Supporting documents
28 articles
Do I need a hotel booking confirmation to enter a country?
Most countries either require or strongly recommend that travelers show a hotel booking confirmation at immigration as proof of accommodation.
Do I need a return ticket to travel abroad?
Most countries expect proof of onward or return travel - your destination's immigration and your airline both check this before letting you board or enter.
What is a travel itinerary and why do I need one?
A travel itinerary is a written summary of your trip - flights, hotels, and activities - used at immigration, visa applications, and hotel check-in.
What travel insurance documents do I need?
Many countries require proof of travel insurance with minimum medical coverage. Bring your policy certificate, insurer contact details, and emergency hotline number.
What is a yellow fever certificate and when is it required?
A yellow fever certificate (ICVP) proves you have been vaccinated against yellow fever and is required for entry into many African and South American countries.
Do I need an International Driving Permit (IDP)?
If you plan to drive abroad, most countries require an International Driving Permit (IDP) in addition to your home driver's license. The IDP translates your license.
What is a customs declaration form?
A customs declaration form is the document you complete on arrival to tell customs officers what you are bringing into the country - especially money, food, and goods.
What documents do I need when traveling with children?
Children need their own passport, and in many cases a notarized consent letter from absent parents, plus their own visas or travel authorizations.
What is proof of funds and how much money do I need to show at immigration?
Proof of funds is evidence you can pay for your trip, usually bank statements. A few countries publish a figure, most just require sufficient funds.
What is proof of accommodation and what counts as valid?
Proof of accommodation shows where you will sleep every night of your trip. A confirmed trip1 hotel booking with your passport name and the full address is the cleanest form of it.
What is an invitation letter and when do I need one?
An invitation letter is a signed letter from your host confirming who you are visiting and where you will stay. You mainly need one when you are not booking a hotel.
What is an arrival card and do I still need to fill one out?
An arrival card declares who you are and where you are staying. Paper cards are being replaced by digital ones in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and beyond.
What is a health declaration form?
A health declaration form is a short arrival questionnaire about your health and recent travel. Some countries still require one, usually completed online before you land.
What documents do I need to travel with prescription medication?
Carry prescription medicine in its original labeled packaging with a doctor's letter and a copy of the prescription. Some common prescriptions are banned in certain countries.
What documents do I need to travel with a pet?
Traveling with a pet needs an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and either an EU pet passport or an animal health certificate. Some countries add tapeworm treatment or quarantine.
What documents do I need to rent a car abroad?
To rent a car abroad you need your full driving license, passport, the booking reference, often an International Driving Permit, and a card in the driver's name for the security hold.
What documents do I need for a cruise?
Most cruises need a passport valid well beyond your return date, the cruise line's boarding documents, and visas for the ports on the itinerary. Check each port separately.
What documents do I need during a layover or airport transit?
Keep your passport, onward boarding pass and any transit visa to hand during a layover. Some countries require a transit visa even if you never leave the airport.
What documents do I need when traveling while pregnant?
Most airlines ask for a doctor's or midwife's letter from around 28 weeks and stop carrying passengers late in pregnancy. Rules differ by airline, so check yours in writing.
What documents do I need when traveling with a service animal?
A trained service dog flies on a US DOT form, but the destination country's animal import rules and each hotel's access policy still apply. Emotional support animals are treated differently.
What documents do I need for business travel?
A business trip needs your passport, any visa or travel authorisation, an invitation letter and an employer letter, plus an itemised hotel invoice for expenses.
Do I need a vaccination certificate to travel?
For most trips, no. Yellow fever is the only vaccination certificate widely required for entry, a few countries ask for polio proof, and COVID-19 certificates have been dropped.
Do I need to declare cash when crossing a border?
Yes, if you carry 10,000 or more in local currency across most borders. Declaring is free and is not a tax, but failing to declare can mean all the cash is seized.
Do I need a child travel consent letter and how do I get one notarized?
You need a child travel consent letter when a child under 18 travels abroad without both parents. Get it signed in front of a notary public before you fly.
Do I need a birth certificate or marriage certificate when traveling as a family?
Usually your passports are enough. Carry a birth certificate when you need to prove a parent-child link, and a marriage certificate mainly when surnames differ.
Do I need to print my travel documents or is digital enough?
Digital is enough almost everywhere. Your passport must be physical, but flights, hotels and e-visas work on a phone. Print one backup page in case the battery dies.
What is the difference between ESTA, eTA and ETIAS?
ESTA is the US authorisation, eTA is Canada's, and ETIAS is the EU's planned scheme that is not yet in force. None of them is a visa and none guarantees entry.
What documents do I need at airport check-in?
For an international flight you need your passport, your booking reference and any visa or travel authorisation. The airline checks all three before issuing a boarding pass.
