Preparing for Study Abroad: A Parent’s Checklist

Study abroad preparation begins long before a student packs a suitcase.

There are program requirements to complete, documents to organize, financial and health details to review, and an arrival plan to understand. Handling those tasks early makes the final days less hectic and gives students a better chance of managing the unexpected without immediately calling home.

Use this checklist as a starting point, then add the requirements provided by your student’s college, study abroad program, airline, and destination country.

Start With the Study Abroad Program

Before creating your own checklist, review everything provided by the college or program.

Confirm:

• Required forms and deadlines

• Predeparture orientation

• Program dates

• Housing arrangements

• Flight or arrival requirements

• Insurance provided through the program

• Emergency procedures

• Program contact information

• Academic expectations

• Any restrictions on independent travel

Students should take responsibility for reading program emails, attending required meetings, and completing forms. Parents can help organize, ask questions, and notice missing details, but the student should understand the program rather than relying on a parent to explain it later.

Check Passports, Visas, and Entry Requirements

Check the passport expiration date as early as possible.

Passport validity requirements vary by destination. Some countries require a passport to remain valid for several months beyond the planned travel dates. Students may also need a visa, residence permit, electronic travel authorization, proof of enrollment, or a certain number of blank passport pages.

For U.S. students, review the destination information on Travel.State.gov and confirm requirements with the study abroad program and the appropriate embassy or consulate.

Make sure your student has:

• A valid passport

• Any required visa or residence documents

• Program acceptance or enrollment information

• Flight details

• Housing information

• Emergency contact numbers

• Insurance documentation

• Copies of any additional entry documents

Keep secure digital copies of important documents. Leave another set with a trusted person at home and keep any paper copies separate from the originals while traveling.

Create One Secure Information File

Your student should not have to search through old emails while standing in an airport, pharmacy, or train station.

Create one secure place for:

• Passport and visa copies

• Flight itineraries

• Housing address

• Program contacts

• Emergency contacts

• Health and travel insurance information

• Prescription details

• Banking contact numbers

• Copies of relevant legal forms

• Transportation and arrival instructions

Use a password manager, encrypted folder, or another protected system your family already understands. The student should know how to open it without asking a parent for the password.

Important phone numbers and the housing address should also be written on a small paper card. Phones are useful until the battery dies, the screen breaks, or an account will not open.

Review Health, Medication, and Insurance Needs

Start by understanding what health and travel coverage the program provides.

Check:

• Whether the student’s regular health insurance covers care abroad

• Whether the program includes travel health insurance

• Medical evacuation and repatriation coverage

• How students find medical care

• Whether payment is required before reimbursement

• Program health and safety contacts

• Local emergency numbers

• Support available through the program

Travel coverage varies, so review what is and is not included rather than assuming every expense or situation is covered.

Review the CDC guidance for your student’s destination and ask a healthcare professional whether a pretravel appointment, destination-specific vaccination, or additional preparation is appropriate.

Students taking medication should work with their prescriber and pharmacy well before departure. Confirm:

• Whether the medication is permitted in the destination and any countries visited in transit

• How much may legally be brought into the country

• Whether documentation or advance permission is required

• Whether the full supply can be obtained before departure

• What will happen if medication is lost or delayed

• Whether refills can be obtained abroad

Some prescription and over-the-counter medications that are legal in the United States are restricted elsewhere. Keep medications in their original labeled containers and carry copies of prescriptions or supporting documentation when required.

Pack essential medication in the student’s personal item rather than checked luggage.

Make a Money Plan

Students should have more than one way to access money.

Before departure, review:

• Credit and debit cards

• Foreign transaction fees

• International ATM fees

• Daily withdrawal limits

• Card acceptance at the destination

• Whether the issuer requests a travel notification

• Access to emergency funds

• A realistic spending budget

• A small amount of local currency, when appropriate

Keep the backup card separate from the main wallet. If the wallet is lost or stolen, losing every payment option at once creates a much larger problem.

The student should know how to lock a card, report it missing, reach the bank from outside the United States, and access funds without relying on a parent to complete every step.

Discuss a realistic budget for meals, local transportation, weekend travel, and personal spending. Study abroad expenses can add up quickly when every weekend begins to feel like a new travel opportunity.

Set Up Phones and Technology

Decide how the student’s phone will work before the plane lands.

Depending on the destination and program length, the student may use an international carrier plan, local SIM card, or eSIM.

Confirm:

• Whether the phone is unlocked

• When international service begins

• How the student will have service immediately after landing

• Which messaging and calling apps the family will use

• Whether multifactor authentication will work abroad

• How backup codes are stored

• Device tracking and recovery settings

• Charging adapters and cables

• Portable charger availability

• Offline maps and translation tools

Download essential apps and save important information before departure. Airport Wi-Fi and cell service are not always reliable when students need them most.

For more detailed preparation, see Study Abroad Tech Tips: Phones, Charging, and Digital Safety.

Plan the Arrival and First Night

Do not stop planning at the flight itinerary.

Your student should know exactly what happens after landing.

Confirm:

• The correct arrival airport or train station

• How the student will reach the program or housing

• The full housing address in the local format

• Check-in hours

• Key pickup instructions

• The name and number of the arrival contact

• What to do if a flight is delayed

• What happens if arranged transportation is missed

• The late-arrival procedure

• How the student will contact home

Save these instructions on the phone, download them for offline use, and carry a paper copy.

Talk through the phone plan for arrival. The student should know whether service will work immediately, whether an eSIM needs to be activated, or whether airport Wi-Fi will be the temporary option.

Agree on one simple check-in point. A quick message after landing or reaching housing is usually enough. Immigration lines, delayed luggage, and transportation problems may make that message take longer than expected.

Pack the Personal Item for a Delay

Checked luggage can be delayed or lost. The personal item should contain what the student would need for the first day or two.

Include:

• Passport and travel documents

• Prescription medication

• Phone and charging cable

• Charged portable charger

• Wallet and backup payment method

• One change of clothes

• Basic toiletries

• Glasses or contact supplies

• Housing address

• Arrival instructions

• Essential program contact information

Keep passports, medication, payment methods, and other valuables in secure zippered compartments.

Check current airline and security requirements for liquids, medication, carry-on sizes, batteries, and restricted items before packing.

Pack for the Travel They Will Actually Do

A suitcase that rolls easily through an airport may be much harder to manage on narrow sidewalks, crowded trains, cobblestone streets, and staircases without elevators.

Before packing an item, ask:

• Will the student use it regularly?

• Does the housing already provide it?

• Can it be purchased after arrival?

• Is it difficult or expensive to replace?

• Is it worth carrying for the entire semester?

Leave room in the suitcase. Most students return with more than they took.

For weekend travel, a backpack or small carry-on may be more practical than a large suitcase. Comfortable shoes, layers, and a charged portable charger will usually be more useful than several “just in case” outfits.

Label every bag with the student’s name, phone number, and email address. Place contact information inside the bag too, since exterior tags can come off. Take a photo of each suitcase before departure in case the airline requests a description of a missing bag.

Download Travel Information Before Departure

Students should not depend entirely on live internet access.

Download or take screenshots of:

• Boarding passes

• Train or bus tickets

• Airline and transportation apps

• Housing confirmations

• Program instructions

• Local maps

• Destination addresses

• Translation tools

• Important travel documents

Make sure the information is available offline and the student knows where it is stored.

When booking independent travel, allow reasonable time for unfamiliar airports, train stations, passport control, platform changes, and delays. The least expensive itinerary is not always the most manageable one.

Prepare for Delays and Changed Plans

Flights get delayed. Bags go missing. Trains are canceled. Reservations occasionally fall through.

Your student should know:

• Who to contact through the study abroad program

• How to reach the airline or transportation provider

• What to do if arranged transportation is missed

• Whether housing has a late-arrival procedure

• How to arrange a safe backup ride

• Where emergency money is available

• How to update family members when plans change

Parents should have the same program contacts and itinerary information, but the student should make the first call when possible.

The goal is not to create a perfect plan for every possible problem. It is to make sure the student knows where to begin.

Discuss Communication and Independent Travel

Talk about communication before time zones and busy schedules get in the way.

Agree on:

• How you will usually communicate

• What a realistic check-in schedule looks like

• Whether the student will share major travel plans

• What counts as an urgent message

• Who should be contacted if the student cannot reach you

• How long to wait before treating a delayed response as unusual

Avoid creating a schedule that feels like constant reporting. A basic plan gives parents some predictability while allowing students to manage their own routines.

For weekend trips, students should know where they are staying, keep passports and payment methods secure, monitor local conditions, and have a plan for returning if transportation changes.

They should also expect that some days will be harder than others. Navigating another language, unfamiliar routines, and a new culture can be tiring. Knowing how to contact the program and ask for help is more important than pretending every part of the semester will be easy.

Review Safety and Emergency Information

Before departure, review current travel advisories, entry requirements, local laws, and destination-specific health information.

U.S. citizens can also enroll in the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which provides messages from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and can help officials contact travelers during an emergency.

The student should have:

• Program emergency contact

• Local emergency number

• Housing contact

• Insurance assistance number

• Nearest U.S. embassy or consulate information, when applicable

• A trusted contact at home

• A plan for a lost passport, wallet, or phone

Copies of travel documents and emergency information should be available both electronically and on paper.

Complete a Final Check the Week Before

During the final week, confirm that:

• Passport and visa documents are ready

• Program requirements are complete

• Flight and arrival details have not changed

• Housing and first-night instructions are saved

• Insurance information is accessible

• Medication and documentation are prepared

• Primary and backup payment methods are ready

• Phone service and communication apps are set up

• Important information is available offline

• Emergency contacts are saved

• Luggage is labeled

• The personal item contains first-day essentials

• The student can access everything without a parent’s help

Then let the student take the lead.

They do not need every answer before leaving. They do need the documents, contacts, payment options, and backup plans that will help them handle the first problem when it comes.

This checklist provides general planning information. Program, airline, insurance, medication, and entry requirements vary and can change. Confirm current requirements with the appropriate program, provider, financial institution, airline, and government source.