IT IS A PROCESS.
If you are going to an English speaking country, a very modern or a country where you are very familiar with the language these tips may not be all that important because you will understand what is going on around you, but it might save you some time.
I just like to be prepared.
Every Country is Different.
Please email me if there are some things you would like to contribute. I can be reached at armb2011@live.com
If you comment on the blog I have it set up to where only I can read them but I'm not too savey on how that works so maybe email is better.
Things that were helpful to us:
As soon as you know you are leaving or even if you think you might, it is good to get started on vacinations. I visited a passport health clinic and they let me know what is needed for my region. Some shots are given in series that span over a few months, for example the Hepatitis series and they need to be started right away.
Also, some vacinations may required for a visa and you can find that out by calling the consulate or researching on a website.
A passport health clinic can give you a prescription to fill for travelers diarreaha to take with you. They may also be able to give you a prescription for malaria medication.
There is a rabies shot that can be administered. It is not an actual vaccination, but it can give you a degree of protection that will carry you until you can get some help if you are living in a remote location.
We did not do this, but it depends on the area that you are going to.
We got Typhoid, Yellow Fever and Hepatitis A & B vaccinations.
- Contact your bank and let them know that you will be using your bank cards outside of the country. You don't want to be surprised if your card suddenly stops working because they've placed a hold on it. The bank will let you know what their procedure is.
- Buy and activate a Magic Jack in the States before you leave to make international calls. It allows you to make telephone calls through the internet without all the extra cost. The annual fee is about $30.00 and can be renewed from wherever you are. Another option is a telephone company like Vonage. We switched to Vonage a year before we left. They bought our telephone number from our local company and now we make all our calls to and from the States free. Internet access is necessary for this also. Vonage charges us a monthly fee of $36.00. I would recommend both, but at the very least the Magic Jack.
- Get a physical. You will most likely need a Letter of Health to take to the Consulate of the country you are going to. I got my physical from a travel medicine doctor since I didn't have a regular doctor. It was easy to get an appointment. If I hadn't of gotten a physical to leave the country, I would never of known that I had severe enemia or hypertension. That was crucial information for me because I suffered a stroke before leaving, but at least I was aware of the signs and symptoms and checked into a hospital right away. When I had the stroke I was given an iron fusion, to bring my iron levels up which was a plus for me because that had to be remedied before I left. My health has improved dramatically since then.
- Work with the Consulate to get your visas completed before leaving. Some people work on their visas once they are in the country. It is a lot easier doing this in the USA especially if it is your first time and you will be in a culture with a different language! At least for us it was.
- We had thirty days once arriving to register with the Government for the Visa stamp on the Passport. Since we were not sure where to go we consulted a lawyer that was referred to us. She helped us fill out the paperwork and had someone hand deliver it along with our Passports. It was well worth the cost and saved us additional flights, lodging and a two or three day wait in the capital city to get our stamp.
- Expat websites give a lot of good information. We get referrals for Drs., Lawyers, Dentists, etc. When we got samonella and my hubby contracted an amoeba, I had the number for a Doctor and an address to give the taxi driver.
OH Yes, whenever you do get to your destination be careful of fresh fruits and vegetables, or anything that is not thoroughly cooked. ALWAYS wash them with a vegetable wash. Someone told me that vinegar is good for that too. That's how you avoid those pesky parasites and doctor visits.
- When we arrived, there was still paperwork to be completed and that was OK., but what was a fustration after waiting in a long line was finding out we couldn't turn in our paperwork and had to leave and come back because we did not have our own manilla envelope! Take a few with you. Copy paper here is legal size probably many other places, so make sure you have some of both sizes.
- Carry color copies of Passports and Visas. Once you get ID's or whatever is it you are issued, keep color copies of those also.
- Apostille of your marriage certificate. Contact your State Department. They give you the proper one for whichever country you will be living in. Get a couple of originals. Mine cost $3.00 each. I had to send for a certificate of marriage from the County we were married in first, and then sent that to the State to be apostilled. The fee was $2.00 or $3.00.
- A good quality large frying pan and sauce pan with couple of cooking utensils will be good to pack with your luggage until you realize the best places to shop in your city. When your only method of transportation is your feet, a bus or taxi, and you are not aware of what is available, you might make some hasty purchases and wish you had shopped around.
(I am an incurable bargain shopper.)
- A set of good quality sheets for the bed. I never realized how scratchy and itchy sheets could be. It really makes a difference.
- A couple of good pillows with pillowcases.
- A couple of good blankets, depending on the climate. I brought a large super soft fluffy, furry blanket from Walmart with me and a small blanket my friend Pasty gave to me. It's nice to have some small comforts from home.
- Get an International or Intramerica Driver's License.
We got ours from Triple AAA and is good for a year then it can be renewed. It's a good thing we have them otherwise we would have to attend a three week extensive driving course here.
- A couple of those large bottles of Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen that you can get from Costco. Ibuprofen especially. Right now in our country it cannot be purchased without a prescription because of the epidemic of Dengue Fever.
- It's very hard to get Epsom salts here. That might be something you would like to bring you.
- I wish I had brought more English Bibles than just my own personal Bibles, the inexpensive gift ones. There are more and more people wanting to learn English and even some English speaking folks that don't have one and want to use one for Bible study.
We got ours from Triple AAA and is good for a year then it can be renewed. It's a good thing we have them otherwise we would have to attend a three week extensive driving course here.
- A couple of those large bottles of Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen that you can get from Costco. Ibuprofen especially. Right now in our country it cannot be purchased without a prescription because of the epidemic of Dengue Fever.
- It's very hard to get Epsom salts here. That might be something you would like to bring you.
- I wish I had brought more English Bibles than just my own personal Bibles, the inexpensive gift ones. There are more and more people wanting to learn English and even some English speaking folks that don't have one and want to use one for Bible study.
