20 points · PDF
Pre-flight international checklist
Twenty points worth checking before you reach the airport. Calmly, in order, without panic.
- 1Check your passport validity (at least 6 months remaining).
- 2Confirm visa requirements for the arrival and transit countries.
- 3Map out which transit countries are on your route.
- 4Assess whether grounds for an international alert exist.
- 5If in doubt, check whether data exists in databases (CCF request).
- 6Avoid layovers in countries with active extradition to the initiating state.
- 7Choose direct flights where possible.
- 8Save a contact for urgent legal help.
- 9Prepare proof of your trip's purpose and return tickets.
- 10Do not carry documents of questionable legality.
- 11Tell a trusted person your route and arrival time.
- 12Agree an 'alarm' procedure in case contact is lost.
- 13Make copies of key documents (paper and encrypted digital).
- 14Check there are no active travel bans against you.
- 15Confirm currency import and declaration rules.
- 16Prepare wording for typical border questions.
- 17Charge your phone and save offline maps and contacts.
- 18Find out where the consulate is in the arrival country.
- 19Do not post your itinerary on public social media in advance.
- 20If safety is in doubt, postpone the trip until a legal assessment.
Get an independent analysis of your situation before making important decisions.