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Preparing to go abroad includes securing important documents and a lot of planning. Ideally, you should make 3 copies of your passport, visas, and other important paperwork. Keep one with you, one in an accessible but safe place, and give one to a trusted relative of friend that can give you the information if something were to happen to you.

A checklist of other things to consider:

• Passports: Check the expiration date, as it must not to expire within 6 months of your arrival.
• Secure Insurance: If your current insurance does not cover you in the USA, look into medical insurances and travel insurances to prevent unmanageable medical bills and enable entry into other countries.
• Research and apply for a Visa: This can take several months to obtain before you leave.
• Money: Have enough funds to support your cost of living and lifestyle plus travel costs with a buffer to be prepared for the unexpected.
• Bring things to facilitate transition: Think about universal electric plug adaptors, medications or anything else to make you comfortable during the transition.

Financial

On the home front, make sure all bills are paid or have a means of being paid. If you are retaining a residence while abroad, make sure the rent/mortgage is taken care of and that utilities are being paid while you are away. Insure that important institutions like your bank are able to reach you.

If you are retaining a bank in your home country, ask about fees for overseas transactions, and if you have a credit card, find out if there are additional fees or any changes you need to make with your account. Inform banking industries that you will abroad so as to not arouse suspicious activity on your account as anti-theft systems can see this activity and put a most inconvenient hold on your account.

Tax

Before arrival

It is best to inform tax offices of any change in residency. Some countries have reciprocal tax agreements, and others may require you to pay some form of taxes both in your home country and aboard. For more information, refer to our section on "Taxes".

After arrival

The liability for tax in the US can be affected by whether you are resident in the country and whether New York is your permanent home. There is a specific definition of residence for tax purposes depending on how many days you spend in the country. If you are not resident in a particular year, the USA can still be your ‘ordinary residence' since this term refers to the country where you are usually resident over a number of years. The country that is your permanent home is known as your domicile.

Health

There is no special compulsory vaccine requirement for the USA; however, the following vaccinations are recommended by the WHO (depending on the area of visit):

• hepatitis A
• hepatitis B
• rabies
• meningitis
• polio
• measles
• mumps
• rubella (MMR)
• Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis)
• Chickenpox/shingles
• Flu shot (pneumonia and influenza)

In any case, it is recommended to check with your doctor whether your vaccinations are up to date. For more information about Travel Vaccines and Advice for the United States visit PassportHealthUSA.com.

For general concerns about your health when abroad, the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes the International Travel and Health guide, which is revised annually and it is available online for free. Another excellent resource is MD Travel Health, which it provides free and complete travel-health recommendations for every country and is updated daily.