Your first international trip: a simple checklist for Indian travellers

A first trip abroad is exciting — and the paperwork can feel like a lot. The good news is that it follows a simple order. Sort out the documents first, then the bookings, then the money and packing, and the trip itself becomes the easy part. Here is the checklist we walk our own first-time travellers through.

Two to three months before

1. 1

   Check every passport

   Every traveller, including infants, needs their own passport. Most countries want it valid for at least six months from your travel date, with blank pages for stamps. Applying or renewing can take weeks, so start here.

2. 2

   Choose an easy first destination

   Dubai, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Bali, Sri Lanka and Mauritius are popular first trips from India: short flights, simple visa processes and plenty for families and couples.

3. 3

   Find out the visa you need

   Some countries offer e-visas or visa on arrival for Indian passports; others need an application with documents. Rules change, so check the current requirement for your passport and dates before booking anything non-refundable.

4. 4

   Set your budget

   Include flights, hotels, visas, insurance, sightseeing, meals, local transport and shopping. An itemised quotation shows the trip cost and every tax separately, so there are no surprises.

One month before

• Apply for visas once flights and hotels are confirmed — most applications ask for both.
• Buy travel insurance that covers medical emergencies, trip cancellation and lost baggage for every traveller.
• Tell your bank you're travelling abroad and check that your debit and credit cards work internationally.
• Plan your money: a forex card is convenient and safer than carrying lots of cash, with a little local currency for the first day.
• Decide on your phone plan — an international roaming pack from your provider, or a local SIM or eSIM on arrival.

The week before

• Keep printed and phone copies of passports, visas, tickets, hotel vouchers and insurance.
• Check the airline's baggage allowance — cabin and check-in limits differ between airlines and fares.
• Pack medicines in your cabin bag with prescriptions, plus a universal travel adapter and a power bank.
• Note the address of your first hotel and the emergency contact numbers for your trip.
• Web check-in when it opens, to choose seats together.

On the day of travel

Reach the airport about three hours before an international flight. After check-in and bag drop you'll go through emigration — keep passports, boarding passes and visas handy — and then security. On arrival, the immigration officer may ask for your return ticket and hotel booking, so keep them ready, and fill any arrival card the country requires.