International Travel Checklist: What to Do Before You Fly

Your flight lands at 11 p.m. The phone counter is closed, the terminal Wi-Fi shows up but won't connect, and your hotel address is in an email you can't open. This international travel checklist fixes that first, then goes through documents, money, and power in the order you need them. Airport counters do close: Narita's listing shows the J WiFi & Mobile counter in Terminal 3 open until 9:00 p.m., and Chiang Mai's airport page lists the AIS counter until 10 p.m.

In short:

  • Check your passport date and your destination's entry rules 1 to 2 weeks out. The UK wants an ETA, Thailand wants an online arrival card, and Georgia wants proof of insurance.
  • Check your phone early. It needs eSIM support and can't be locked to one carrier.
  • Set up your data 2 to 3 days out, on home Wi-Fi. If your US plan already covers the trip, you can skip this.
  • After landing, pick the data line, turn on data roaming for that line, and keep it off on your US line.

The checklist at a glance

WhenWhat to doWhy
1 to 2 weeks outCheck passport date and entry rulesRules differ by country, and some need an online step
1 to 2 weeks outCheck your phone for eSIM and carrier lockOnly your carrier can lift a lock
1 to 2 weeks outRead your carrier's roaming termsYour plan may already cover the trip
2 to 3 days outInstall a travel eSIM on home Wi-Fi, if you need oneThe download needs a connection
2 to 3 days outTurn off data roaming on your US lineStops surprise daily fees
2 to 3 days outFile Thailand's TDAC, if you are going thereIt opens 3 days before arrival
2 to 3 days outSave offline maps, your address, and cashYour first hour may have no signal
Day of flightCharge everything and save documents to the phoneYou may show them at passport control
After landingChoose the data line and test itYour plan's days start here

1 to 2 weeks out: documents and phone

Passport and entry rules

Start with the expiration date on your passport, then look up your destination on the State Department's travel site. These three examples show the kind of step that is easy to miss:

DestinationWhat you needDetails
United KingdomETA, £20Each traveler needs one, including babies and children. You also need one if you pass through UK border control on a layover
ThailandTDAC arrival cardFiled online within 3 days before arrival. No fee on the official portal
GeorgiaHealth and accident insuranceShown at entry since January 1, 2026. At least 30,000 lari of cover, for your whole stay

UK details are from gov.uk on October 30, 2026. Thailand and Georgia details are as of October 3, 2026.

Going to Europe? Read the EU's official EES and ETIAS site before you fly.

Use the official site, not a lookalike

Gov.uk warns that other websites may charge more for the ETA and tells travelers to avoid sites that imitate government services. Thailand's portal states that TDAC has no fee. If a site asks you to pay for TDAC, close it and go to tdac.immigration.go.th.

Insurance and contacts

Look up what your health plan covers abroad, and get a travel policy if it falls short. For Georgia, the policy can be paper or electronic, in Georgian or English, from a Georgian or foreign insurer. Its dates must include your entry day and your exit day.

The State Department's STEP program lets you register your trip with the nearest US embassy.

Your phone

Two checks take about a minute:

  1. eSIM support. Dial `*#06#` and look for an EID line. No EID usually means no eSIM. Our phone check covers this too.
  2. Carrier lock. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > About. Apple says "No SIM Restrictions" next to Carrier Lock means the phone is unlocked.

If your phone is locked, ask your carrier early. Apple says that to use two carriers, your carrier must unlock your iPhone, or both plans must come from the same carrier. New to all this? Read what an eSIM is.

Your carrier plan

You may not need anything extra. Verizon says all Unlimited plans include data, talk, and text in Canada and Mexico. Elsewhere, Verizon TravelPass and AT&T International Day Pass both list $12 a day in 210+ destinations, on October 30, 2026. That is $84 for 7 days of use. Verizon's details have traps worth reading.

2 to 3 days out: connection, maps, money

Install your eSIM at home

Apple says your iPhone must be on Wi-Fi or a hotspot to set up an eSIM. Home is the safe place to do it, since a weak airport signal can stop the download. A Moosetrip plan counts days from your first connection in the country you are visiting, so installing early uses nothing up.

Moosetrip plans with 3 GB for 30 days, on October 30, 2026:

DestinationPrice
Italy$7
Turkey$7
Japan$7.50
Europe$7.50
Thailand$9.50

As a rough guide, 1 GB is about 5 hours of maps and taxi apps, or 1.5 hours of video calls. So 3 GB is about 15 hours of maps. If you run low, you can add data to the same eSIM.

Keep your US line, turn off its data

Our eSIM is data only and has no number, so your US line stays on as the second line for calls and texts. Turn off data roaming on that line before you leave. Apple warns you might still pay roaming fees on your home line, so check the setting again on arrival. For bank codes on a trip, read how to keep your US number abroad.

Thailand: file TDAC

All foreigners file the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online before entry. The form asks for passport details, travel details, your address in Thailand, and a short health declaration. A confirmation goes to your email. Thailand's tourism authority said in June 2026 that visitors still fill it out, and that a newer immigration app does not replace it. There are help points near passport control for people who could not file, but the tourism authority calls them an exception. File it from home.

Offline maps and your address

Download your city in your map app and save your route from the airport. Keep your hotel's address and phone number on one screen. You can show it to a driver with no signal at all.

Cash and cards

Ask your bank about foreign transaction fees, and bring a backup card. Then look up how your first ride works, because cash rules go both ways. In Yerevan, a metro token cost 100 dram and was cash only on October 3, 2026. On Istanbul's Havaist airport buses, city lines do not take cash.

Power

US outlets run at about 120 V. Vietnam runs at 220 V, and most outlets there take a plug with two round pins. Armenia mostly uses type C, at 220 to 240 V. Read the label on each charger. If it says 100-240V, you need only a plug adapter. If it does not, leave it home or bring a converter.

Day of flight

  • Charge your phone and power bank.
  • Save your ETA or TDAC confirmation and your insurance policy to the phone, not just to email.
  • Keep the eSIM line in place. Don't delete it to tidy up, because you may not be able to reinstall it from the same QR code.

After landing

  1. Choose the data line. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data and pick the travel line.
  2. Turn on data roaming for that line. AT&T notes that data roaming must be on to use cellular data abroad.
  3. Check your US line. Data roaming stays off there.
  4. Test it. Turn off Wi-Fi and open a map.

On iOS 26, your iPhone may show "Turn On Travel eSIM" when you arrive. "Travel eSIM and Current eSIM" keeps both lines. "Travel eSIM Only" leaves your US number off. If you get no signal, restart the phone or pick a network by hand in the eSIM line's settings. More fixes are in eSIM not working abroad.

When you don't need a travel eSIM

  • Your plan covers the trip. Check first, as above.
  • You make lots of regular calls. A carrier pass keeps your number working as usual. Our eSIM has no calling of its own.
  • Your phone can't take one. Then use a carrier pass or a local SIM. Local SIMs usually need a passport. In Vietnam, new numbers have also needed face verification since April 15, 2026.
  • You land by day at a well-served airport. Istanbul Airport lists its operators around the clock.

Questions

What should I do first before traveling abroad?

Check your passport date and your destination's entry rules. Those are the items that can stop you at the gate or the border. Your phone comes next.

Do US citizens need a UK ETA?

Yes, if you are a tourist on a short visit. Gov.uk lists the USA among countries that usually need an ETA rather than a visa. It costs £20 as of October 30, 2026, and each traveler needs their own.

Should I tell my bank I am traveling?

Ask your bank what it wants, since policies differ. Also ask about foreign transaction fees, and how it will send you sign-in codes while you are away.

Sources

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