Musafir Travelby One Path Finder

Before you leave

What to carry when you go abroad to work or study

Pack for the first day, not only for the year. The things that matter most go in the bag that stays in your hand: papers, medicines, your phone and its charger. Your big bag can be late; these should never be.

  1. Your hand bag: the papers that stay with you

    • Passport, visa and work permit or student papers, ticket, and your contract or offer letter. Keep them together in one folder you can reach quickly at the counter.
    • Your emigration clearance, if your country requires it, such as the BMET clearance card in Bangladesh or the Protector of Emigrants stamp in Pakistan. Officers may ask for it at departure. See the official bodies for your country.
    • A paper list of phone numbers: family, your employer or college, your agent, and your embassy in the new country. A phone can be lost or run out of battery; paper cannot.
    • Copies of every document, kept apart from the originals, plus phone photos. Leave one more set with your family at home.
    • One change of clothes and basic toiletries, in case your big bag arrives a day or two late.

  2. Medicines: labelled, with a letter

    General information only, not medical advice. Ask your doctor about your own medicines before you go.

    • Carry medicines in your hand bag, in their original labelled packs, with enough for the first weeks and a few extra days.
    • Bring a copy of each prescription showing the generic name of the medicine; brand names are different in other countries.
    • Some medicines that are sold freely at home are restricted or banned in other countries, including some countries in the Gulf. This matters most for strong painkillers, sleeping tablets and some medicines for anxiety, epilepsy or ADHD. Before you pack them, check with the embassy of the country you are going to, and carry a letter from your doctor that says what you take and why.
    • Never carry medicines for someone else.

  3. Power banks and batteries: hand bag only

    • Power banks and spare lithium batteries are not allowed in checked bags. Keep them in your hand bag.
    • Most phone power banks are fine. Banks over 100 watt-hours need the airline's approval, and very large ones are not allowed on passenger planes. A 20,000 mAh bank is about 74 watt-hours; the label often shows the number.
    • Since 2026 many airlines also limit how many power banks you can bring and forbid charging them during the flight. Rules differ by airline, so check your airline's website before you pack.
    • If a phone or laptop goes in the big bag, switch it fully off.

  4. Phone and SIM: stay reachable

    • Ask your shop or mobile company whether your phone is unlocked. A locked phone will not work with a SIM from the new country.
    • Keep your home SIM (or keep the number active) if your bank at home sends codes by text message. You can switch off data roaming so it does not cost money.
    • In many countries you need your passport or residence card to buy a SIM, so keep them with you when you go to the shop.
    • Before you leave, put your family on a free calling app and save a photo of every document in your phone.

  5. Plugs: charge your phone on day one

    • Sockets differ between countries. Many Gulf countries and Malaysia use the three square-pin plug (type G), while home sockets in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan mostly take round pins. A small plug adapter in your hand bag solves this. Check your country on the IEC world plugs page.
    • Phone and laptop chargers that say 100–240V on the label work everywhere with just an adapter.
    • A rice cooker, kettle or iron from home may need different voltage in some countries. It is usually easier to buy one there.

  6. If your bag does not arrive

    • Go to the airline's baggage desk before you leave the arrivals hall and report it. Ask for a written report with a reference number.
    • Give the address where you will stay and a phone number that works in the new country.
    • On many international flights there are short deadlines for written claims: about 7 days for damage and 21 days for a delayed bag. Make your claim as soon as you can, and keep receipts for anything you have to buy.
    • Put your name and phone number inside and outside every bag, and take a photo of your bag before you leave home.

Never carry a parcel, bag or envelope for anyone else, even a relative of a friend or someone from your agency. You are responsible for everything in your bags.

Official sources

Rules change, and each airline and country has its own. Check the official sources before you pack. Last checked November 2026.

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