Important Documents When Travelling
Traveling can be fun until you are stopped at immigration offices and you do not have an important travel document. And now with COVID-19 protocols the procedures and documents to have at hand while travelling have increased and they change not only from country to country but also from time to time. It is important to make sure you have all required documents at hand (keep them in your hand language which you will always be with) before making that trip to the airport. Most countries take documentation quite seriously and missing some may mean being forced to run back to your home country. Here is a checklist of important documents to have when travelling;
Passport & Identification are the most important documents because they identify you, your country of origin and other key details about you. You won’t be allowed to cross international borders without your passport. Also, carry an ID with you always when travelling overseas to help you avoid any identity issues while abroad.
Another important requirement during international travel is a visa. It is a stamp on your passport which provides permission to enter another country. However, different countries have different visa arrangements based on your country of origin, it can be visa-free, on arrival or predeparture. Therefore, make sure to check visa conditions while planning your trip, start visa applications early since the process might take some time and the visa might get rejected.
Air Ticket and travel itinerary might seem obvious but some people forget to carry them. Forgetting your air ticket might mean not being able to continue with your trip. To ensure you have a swift and organized trip have these documents on handy, it is best to have them in soft copy as well.
Health Travel Documents. Even before Covid-19 some countries had mandatory health travel documents like proof of yellow fever vaccination. But now with Covid-19, all countries in the world have a list of mandatory documents and procedures to follow upon entry. The challenge is these procedures are now ever changing as the situation is being assessed. It is best to double check current health documents requirements before travelling, and make sure you check details like the language the documents are supposed to be in. If you are using s travel agency, ask them to provide you with most updated requirement daily leading up to your trip.
If you are travelling to Tanzania here are some helpful links in preparing your travel documents.
