Ratgeber
Preparing for a long-haul trip: health and entry
For a long-haul trip, clarify your passport, entry requirements, health questions and insurance several months ahead. You can find current advice from the FDFA (EDA) and the FOPH (BAG). Once in a Lifetime is a Swiss travel agency with video consultations and reminds you of the important steps, but gives no medical assurances.
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Schritt für Schritt
- Check passport validity and blank pages
- Check entry requirements with the FDFA
- Read the health advice from the FOPH
- Speak to your doctor early
- Take out insurance
- Make copies of all documents
Checkliste
- Passport valid and long enough
- Visa or entry permit clarified
- FDFA advice checked
- FOPH advice checked
- Doctor's appointment arranged
- Medication in hand luggage
- Insurance confirmed
- Copies saved digitally
A long-haul trip begins long before departure. Health, entry and documents take time, and some things cannot be done at short notice. If you start early, you travel more relaxed.
Passport and entry first
Check early whether your passport is still valid for long enough. Many countries require a minimum validity beyond the end of the trip and blank pages. Keeping a copy of your passport separate from the original makes replacement easier in an emergency. Read the travel advice not just once but again shortly before departure, as situations can change.
Some destinations require a visa or an electronic entry permit. These lead times can be weeks. You should also have your credit cards activated for use abroad. Plan appointments with your doctor early, as waiting times and vaccination intervals can determine the schedule.
Regulations change. Check the current position with the FDFA and the authorities of the destination country. If needed, register on the FDFA's travel platform so that you can be reached in an emergency.
Health and vaccinations
The FOPH and specialised bodies provide information on health risks and recommended vaccinations. Plan in good time, as some vaccinations require several doses. Your family doctor knows your history and can put your questions in context. Check the validity of your credit cards and keep a second means of payment ready.
Talk to your doctor about your personal situation. We give no medical assurances on this.
At altitude, in heat or at remote destinations, fitness and pre-existing conditions matter especially. Also write down important numbers on paper, in case your phone fails or is stolen.
Medication and travel first-aid kit
Take enough of your personal medication in your hand luggage. Note the names and dosages and keep a doctor's certificate ready. Swiss representations abroad are points of contact if you lose documents. Inform your bank about the trip so that cards are not blocked unintentionally.
Check whether your medication is permitted in the destination country. Rules differ. Pack medication in its original packaging and keep prescriptions or certificates ready.
A small travel first-aid kit with plasters, sun protection and basic remedies is practical. Keeping items in their original containers avoids problems at checks.
Insurance and emergencies
Travel insurance with repatriation and health cover abroad makes sense for long-haul trips. Read the terms and exclusions. Sun protection and insect repellent are also part of the basic kit. Plan rest days after long-haul flights, as the body needs time to adjust.
Note down emergency numbers and the address of the Swiss representation. Give a copy of your travel documents to someone you trust. Drink enough water on the flight and move regularly, which makes arrival more pleasant.
That way you know what to do if the worst happens. Check plug types and adapters for the destination country so that your chargers work.
Preparing time, climate and luggage
Besides documents and health, it is worth looking at climate and luggage. Check temperature and rainfall in your travel month and pack in layers that can be adjusted. Download important maps, translations and documents for offline use.
Note the luggage limits on domestic flights and safari flights, which are often tighter than on long-haul flights. Soft bags are usually more practical there than hard suitcases.
Practise walking with your luggage before the trip. What you cannot carry yourself does not belong in the suitcase. Talk with your travel companions about who takes on which tasks before and during the trip.
Schedule and advice
Start on these topics three to six months before the trip. The more distant the destination, the earlier. Note the customs rules for medication, electronics and food that apply in the destination country.
In the [planning call](/m/once-in-a-lifetime/planen) by video call, we go through the list together and show you the deadlines. Avoid last-minute appointments right before departure so that you set off rested.
That way you set off prepared for an experience you will not forget. Start early, so that you have time for follow-up questions. Put together a folder, digital and on paper, with your passport, bookings, insurance, vaccination record and emergency numbers. If you have everything in one place, you travel more calmly. Go through the folder once more a week before departure and add what is missing. That way you begin the trip with a good feeling and without hectic last days.
