Foreign Travel

To travel overseas you will need a passport. If you have a current passport, great... if not you should get one as soon as possible. The US Department of State explains how to apply for your passport here (you cannot apply online). Once you have obtained the necessary documentation and completed the required forms, you take all of this to a local passport office and apply for your passport. The passport agent will make sure that all required paperwork is complete, take your applications fees, and submit your application. In a few weeks you will receive your passport in the mail.

With a passport in hand, you can travel internationally. Country entrance requirements are listed on the State Department’s web-site: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html.

 

International Driving Permit

 



 

In the United States there are two organizations authorized to issue International Driving Permits. These organizations are the American Automobile Association (AAA) - http://www.aaa.com, and the National Auto Club - http://www.thenac.com. The International Driving Permit is not a driver’s license in and of itself, rather it is a translation of your driver’s license and is a recognized and often required piece of identification when driving an automobile overseas. According to the National Auto Club,  "International Driving Permits are a recognizable form of identification which can help you communicate with foreign authorities. The IDP provides an official translation of your U.S. driver’s license into 9 foreign languages and is acknowledged as valid identification in 174 countries around the world. IDPs are not a replacement for your U.S. license, but should be used as a supplement to it. Experienced travelers always carry the International Driving Permit while traveling outside the USA."

Even if you don’t plan to drive while overseas, the International Driving Permit can serve as a useful piece of secondary identification when dealing with officials in a foreign country. To obtain an International Driving Permit from either AAA or the National Auto Club, simply fill out an application and mail it along with a copy of your driver’s license and two passport type photographs to the address on the web-site. At the time of this writing the cost for an International Driving Permit was $20.00, and processing time was between one and two weeks. From the date of issue an International Driving Permit is valid for one year. 

 

Travel Alerts & Warnings



 

Before travelling to a foreign country it is important to have an understanding of what the situation in that country is like, and that understanding should extend well beyond the brochures at your local travel agency. Being aware of long-term threats and short-term problems can keep you out of trouble. Knowing what risks you may face in a specific country or area of the world can help you mitigate those risks. It always pays to know before you go, because what you don’t know can kill you. 

The United States Department of State publishes country information and travel guidelines on its web-site: http://travel.state.gov/. The United Kingdom, Foreign Office publishes foreign travel advice and country information on its Gov.UK web-site: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. The Government of Canada provides country travel advice and advisories on its web-site: http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories. The Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade publishes similar information on its web-site: http://smartraveller.gov.au/countries/; as does the Government of New Zealand on its 'Safe Travel' web-site: https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/.  The United States Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) provides traveler health information on its web-site: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel, as does the World Health Organization at http://www.who.int/ith/en/.

 

For additional details about a country, the CIA World Fact Book also provides general information about every country in the world. Each of these country information and travel advisory web-sites is run by a country’s State Department or Department of Foreign Affairs and will be colored somewhat by the current politics of the country providing the information. The information may seem a bit general and vague at times - we would always like more detailed information - but overall the information provided on these web-sites will be of value to anyone planning to travel overseas, especially if you have never travelled to that specific country or area of the world before.

 

The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) has prepared an eleven-page ‘Travel Security Form’ to help individuals prepare for overseas travel. OSAC says  "More U.S. private-sector employees, students, and staff are traveling abroad than ever before. At the same time, the overseas security landscape has grown increasingly dynamic, with threats posed by terrorists, insurgents, and criminals, as well as non-human forces like natural disasters and diseases. The objective of this guide is to equip international travelers with tactics and procedures that may reduce the risks inherent to overseas travel." The form can be downloaded from the OSAC web-site at: https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=19177 

 

OSAC Crime and Safety Reports https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReports.aspx provide information about current crime patterns in various countries and cities, and offers safety tips and advice for travelers to those areas. 

 

Foreign Language

 

 

Speaking the language of the country or area to which you will be traveling is always a significant advantage. Speaking the local language allows one to communicate with others in order to meet basic needs, show courtesy to others, and build relationships and friendships in the local community. Furthermore, someone who speaks the local language will be less likely to stand out and attract attention. 

 

There are several on-line foreign language courses that can be found with a simple Internet search. Some of these courses are free, while others can cost up to several hundred dollars for basic language instruction. The quality of these on-line course range from just OK to absolutely outstanding, but also depends on one’s learning style and ability to learn from an on-line program. Regardless of how you choose to learn a foreign language, learning even just a few basic words, phrases, and courtesies can make for a more enjoyable and ultimately safer foreign travel experience.

• BaBaDum - https://babadum.com/
• Busuu - https://www.busuu.com/enc/
• DuoLingo - https://www.duolingo.com/
• Mango Languages - https://www.mangolanguages.com/
• Memrise - https://www.memrise.com/

 

International Medical Insurance

 



What will you do if you become sick or injured while away from home? At home your medical insurance may cover hospitalization, treatment, a recovery programs. Off in some remote corner of the world "western-style medicine" may not be readily available, and even if it is your insurance coverage may not be valid there. Other forms of medicine (i.e. Traditional Chinese Medicine, or Ayurvedic Medicine) may also provide effective treatments, but again doctors don’t always work for free. If you need medical treatment it is essential that you have a way to pay for it. Your current health insurance plan may be able to add coverage to pay medical and emergency services while you are away from home. You may also want to choose a short term policy to cover you while you are traveling.

 

There are several insurance companies that can provide travel insurance. Some of the better known of these companies are:

• Cinga Global - https://www.cignaglobal.com/
• International Medical Group - http://www.imglobal.com/
• International SOS - https://www.internationalsos.com/ (Tricare Overseas)
• GeoBlue (Blue Cross Travel) - https://www.geobluetravelinsurance.com/
• HCC Medical Insurance Services (HCCMIS) - http://www.hccmis.com/
• Seven Corners Travelers' Insurance - https://www.sevencorners.com/

 

Regardless of the company you choose, do your research and ensure that it meets your specific needs, and most importantly that it will be accepted by medical establishments in the specific area to which you will be traveling.

 

In remote and unstable areas of the world you may also want to have a medical and security evacuation plan. Companies such as

• Global Rescue - https://globalrescue.com/
• Air Rescue Card - http://www.theairrescuecard.com/
• Emergency Assistance Plus - https://www.emergencyassistanceplus.com/

can provide emergency evacuation services from remote areas of the world. These emergency evacuation service plans work much like other travel insurance, but are focused on getting you back home in case of emergency.

 

Robert Young Pelton’s web-site , Edward Hasbrouck’s web-site, and the Lonely Planet web-site all provide excellent information for planning travel to remote and dangerous areas. Both Pelton’s site (Black Flag Café Forum) and the Lonely Planet (The Thorn Tree Forum) offer an on-line forum where one can exchange information with other people who are planning similar travel, or perhaps who are currently at your planned destination. The Daily Telegraph Expat site offers information for individuals traveling, living, and working overseas. The Escape Artist web-site is focused on Americans and provides information about living, working and retiring overseas. Just Landed is a similar web-site providing information for the expatriate communities in several countries.