Passport and insurance: the two boring checks that save a trip
Six months of validity, blank pages, the entry permit some countries now ask for, and insurance that covers the two things that actually go wrong. Ten minutes, the week you book.
Nobody posts a photo of their passport check. It is still the single most searched travel question every summer, because every summer someone is turned away at the gate.
Passport validity
Many countries require your passport to be valid for six months beyond the day you arrive, or beyond the day you leave; the Schengen area asks for three months beyond departure and a passport issued within the last ten years. Airlines enforce these rules at check-in and will not let you board. Check the expiry date against the rule for the country you are visiting, on that country's official site, the week you book, not the week you fly.
Blank pages and spelling
Some countries want one or two blank pages for stamps. The name on the ticket has to match the passport exactly; a missing middle name is usually fine, a different surname is not.
Visas and entry permits
Visa-free does not always mean nothing to do. Several destinations now ask for an online travel authorisation before you fly, paid for and approved in advance, and the list is growing. Search the destination's name with "entry requirements" on an official government page, and allow a few days for approval. Children need their own.
Insurance that covers the real risks
Two things go wrong often enough to insure against: you fall ill or have an accident abroad, and the trip is cancelled or cut short. Medical cover should be the large number on the policy. Cancellation cover should be at least what you have already paid. Check that your activities are included and that existing conditions are declared, because an undeclared one voids the medical part.
Cards and cover you may already have
Some bank cards and household policies include travel insurance; read what they exclude before you rely on them. Within Europe, a European or UK Global Health Insurance Card gives access to state healthcare on the same terms as a local, which is useful but is not a substitute for insurance, since it does not cover a flight home.
Keep copies
A photo of the passport, the insurance policy number and the emergency line, saved offline and shared with someone at home. Losing the passport is an inconvenience with a copy and a crisis without one.
How Travlyo does it
Every city guide's Know before you go carries the visa note for that destination, so the paperwork question comes up before you book, not at the gate.
Do it in Travlyo
Pick a city, and the days, the bookings, the money and the packing list are one plan — free to start.
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