Your travel plans can go for a toss if you lose or forget certain travel documents. The passport is the main document with a visa stamp. The other document which has become important is the insurance covering coronavirus. This document supersedes even the visa. If you don’t have this particular insurance you will be denied entry. These days e-documents are valid but you should always carry a hard copy. This travel document checklist guide will answer most of the document-related quires. I will also keep updating this so keep checking.
Needless to say, if you forget this at home you can’t even enter the airport. When you plan a journey do check the expiry date of the passport. Make sure that your passport does not expire within 6 months or till you return. Your passport should have the necessary visa stamp too. If you are planning to get the visa on arrival then the passport validity can be one month. Always carry a photocopy of your passport. In case you lose your passport it will be easy to apply for a new one.
This document has somewhat become the most important part of your travel. Buy insurance that covers Covid-19 protections. Airport authorities are very strict with this. Even if you have a valid visa you will be denied entry if you don’t have Covid-19 insurance. Buy insurance that covers trip delays or trip cancellations due to Coronavirus. Hospitalization due to Coronavirus is a must part of your insurance. Understand carefully the terms and conditions of your insurance company.
If you don’t get the covid-19 shot you have to be quarantined. The number of the day varies from country to country. It could be a quarantine of 3 to 14 days. The other thing is you have to pay for your entire quarantine period. But if you got both the doses you are free to go. Do check your status on the Cowin website after you have been administered both doses. You can download the certificate of the shots from the Cowin website.
Pro Tip – If you were tricked into buying the wrong insurance don’t worry! You can buy insurance online that includes buying in mid-air. Flights provide an in-flight Wi-Fi connection.
Though e-documents are accepted in most cases government work still asks for hard copies. Make sure you carry copies of your return ticket, hotel vouchers, and transfers. If you have bought tours and attractions online do carry the voucher copies of the same. Once you have the travel document checklist ready, carry two sets of all travel documents. Have the same emailed to you! Have the same in .pdf format on your phone. Sometimes you don’t get the internet service you might not be able to download from your email. So let’s double-check the list.
Pro Tip – Install DigoLocker App, it is a secure cloud-based platform for storage, sharing, and verification of documents & certificates.
The first document you get is the boarding pass. This document has all the information about you and your journey. It’s a sensitive document that should not be disposed of till you come back home. Hackers can get all information about you through this pass. Among other things, you will require this to claim your luggage if it gets lost. Your checked baggage receipts are always stuck at the back of the boarding pass. If you are traveling to multiple countries it is good to keep all receipts of your travel including the boarding pass.
The other document which you get on the flight is the immigration card. This gets stapled on your passport and is used by the hotels. In return, the immigrations check it as an exit. So don’t throw this it might result in small harassment. Now, the other useful item to carry is the pen. You will be filling forms and fill help you write information as well.
Pro Tip – Keep all bills even the food bills. Just calculate all the expenditure, it will help you prepare better for your next journey.
Pro Tip 2 – Always carry 10-12 passport photos with you. You never know when you require one. You do get options at the airport but they charge a premium.
Eccentric Blogger, Traveler and Consultant.
