graduateshotline logo
Last Updated: August 26, 2021

Checklist for International Students for Departure

Candidates who have been admitted to universities abroad will be facing a long list of things to do before departing. While the most prominent aspects in the list will be regarding the visa procedures and financial aspects of departure, other factors like documents to carry and attest along with basic living essentials to carry will all be of equal importance for the candidate.

While the whole process can seem overwhelming for candidates, if they have the primary documents required and their visa procedures completed, they will be nearly set for travel. Candidates traveling will require an F1 visa if they are traveling to the US or a student visa equivalent depending on the country they are moving to. Next, they will require flight tickets that can take them before their admission date and allow them to settle in before their classes start.

After these two important things have been covered, candidates will have to deal with the task of packing essentials for the journey. Since most candidates move for at least a year or two and are bound to get homesick, they will have to pack essentials ranging from their personal documents to their favorite snacks to survive the first few months without wanting to return home.

Creating a Pre-Departure Checklist

Candidates who are traveling abroad for higher education often overestimate themselves when it comes to packing the essential documents and items they will require in their new destination. Irrespective of the memory power the candidate might have, it is essential that they create a checklist as soon as they receive their admission confirmation. The list will help students have a sense of time and the number of things they have to do within the set time period.

This checklist should contain the important tasks and lists of documents the student must carry with themselves while they travel. It will be best for candidates to also keep a list of essentials they have to pack or purchase before their departure to ensure that they have not missed anything out.

Lists of Things Required

The kinds of lists candidates will have to create and fulfill before departing are as follows-

Required Documents

Keep all the necessary, important documents carefully in a folder to prevent it from getting damaged. Keep the documents that need to be accessed immediately in the hand baggage while the rest can be packed in to the suitcase.

Household Utilities

Students can either choose to purchase these items after arriving at their destination or carry the bare minimum that will help them until they have figured out the best shops that they can buy similar items from. These things will help students who are planning to move to an apartment instead of hostels or dormitories inside the campus.

Personal Items

The kind of personal items one might carry depends on the student. But it will be ideal for students to go through the items they use in their daily life and take them along instead of bringing along things they have not used for a considerable duration of time. This list will range from clothes to gadgets students use on a daily or weekly basis.

Medication

Carrying a generic set of medications that will let the candidate tackle fever, cough, and cold will help the candidate during their stay. It is also advisable for students to carry a few months’ worth of tablets they usually have so that they will not run out of medicines before they figure out how pharmacies function in the country.

Miscellaneous Things to Do

Apart from listing out and packing the essential items for the journey, students will have to do a few tasks that will ensure the safety and security of the same. This will include cross-checking the documents that the student is carrying and taking enough copies of the attested and original versions of the documents they are carrying. Students will also have to check the validity and other features of the insurance they have taken.

It will also do them good to go over the financial options and aids they have chosen to make sure that they have their finances covered before they reach the country. This will include opening an international bank account, applying for credit/debit cards, and even getting bank statements at hand if required by the university/college they are going to.

Create Checklist After Researching the Country

Students must research about the country and locality they are going to along with other information they can find about the college or university they are going to attend. This will include aspects like the climate, food, laws, culture, etc. which the student will have to experience once they reach there. Knowing these aspects beforehand will help students lessen the cultural shock they will have once they reach their destination.

Having extra knowledge regarding these aspects will also help students know the kind of clothes and essentials they will have to carry without having to carry things they might not require in that particular locality.

Cross-Check Passport Validity

This is an important aspect that students have to check before departure. While most candidates will have their passports made for their study abroad, candidates who have already had passports must ensure that it is valid for at least a 6-month duration. Ideally, the passport should be valid for the duration of the student’s stay in the country to avoid the hassle of applying for a renewal of the same.

Have Copies of Required Documents

Candidates must always keep attested and non-attested copies of the documents they are taking abroad. Keeping copies of the documents is essential especially for the admission process since students might be required to submit copies of these documents while they enroll for the course. it will also come in handy if the student loses the original document and needs to reissue the same.

Have Electronic Copies of all the Documents

It is advisable to have scanned copies of all the documents, including each page of the passport. The family members/guardians can also have access to these copies. This comes in handy in case there is some problem with the original documents, or in case of theft.


Popular Places to Study abroad

Studying Abroad?- Things to Know

Summer Programs Abroad

Summer Programs for International Students