

Make a point to register with your embassy or consulate. This will let your government know where you are in case of an emergency. 

• U.S. citizens can enroll with the closest U.S. embassy or consulate by going to travel.state.gov.
• Join the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program program on the U.S. Department of State website

USSD will help you if your passport is lost or stolen while you travel or if there is an emergency. Smart Traveler will also send you alerts and updates to help you stay informed of in-country emergencies.

Secure Your Finances

Being unable to make purchases in your host country can be a frustrating experience if you are unprepared.

• Make sure to notify your financial institutions of your intentions to study abroad. Many credit card companies will freeze accounts when they see an unexpected foreign purchase.
• Check credit card balances and pay them down if necessary so you have credit in the event of an emergency. 
• You might consider acquiring a credit card that has no foreign transaction fees.
• If possible, set up capability to perform bank wires and fund transfers online
• Check that your pin number will work in your host country. In some countries pin numbers containing zeroes do not work and also pin numbers that are 4 digit may not work when three digit pins do work.  
• Check on daily limits for ATM withdrawals. Individual ATM’s may have a different withdrawal limit and limits may be expressed in the local currency. 
• ATM withdrawals usually have withdrawal fees, but you'll still get a better rate than you would exchanging dollars for local cash at a currency exchange booths.
• For safety reasons, do not travel with more credit/debit cards than are necessary
• Avoid blackmarket exchanges and non-government authorized exchanges that have extremely high exchange fees
• Even though airport exchange booths have high exchange fees, you may want to exchange some currency upon arrival for immediately needed purchases
• Also, it is a good idea to have a small amount of local currency on hand at all times as some establishments will not accept credit cards
• If you have bills that will need to continue to be paid while out of the US look into having them set up on auto-pay.

Prepare for Communications with Loved Ones

Keeping in touch with loved ones and other important people can be less stressful if planned.

• Schedule communication times and methods for arrival and for regular check-ins
• Discuss best times for calls respecting time differences
• Take advantage of best methods of communication with appropriate limits for texting and social media
• Set up best roaming plans with your cellphone company to reduce costs for phone calls and data use
• In some cases, it might make sense to unlock your phone to use an international SIM card
• Communications can be more rewarding if both parties have visual capabilities of FaceTime, Skype or Zoom
• The post office will only hold mail for 30 days so prepare alternate plan for important mail. Mail can be forwarded to loved ones during your travel abroad.
• You can set up a mail forwarding service, if necessary, that can open your mail and scan it for your review.
• Some bills can be transferred to online. Others can be paid in advance or by family members while you are away.

Review Local Laws and Customs 

Your semester abroad will be much more enjoyable if you prepare to be mindful of your surroundings.  Do your best to research where you will be living.  Familiarize yourself as much as possible with your new surroundings.

• Learn the local laws. You may be asked to fill out a police information card listing your name, passport number, destination, local address and reason for traveling.
• Some countries have laws under which you can be held “guilty by association.” Avoid others who are in possession of illegal substances.
• When exchanging money, do not exchange money on the black market.
• Avoid areas of unrest and disturbance, such as protests or riots.
• Many countries have regulations regarding the selling of personal items such as clothing, cameras and jewelry.
• What is legal in America may not be legal in other countries. Adhere to local laws strictly.
• Some countries restrict what may be photographed. Be aware of what constitutes your host country’s national security requirements before before snapping shots and look for signs prohibiting photographs.
• Keep a low profile and be prepared. Students are more likely to encounter theft and assault when they are in an unfamiliar environment and unskilled at interpreting the environment and language.

Go to travel.state.gov for more information on customs restrictions for foreign destination as well as contact information in case of an emergency abroad.

Prepare Your Medications

If you take medications on a regular basis, make sure you have enough supply for your time abroad or that you have a reliable way to re-fill your prescription. 

• Carrying multiple months of prescribed drugs with you typically does not cause a problem as long as they are in the original prescription bottles and the name on the prescription matches your passport.
• Keep Prescriptions in your carry on not in your checked bag.
• Keep a paper copy of the prescription with the American name of the drug as well as the generic name, dosage, and frequency. A paper copy is better than an e-script.

Ask your doctor to write a letter describing your pre-existing medical condition as well information on the drug. Have the doctor include their contact information in case a doctor to doctor consult is necessary.

Prepare for Medications Refills

If you need to re-fill your prescription while abroad some countries pharmacists will not fill a prescription that originates outside of their country.   Be prepared for the event that your medications are lost or stolen.

• If necessary, you can visit a local doctor abroad and allow him to review your paper prescription as well your doctor’s letter. With this documentation, the local doctor may be able to write you a prescription which can be filled locally with no difficulty.
• If you decide to have your prescriptions mailed to you by friends or family check with your home embassy to be sure that this is not violating government rules and regulations around shipping and bringing medications into the country.

• In the rare chance your medication is banned in your destination country but vital to your care, you can request to bring it in by contacting your home country's embassy.

If you have any uncertainty around traveling with your prescriptions or obtaining prescriptions in your study abroad country, contact your home country embassy. They are the best resource for current regulations as it pertains to medications.

Evaluate Your Medical Coverage Needs

First, contact your current medical provider and discuss with them your plans to study abroad. Find out what events may or may not be covered and how much you should expect to pay for basic services. Go over with them the process if you need to be seen abroad for basic care versus what to do if you have a medical emergency. 

• You have options to cover the gap in medical coverage. Because travel abroad programs often require medical coverage for participants, they usually have information on medical insurance plans that are offered through providers that work specifically with study abroad students. 
• Your university itself may offer a health insurance plan.
• Lastly, you do have the option of purchasing supplemental international medical insurance through a travel insurance company. 

Buy Travel Insurance

Your local medical insurance may not cover your medical costs while away.  Travel insurance can fill that gap and multiple other costly expenses while you are away.

• Most travel insurance policies will cover medical expenses, including emergency room costs, while in your host country. They do not cover pre-existing conditions.
• Travel insurance policies offer policies that cover trip cancellation and lost baggage.
• If you plan on participate in sports activities while abroad, review your policy carefully to ensure it covers medical expenses of your planned activity. Some policies exclude certain sports activities (ie. Bungee jumping, Mountain climbing) in the common policy, but for a cost, coverage is available for more adventurous or hazardous sports.
• When buying travel insurance make sure the policy you choose covers your medical expenses in your host country, but also gives you the option to be transported home to preferred facilities and providers.
• An upgraded policy that covers repatriation is usually the most expensive, but is worth it in the event of a serious long term medical emergency.
• It can’t be stated enough to review your policy very carefully and if unsure call the travel insurance customer service number before you go to get a full understanding of what you are purchasing.

Plan for Evacuation

With proper planning, your study abroad should be an exciting, memorable time.  Having to evacuate from your host country is a very low risk and hopefully will never be needed.  However, In the event of a sudden, catastrophic event, a breakout of civil unrest, or a major illness or accident, you may need to leave the country unexpectedly. 

• Plan ahead with loved ones where you will go in the event of an emergency. Have an alternate plan as well. Include routes, methods of travel, destinations, contacts and phone numbers.
• Have physical maps of the area as cell phone coverage may not be available during an emergency. Also be aware that printer ink is not waterproof.
• Be aware of host country emergency broadcast methods.
• Prepare a list of needed emergency items to take quickly if evacuation is necessary

An example list could be:

• Passport
• Credit cards and currency
• Prescriptions and other medicines
• First aid kit
• Bottled water
• Flashlight, battery-powered radio and extra batteries
• Clothing and bedding (sleeping bags, pillows)
• Cell phone, laptop, with chargers and adapters

Plan for Medical Evacuation

Your travel insurance company may refuse to cover your expenses to travel back to your home town in the United States for medical treatment.  They may choose rather to only pay to place you in a local hospital.  Rather than stay in your host country, you can choose to repatriate for any medical reason by hiring a medical transport company.  There are two options for travel, depending on your medical situation.

Some patients can travel aboard a commercial airline with the aid of a travel registered nurse.

• The nurse will meet you the day before your travel to assess your needs
• The nurse will pick you up by wheelchair van or sedan and take you to the airport for travel back to the U.S. in business class seating so that you can rest in a lay down position.
• The nurse will assist you with hygiene needs, luggage, comfort care, medications, monitoring of vital signs, and transfers from wheelchair to aircraft.
• Finally, the nurse will assist you upon arrival in the United States to your destination, be it home or to a local health facility

Depending on your illness or injury, you may need to be evacuated by air ambulance

• The air ambulance will be a private jet outfitted as a flying intensive care unit and managed by a full medical staff with ICU medicines and equipment
• The medical team will come to the medical facility in your host country by ground ambulance, assess your needs and transport you to the local airport to be flown on a stretcher back to your home town.

There are several air ambulance companies that travel internationally. Global Air Ambulance has transferred over 100,000 patients during the past 30 years and is available 24 hours a day to assist you with your medical evacuations needs. You can reach a medical advisor at 800-944-1220 to discuss your medical needs.