Pre-departure checklist for international students

A visa in your passport is not the end of the preparation. This checklist is for students who have an admission offer and a visa decision, or expect one soon, and want a clear order of tasks. It is grouped by timeframe: three months before you travel, one month, one week and the day itself. It then covers arrival at the border and your first week. Rules differ by country and airline, so use it alongside the official pages for your destination.

Three months before

• Check that your passport is valid for the whole stay, and renew it now if it is close to expiry. Your visa is tied to the passport, so renewing later can cause delays.
• Review the visa conditions and the arrival date on your offer or visa. Our visa timeline planner helps you work backwards from the date you must arrive.
• Start your document set: admission letter, visa, passport pages, academic records, financial evidence and any apostilled or translated papers. Use the document checklist and see apostille vs legalization if any papers need authentication.
• Check the university's accommodation deadlines and read finding accommodation safely.
• Ask your doctor what health checks or vaccinations you should consider, and check the official entry and university requirements for your destination. Some need time between doses.
• Check whether health insurance is required for your visa or university and which cover you will use.

One month before

• Book your flight when you are confident about dates, and read the airline's change and refund terms.
• Confirm where you will sleep for the first nights. Book a verified place, even a short stay, so you are not looking for housing on arrival.
• Sort out money. Ask your bank how cards work abroad, what fees apply and how to set travel notices. Arrange a way to pay in the local currency from day one. Our study cost calculator can help you plan the first months.
• Arrange travel insurance for the journey, and read what it excludes.
• Check prescription medicines: confirm with your doctor and the destination's official guidance whether each one is allowed, in what amount and with what paperwork.
• Scan every important document and save the copies in a secure place that you can reach from another device.

One week before

• Check baggage rules on your airline's website: checked and cabin allowances, size limits, liquids, batteries and powders. Also check which foods, plants and animal products you may not bring into the destination country.
• Pack by priority. Documents and medicines go in hand luggage. Clothes for the first week go in your checked bag and a spare set goes in the cabin bag in case a bag is delayed.
• Unlock your phone or arrange a local SIM or eSIM so you can use data on arrival. Download maps, your university app and the airline app.
• Confirm your arrival plan: how you get from the airport to your first night's address, the cost, and who knows your timings.
• Print the key documents and keep digital copies too.
• Tell your bank the dates you will be away and keep emergency contacts on paper.

Day of travel

• Leave early and check in online if the airline allows it.
• Check that your passport, visa, offer letter, proof of funds, first night's address and the airport pickup details are in your cabin bag.
• Carry some local currency or a working card, and a charged phone with a power bank that meets airline rules.
• Wear layers and carry a bottle for water after security.
• Message family when you board and when you land.

Arrival at the border

Border officers decide who may enter, and they may ask why you are coming, where you will live and how you will pay. Answer honestly and simply, and have your documents ready to hand over. Typical papers are the passport, the visa or permit, your admission letter, proof of funds and your accommodation address. Some countries use an arrival form or an online declaration, so check the destination's official page before you fly.

Some countries ask you to collect a residence card or register within a set number of days after you arrive. See the official page for your country, for example GOV.UK (opens in a new tab) for the UK or Canada.ca (opens in a new tab) for Canada, and the matching Jandify visa page such as United Kingdom. Declare cash or goods where the rules require it, and check the declaration limit for your destination before you pack.

Your first week

1. Get to your first night's address and let your family know you have arrived.
2. Register or enrol with the university, collect your student card and attend orientation.
3. Register your address with the local authority if the country requires it.
4. Set up a local SIM, a bank account and a transport pass if you need them.
5. Find the nearest doctor or student health service and register if the system requires it.
6. Save the local emergency number and your university's support contacts.
7. Visit the accommodation you booked long term and check the condition before you pay or sign anything.

Next step: open the document checklist, mark what you already have, and use the visa timeline planner to set dates for the rest. We cannot guarantee any visa or entry outcome, so always confirm requirements with the official sources.