Your first international trip from India: the checklist nobody gives you
The flight and the hotel are the easy part. Everything that goes wrong on a first trip abroad goes wrong in the two weeks before departure or in the twenty minutes at immigration.
Eight weeks out: the passport
Check the expiry date, not the issue date. Most countries require six months of validity beyond your date of entry, and airlines routinely deny boarding for this at the check-in counter rather than letting immigration turn you away. Tatkal renewal takes about a week; normal renewal takes three to four. Also count your blank pages — some countries want two.
Six weeks out: the visa
Work out which category your destination falls into before you book anything non-refundable. Visa-free and visa-on-arrival destinations can be booked immediately. E-visa destinations should be applied for as soon as your hotels are confirmed, because most consulates want to see the itinerary. Sticker-visa destinations — Japan, Schengen, the UK, the USA — need appointments that can be weeks out, and you should book the appointment before the flight.
Four weeks out: money
A forex card is almost always cheaper than using an Indian debit card abroad, which typically loads 3.5% in markup plus a flat withdrawal fee. Load a forex card in the destination currency to avoid double conversion. Carry a small amount of cash for airport transport and tips, and keep a second card in a separate bag.
- TCS applies at 5% on forex purchases above ₹10 lakh in a financial year under LRS, and it is adjustable against your income tax.
- Always choose to be charged in the local currency, not in rupees. 'Dynamic currency conversion' at a foreign terminal costs you 3–7% for the convenience of seeing a rupee figure.
- Notify your bank of travel dates or your card will be blocked on the first foreign transaction.
Three weeks out: insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory for Schengen and several other destinations, and it is worth buying even where it is not. A single day in a Bangkok private hospital costs more than the entire policy. Read what is actually covered: adventure activities, pre-existing conditions and trip cancellation are the three things cheap policies quietly exclude.
One week out: connectivity and documents
- 1An eSIM bought before you fly is usually cheaper than international roaming and far cheaper than a data pack bought at the destination airport.
- 2Download offline maps for your destination cities. Google Maps offline works well and saves you in the taxi queue.
- 3Photograph your passport, visa, tickets and insurance and email them to yourself. A cloud copy survives a stolen bag.
- 4Check your airline's baggage allowance in kilograms and pieces. Low-cost carriers in Southeast Asia charge brutally at the gate.
At the airport
Reach three hours before an international departure, not two. Immigration at Delhi and Mumbai at peak hours regularly takes forty-five minutes. If you are carrying more than USD 5,000 in cash or USD 10,000 in total foreign exchange, you must declare it. If you are carrying gold jewellery beyond the free allowance and want to bring it back without duty, file an export certificate before you leave — this catches out a lot of families travelling for weddings.
Coming home
India's duty-free allowance is ₹50,000 for an adult resident returning after more than three days, ₹15,000 for a shorter trip. One laptop is exempt over and above this. Alcohol is limited to two litres and tobacco to 100 cigarettes. Anything beyond attracts about 38.5% duty, and the red channel is cheaper than being caught in the green one.
None of this is difficult, but all of it is sequential. Do the passport before the visa, the hotels before the visa application, and the visa before the flight — and the trip organises itself.
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