Trip-Prep Toolkit: what to sort out before you leave the US
This is the list we run through before every long trip. Screenshot it or bookmark the page. Country rules change, so check the country page and the State Department before you book. Last checked September 2026.
6 to 8 weeks out
Passport. Six months of validity past your return date and at least two blank pages. Airlines check this at the counter and will turn you away. If yours is close, renew now.
Entry rules. Look up your country on the Country Finder. Brazil, Vietnam and Kenya need a visa or travel authorization before you fly. The rest let Americans in visa-free or with a visa on arrival.
Onward ticket. On a visa-free entry, the airline or border officer can ask for proof you're leaving. Keep a return or onward ticket in your email.
Health insurance that works abroad. Medicare usually doesn't cover care outside the US, and many US plans don't either. Buy a travel medical plan that includes evacuation.
Vaccines and meds. See a travel clinic 4 to 6 weeks before you go and check the CDC Travelers' Health page for your country. Carry prescriptions in the original bottles.
STEP. Enroll your trip in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so the embassy can reach you in an emergency.
Paperwork to finish before you fly
Thailand: Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), free, at tdac.immigration.go.th within 3 days before you arrive.
Philippines: eTravel registration, free, within 72 hours before your flight.
Colombia: Check-MIG form, free, online before your flight.
Mexico: Digital FMM, issued at the airport on arrival.
Dominican Republic: E-Ticket, free, online before you fly. The $10 tourist card is in your airfare.
Brazil: E-visa through the official VFS Global portal, before you fly.
Vietnam: E-visa, $25 single entry or $50 multiple entry, usually 3 to 5 working days. Landing at Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City)? Also fill in the free Digital Arrival Card at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn.
Indonesia: e-VOA (about IDR 500,000) plus the free All Indonesia arrival card at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id within 72 hours before you arrive. Bali adds an IDR 150,000 tourist levy.
Kenya: eTA from etakenya.go.ke only, $30 standard. Avoid lookalike sites.
Peru: No pre-arrival form. Passport needs 6 months of validity.
Costa Rica: No pre-arrival form. Bring proof of a return or onward ticket.
Japan: No visa. Visit Japan Web is optional and speeds up arrival.
Money
Bring two cards from different banks and keep them in different places. Tell both banks where you're going.
A debit card with no foreign transaction fee saves up to 3% on every withdrawal. Some also refund ATM fees.
When a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in dollars, say no and pay in the local currency. The "dollar" option uses a worse rate.
Use ATMs inside banks or malls in daylight. Standalone street ATMs are where skimmers turn up.
Keep some crisp US bills as backup. Torn or marked notes often get refused at exchange counters.
Phone and getting around
Check that your phone is unlocked, then set up a local eSIM before you land so you have data at the airport.
Download offline maps and the offline language pack in Google Translate for your destination.
WhatsApp is how most people message in Latin America, the Philippines, Brazil and Kenya. LINE is common in Thailand and Japan, Zalo in Vietnam.
Use ride-hail apps instead of street taxis: Grab in Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia; Uber or DiDi across most of Latin America.
Scams and risks that come up again and again
Dating-app setups. The State Department warns about people met on apps who drug drinks and rob travelers, especially in Colombia, Brazil and the Dominican Republic. First meetings in public places, and never leave a drink unattended.
Spiked or bad alcohol. Watch your drink everywhere, and skip cheap unsealed liquor in Mexico.
Street touts. Don't follow touts into bars in Tokyo nightlife districts. Inflated bills and spiked drinks get reported there.
"It's closed today." A friendly stranger says the temple or museum is closed and offers a ride to a gem or tailor shop instead. Walk away.
Online girlfriend who needs money. If someone you haven't met in person asks for money for a flight, a visa or a sick relative, it's a scam.
Job offers that are too good. Fake overseas jobs are used to recruit people into scam compounds in Southeast Asia. Don't take a job abroad you can't verify, and warn friends who get these offers.
Drug laws. Marijuana, CBD and some ADHD medications that are legal at home can mean prison in Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. Check before you pack.
Emergency numbers and plug types by country
Save these in your phone before you land. Checked September 2026 against government and US embassy sources.
Thailand: Police 191. Ambulance 1669. Tourist police 1155. Trafficking hotline 1300 (+66 99 130 1300 from a foreign phone). US Embassy +66 2 205 4049, after hours +66 2 205 4000. Plugs A, B, C, O.
Philippines: Police and ambulance 911. Red Cross 143. Tourist assistance 151-TOUR (151-8687). Trafficking hotline 1343 (24/7). US Embassy +63 2 5301 2000. Plugs A, B, C.
Colombia: Police and ambulance 123. Trafficking hotline 01 8000 522020 (free, 24/7). US Embassy +57 601 508 8165, after hours +57 601 275 2000 then 0. Plugs A, B.
Mexico: Police and ambulance 911. Tourist assistance 078. Trafficking hotline 800 5533 000 (free). US Embassy +52 55 2579 2000. Plugs A, B.
Dominican Republic: Police and ambulance 911. Tourist police (POLITUR) 809-222-2026. Trafficking: 911 or the anti-trafficking prosecutors 809-200-7393 (24/7). US Embassy +1 809-567-7775, after hours dial 0. Plugs A, B.
Brazil: Police 190. Ambulance 192. Rio tourist police (DEAT) (21) 2332-2429. Trafficking and human rights line Disque 100 (free, 24/7, anonymous) or WhatsApp +55 61 99611-0100. US Embassy +55 61 3312-7000, after hours +55 61 3312-7400. Plugs C, N.
Vietnam: Police 113. Ambulance 115. Trafficking and child protection hotline 111 (free, 24/7). US Embassy +84 24 3850 5000. Plugs A, B, C, F.
Indonesia: Police 110. Ambulance 118 or 119. Trafficking hotline SAPA 129 or WhatsApp 08111-129-129. US Embassy +62 21 5083 1000. Plugs C, F.
Peru: Police 105. Ambulance 106. Tourist police 0800-22221. Trafficking line 1818 (free). US Embassy +51 1 618 2000. Plugs A, C, 220 V.
Costa Rica: Police and ambulance 911. OIJ anti-trafficking line 800-8000-645 (confidential). US Embassy +506 2519 2000. Plugs A, B, same voltage as the US.
Kenya: Police and ambulance 999, 112 or 911. Counter-trafficking secretariat 0733 721 566. Child Helpline 116. US Embassy +254 20 363 6000. Plug G, 240 V.
Japan: Police 110. Ambulance 119. Japan Visitor Hotline 050-3816-2787 (24/7, English). Anonymous report line 0120-924-839. US Embassy +81 3 3224 5000. Plugs A, B, 100 V.
18+ and anti-trafficking
PassportBros.org is for adults 18 and over. We don't publish anything that helps anyone buy sex, and we report exploitation.
If you see someone who looks underage, or who seems to be controlled by someone else, don't step in yourself. Note the place and time and call the local police or the hotline listed above.
US National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888, or text 233733.
Report sexual exploitation of children abroad by a US citizen: HSI Tip Line 1-866-347-2423.
Last check before you leave
Passport, plus a paper copy and a photo of the photo page in your cloud storage.
Printed or saved copies of your visa, e-visa or eTA approval, your hotel booking and your return ticket.
Plug adapter for your country (see the list above).
Prescriptions in original bottles, with a letter from your doctor.
Emergency numbers and the embassy number saved in your phone.
Someone at home has your itinerary and a copy of your passport.