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Before you go

It is important to prepare your trip well in advance. It's no good coming to 24 hours before departure realising your passports are out of date! Stay in charge and keep ahead of yourself. Follow these simple tips so you are as prepared as possible for your holiday:

  • Visit your travel clinic, doctor or practice nurse at least 6-10 weeks before you leave to check on immunisation requirements. This should be one of your first priorities, since some foreign diseases can be very serious and even fatal, so it is paramount to protect yourself. If you are travelling for more than a month, see them earlier, as you may need to have a number of jabs.
  • Discuss Malaria prevention with your GP or nurse. It may be that the country you are travelling to may not be considered a risk, but it may also be that you require anti malarial tablets before leaving. If this is the case, the anti malarial tablets must be taken for a while before they are working and in your system correctly to provide protection, so again, make sure you do not leave this until the last minute as you may not have full protection when you fly out.
  • Make sure you have a first aid kit with you in case of emergencies. Also, make sure any prescription medication you normally take is with you, and you have enough to last the duration of the holiday. If you require more medication, speak with your GP who can arrange this for you.
  • Read up about your chosen destination to learn about the culture, laws and customs. Some places are very strict and law enforcements show no leniency towards tourists.
  • Is your passport valid? Not only does your passport need to be valid for the date of departure, but it also needs to be valid for the inbound flight coming home, and coming through customs at your home airport.
  • Are you allowed into this country/ region? Check with your travel agent whether special visa requirements are needed to gain access into certain countries or regions. Many different countries have strict visa requirements, particularly in Australia and America, and without fulfilling your via requirements, you will almost certainly be sent back home.