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Business travel safety checklist for executives

A business travel safety checklist helps you leave with fewer worries and come home with fewer problems. Most trips go smoothly. The ones that do not usually fail on small things: a passport that expires too soon, a lost phone, or no one who knows where you are. This checklist covers four areas. Work through it a week or two before you fly.

1. Check your documents first

Start with your passport. The US State Department advises that it should be valid for at least six months after you return home. It also advises having two or more blank pages, depending on the country. Many countries set their own rules, so check the entry rules for each place on your route, including stops where you only change planes.

Next, check visas. Do not assume your usual visa-free access applies to a new country. Look up the entry and exit rules for each destination on the official site of the government you travel under, and read them again close to your departure date.

Then plan for time. The UK Foreign Office notes that a first passport can take up to six weeks. A renewal also needs time. If your passport is close to the limit, renew it before you book anything.

Finally, make two copies of every travel document. Leave one with someone you trust at home. Carry the other copy apart from the originals. Keep your passport out of your back pocket and apart from your cash.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, Traveler's Checklist (travel.state.gov, page as of August 2019). UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Foreign travel checklist (gov.uk/guidance/foreign-travel-checklist, last updated January 10, 2019).

2. Tell people where you will be

Before you leave, give a family member or a colleague your plans. Share your itinerary, your hotel names, your flight details and your insurance policy number. The UK Foreign Office suggests storing these details securely online as well, so you can reach them if your bag is lost.

Write down the address and phone number of your nearest embassy or consulate. Keep it on paper and in your phone. If your government runs a free alert service for citizens abroad, use it. The US State Department runs one called the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. It sends security updates from the nearest US embassy or consulate to travellers who sign up. Many other governments offer similar services, so check what yours provides.

Make a short list of local numbers too: the police, your hotel, your driver or host, and your office. Save it before you land, when your signal is strong.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (travel.state.gov, page as of August 2019). UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Foreign travel checklist (gov.uk, last updated January 10, 2019).

3. Protect your phone and your data

Your phone and laptop hold more of your business than your briefcase does. Treat them with care.

Public Wi-Fi in hotels, airports and cafes is often not secure. The US Federal Trade Commission warns that information you send over such a network might be seen by someone else. Its advice is simple. Send personal or financial information only to sites that are fully encrypted, and look for https at the start of the address on every page, not only the sign-in page. It also warns that many mobile apps do not encrypt information properly, so avoid apps that need personal or financial details on a public network.

Some more steps are worth doing:

  • Carry only the files you need for the trip.
  • Back up your devices before you go, and keep the backup at home.
  • Set a strong screen lock on every device.
  • Ask your phone provider whether your phone works in the country you are visiting.
  • Give a trusted person your phone's IMEI number. The UK Foreign Office says this can help block or locate a lost phone.

Sources: U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Tips for Using Public Wi-Fi Networks (consumer.ftc.gov, page as of August 2019). UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Foreign travel checklist (gov.uk, last updated January 10, 2019).

4. Sort out money and insurance

Tell your bank and credit card companies about your trip before you go. This can stop a card from being blocked when you use it abroad. The US State Department gives this advice, and it also suggests you check exchange rates.

Take more than one way to pay. The UK Foreign Office suggests carrying a mix of cash, a debit card and a credit card, and keeping access to funds for emergencies and delays. Keep the cards in different places, so losing one bag does not leave you with nothing.

Buy travel insurance and read what it covers. The UK Foreign Office says the policy should cover the activities you plan to do. The US State Department says to consider emergency evacuation insurance, and to make an evacuation plan that does not rely on your government. Ask your company whether it already has a policy for business travellers, and keep the policy number with your itinerary.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, Traveler's Checklist (travel.state.gov, page as of August 2019). UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Foreign travel checklist (gov.uk, last updated January 10, 2019).

5. Look after your health and your plan B

The UK Foreign Office advises checking country-specific health advice from the official travel health service at least eight weeks before you go. The US State Department points travellers to the health pages of national and international public health bodies. Bring enough of any regular medicine for the trip plus delays, and keep it in your carry-on bag. Rules on some medicines differ between countries, so ask the embassy of the country you are visiting if you are unsure.

This is general information, not medical advice. For vaccines or prescriptions before a trip, a travel health clinic can review your own situation.

Last, think about plan B. If a flight is cancelled or a meeting is moved, who do you call? Who can approve a new booking? Agree this with your office before you leave. The US State Department also suggests that if a crisis happens, you check in with loved ones and update your social media status so family and friends know you are okay.

Sources: UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Foreign travel checklist (gov.uk, last updated January 10, 2019). U.S. Department of State, Traveler's Checklist (travel.state.gov, page as of August 2019).

Sources

  • U.S. Department of State, Traveler's Checklist: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-checklist.html
  • U.S. Department of State, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/step.html
  • UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Foreign travel checklist: gov.uk/guidance/foreign-travel-checklist
  • U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Tips for Using Public Wi-Fi Networks: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0014-tips-using-public-wi-fi-networks