Going abroad? Take the journey one step at a time.

The journey, step by step

1. 1

   Before you leave: your documents

   • Passport. Check it is valid for well beyond your planned stay. Many countries ask for at least six months of validity; check your destination's own rule.
   • Visa and work permit or student papers. Make sure the name, passport number and job or course match what you were promised.
   • Your contract or offer letter, in a language you understand. Read the salary, hours, housing and who pays the return ticket before you sign.
   • Emigration clearance, if your country requires it. Many South Asian countries check workers at departure: Bangladesh (BMET clearance card), India (eMigrate, for some passports and destinations), Pakistan (Protector of Emigrants stamp) and Nepal (labour permit). Get it only through the official body listed below, never from a broker.
   • Copies. Keep paper copies and phone photos of everything, separate from the originals, and leave a set with your family.
2. 2

   Money and agents

   • Use only recruiting agencies licensed by your government. The official bodies below publish how to check a licence.
   • Pay through traceable methods and ask for a written receipt for every payment.
   • Be careful with anyone who promises a job without an interview, asks you to travel on a visit visa to work, or asks you to carry a parcel for someone else.
   • Find out how you will send money home through official channels before you go. GetReady Money, from the same owner, explains how sending money home works.
3. 3

   At the airport

   • Check your airline's advice on when to arrive; for international flights it is often about three hours before departure.
   • Keep your passport, visa, ticket, clearance card and contract in your hand luggage, not in the checked bag.
   • Check your airline's baggage allowance and the list of items you cannot carry before you pack.
   • Never carry a bag or parcel for anyone else, however kind they seem.
4. 4

   When you arrive

   • Tell your family you have arrived, and share the address where you will live and the name of your employer or college.
   • Save your country's embassy or consulate details in your phone before you need them.
   • Know where your passport is. If anyone asks to keep it, ask why, and check the official rules of the country you are in.
   • Keep every pay slip, receipt and message about your job. They help if you ever need to make a complaint.

Official help, by country

Rules, fees and offices change. Always check the official site before you act. Some of these sites can be slow from outside the country.