Checklist of Things to Do & Prepare When Visiting USA

Travelling to the US once in the lifetime can easily find a place in any Indian’s bucket list in the current arena, especially when the middle class in India is booming. It is also for this reason that more Indians are able to extend their stay to as much as 20-25 days without facing any financial burden. According to data published by Statista, from an approximately 1.13 million in 2015 to more than 1.94 million in 2021, there will be a drastic rise in the number of visitors to the United States from India. In addition, data published by The Economic Times revealed that there was a 12 percent increase in the number of Indians visiting the US in first three months of 2016 alone. President and CEO of Brand USA, Christopher L Thompson, affirmed positively of that the numbers were expected to grow significantly in the coming years. When visiting USA, one can easily get confused with the things they need to know and things they need to do for a hassle-free trip. Talking of the things that you need to know, you should have an idea about the culture, safety rules, laws, best time to visit and must-sees, as well as some don’ts. For the things you need to do and prepare, here is a simple checklist to make things easy.

Checklist of Things to Do When Travelling to USA

Before leaving for America, you need to first find out about the flights, airport guides, transport, car hire tours, key destinations, accommodation and more.

• Visa, Passport, Tickets: Your passport should be up to date. Also, the passport should be valid for six months beyond the period of your intended stay in the United State.
• Vaccinations: It is strongly advised to see your health care professional at least 4-6 weeks before traveling. This would give you sufficient time to complete a vaccine series and your body to build up immunity. However, follow the vaccine recommendations and requirements for the US beforehand.
• Travel insurance: Travel Insurance is a must when you are travelling to a foreign land. This special facility offered by insurance companies covers you against any unforeseen situations while in a foreign country.  Don’t forget to carry a copy of your travel insurance details with you.
• Money: Tell your bank about your visit. There are two ways you can pay for things while in America, cash and cards. You can exchange Indian currency at the Indian airports and hotels. However, the safest and cheapest way to carry money abroad is Prepaid forex, which is loaded with funds at the time you purchase the card. Prefer taking two such cards on the trip in case one stops working, lost or stolen. Finally, get a phone number that you can use to call the company from overseas if your card is lost or stolen.
• Medication: There might be certain medications that will not be legal to bring into the USA. Do take care of them. Even when you are carrying a regular medication, carry it in the original packaging and that too with prescriptions.

Lastly, don’t miss carrying a list of emergency contacts both in India and in the USA.