What documents are required for travel?

What documents are required for travel?

travel documentsA trip, even a short one, must be prepared in advance so that it goes as smoothly as possible. Administrative formalities are part of this preparation phase. Knowing the 5 essential documents for traveling allows you to fully enjoy your stay and leave with peace of mind.

Passport

Etymologically, the word passport comes from "pass" and "port". It originally designated the free movement of goods before applying to men from 1464. Today, this document issued by the state authorities of a country is used to prove the identity and nationality of a person who is about to travel to a foreign nation.

In France, it is generally at the level of the town halls that you have to file your passport application file. In some cities, there are also counters equipped with a registration station to record your request.

The validity period of a passport is 10 years for an adult and 5 years for a minor. The production time of this essential document for the trip depends mainly on the period and the place where you submit your request. In general, it is two to three weeks, but may be shorter in a small town. Conversely, as the holidays approach, this period may lengthen given the increase in the number of files to be processed.

The loss or theft of the passport can have disastrous consequences on your trip. To prevent this kind of inconvenience, remember to protect it from thieves. Don't leave it in your empty hotel room. Always put it in a safe place, whether it's the safe in your room or the one at your hotel reception. If you have to keep it with you, be careful to avoid any risk of loss or theft.

Don't forget to make copies of your passport and keep a few copies in your luggage, and even keep some in your mailbox. In this way, it will be easier for you to obtain an emergency passport from the consulate of your country of destination in the event of loss or theft.

Visa

The visa is a document issued by the authorities of a country to allow a foreign national to enter its territory for a specific period. Some countries require it while others are satisfied with a valid passport, which is why you must find out beforehand about the entry formalities of the country where you plan to leave.

If you want, for example, to go sightseeing in Thailand, bask on the beautiful beaches of the Seychelles or in Bermuda, a 3-month tourist visa is enough. For some countries, obtaining a visa is one of the prerequisites before taking the plane or the car. This is the case of India or Australia. Also the cost is different. The visa costs €87.5 for India while it is completely free for Australia.

In some cases, it is possible to apply for a tourist visa when you land at the airport. Thus, for a stay of less than 90 days in the United Arab Emirates, French nationals are exempt from an entry visa on Emirati soil since May 6, 2015. If you are leaving for Vietnam, the country offers its visitors a one-month visa with single entry at a cost of $43, issued at the international airports of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Laos also offers tourists this type of visa, which is valid for 30 days and costs between $20 and $45, depending on the nationality of the applicant.

Travel insurance

Some countries condition the entry of a foreign national into their territory by taking out compulsory travel insurance. These include Russia, Cuba, China and Algeria.

But, even if your destination country does not expressly require the purchase of travel insurance, it is recommended to do so as a precaution. Indeed, when you travel abroad, you are not immune to illness or accident. The quality of the water on site, the diet which generally differs from that which you are used to, the climate or even the level of hygiene are the main factors which can be at the origin of an illness during your stay. If you fall ill, are hospitalized, or even repatriated to France, not only will your stay be cut short, but the expenses are likely to be substantial and put a heavy strain on your budget.

With the purchase of travel insurance, a large number of claims will be covered by the insurer. If the offers differ from one company to another, there are guarantees which must absolutely appear in your contract: medical expenses (including medical and paramedical acts, laboratory analyzes and pharmacy), hospitalization expenses and repatriation to