Preparation

Checklist: Travel Documents & Vaccinations

A. Travel documents (check at least 4–6 weeks before departure)

• Passport / national ID card: Check validity for every traveller (many destinations require at least six months of remaining validity).
• Apply for a new passport if necessary (treat an express passport as an emergency option only).
• Check entry requirements: visa, e-visa, ESTA/eTA, online forms, and passport-validity requirements via the foreign ministry or embassy.
• Apply for a visa or electronic travel authorisation early; allow for processing times.
• Organise your driving licence and, if required at the destination, an International Driving Permit.
• If travelling by car: prepare vehicle registration papers, the International Motor Insurance Card (Green Card), and any required vignettes or toll documents.
• Take out travel insurance and, where appropriate, trip-cancellation insurance; print or save policy documents digitally.
• Check international health-insurance cover; take your health-insurance card / European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), where applicable.
• Make copies of key documents: passport, ID card, driving licence, vehicle papers, insurance policies, tickets, and booking confirmations.
• Keep copies separate from originals and store secure scans in a cloud service or password manager.

B. Vaccinations (start at least 4–6 weeks before departure)

• Have your vaccination record reviewed by your doctor or a vaccination clinic, including routine vaccinations such as diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, and measles.
• Get any missing booster vaccinations in good time and observe required intervals.
• Check destination-specific travel vaccinations (for example yellow fever, hepatitis A/B, typhoid, rabies, or meningococcal disease) through an official health portal, tropical medicine institute, or travel-medicine consultation.
• Ensure mandatory vaccinations, such as yellow fever where applicable, are recorded in the International Certificate of Vaccination; it may need to be shown on entry.
• Plan vaccinations so that all required doses are administered before departure; take multi-dose schedules into account.
• For last-minute travel, discuss accelerated vaccination schedules with your doctor.

C. Health documents & travel medicine kit

• Pack the original vaccination record, especially for long-haul travel or destinations with vaccination requirements.
• Prepare a list of regular medication using generic/active-ingredient names; obtain a medical certificate if needed for important medicines or injections.
• Pack a travel medicine kit: regular medication, pain and fever medicine, treatment for diarrhoea/nausea, bandages, disinfectant, sunscreen, and insect repellent.