All pumped up about the opportunity you landed in for a foreign business trip? Well, you should be. After all these years of hard-work, this is the first time you’re going on an international business trip! But you know better than anyone else; as fun as it sounds, the prospects of an international business trip is also quite nerve-wracking. It requires a lot of preparation and planning.

However, some tend to fall into a state of complacency, where they think, a foreign business trip is no different from the trips you made in your own country. This is, unsurprisingly, the first cardinal mistake a first-time international business traveller makes!

Apart from the hassles of arranging the meeting and preparing your presentations, you should get ready with all the other international travel requirements as well. A lot of chores follow your decision to commit to the international business trip — you have to double-check your passport, make sure the travel document is valid, and in most cases, you’ll have to apply for a visa. Not to mention, you need to be ready with everything you need for staying and sustaining in a country you barely know for days and weeks on end.

Unless you’re a dauntless danger-seeker, you don’t want to find yourself coping with a bad situation in a completely unknown part of the world, due to the lack of planning. Right? So, here is everything you need to prepare yourself for your first international business trip:

1) Make all the travel arrangements for your trip

For any type of international trip, you may need to furnish a lot of documents to get the approval, such as your passport, visa, NOC from your employer, and your means of financial subsistence signed by your bank. So, prepare these documents well in advance the trip, so that you can avoid any last-minute hassles. In most cases, your company’s travel desk will be of great support to you.

Check if your passport is valid. Most countries will only accept passports that have a validity of at least six months from the date of your return. Also, double-check whether you have at least two blank pages in order to mark your entry and exit from the foreign country.

You will also need to check whether you need a visa to enter the country. Some countries offer  Visa On Arrival (VOA) for selected nationalities, while for some you need to get a visa from the embassy of your country. As these requirements tend to be different depending on your nationality, in order to know about these requirements, check out the Embassy website of the country you’re planning to visit or inquire at the nearest Foreign Embassy of that country. You can also rely on trustworthy online visa services

If you’re planning to visit any African or South American country, a yellow-fever and polio vaccination is, most often, mandatory. Some other countries may also ask for a medical certificate or vaccination certificate. So, be prepared with all these documents at least a couple of weeks in advance.

2) Familiarity with the business practices and social customs of the foreign country

If you thought, the business practices and related etiquettes in other countries were similar to the practices of your own, then be ready for a shocker! Some countries have unfamiliar, yet culturally significant greeting customs like bowing or kissing on the cheeks, apart from the regular handshakes. It is better to learn what these customs are and whether it applies to the business environment. It would be worthwhile to rehearse them, if required, to convey a greater feeling of respect to their customs. You can also learn the colloquial alternatives for hello, goodbye, and other greetings. However, don’t bother learning the whole language unless you’re going to visit the country frequently or for a longer duration.

Being knowledgeable about the local cuisines also helps a lot during international business trips. Before boarding your flight, prepare a list of the commonly available local food items you want to eat and keep a separate note of the particular dishes that you don’t want to try. Not only does this avoid the embarrassment when you discover that the dish you ordered is actually something you don’t eat, but also makes the host feel that you’re appreciative of their local cuisine.

3) Electronic and connectivity requirements

Taking an international trip can be a daunting task, as even the simplest things like charging your electronic devices need to be taken care of. A lack of advance planning may cause you trouble charging your devices and keeping them ready to use during the trip. So, have suitable charging adaptors that work in the new country for all your electronic devices. Also, always try to keep your cell phones at full battery level. You never know when that extra little bar of the battery may come in handy.

Since you’re on an international trip, remember to get the international voice, data, and text message plans on your cell phone before boarding your flight. If you’re on a longer trip or are a frequent traveller to the country, try getting a local SIM card instead. Also, you can always use the internet voice calls or video calls to connect with your office or home back in your country.

4) Money matters

When you’re taking an international business trip, be sure to visit your bank or foreign exchange near you to withdraw some emergency cash in the currency of your destination country. This can be used for all the minor expenses soon after the touchdown. Before you travel, check if your credit card works in the new country. Obtaining a traveller’s cheque or forex card before your trip is also ideal.

5) Be aware and prepared for the unexpected crisis and political unrests

Preparing yourself for any unexpected crisis is something that is often ignored during an international trip. However, it is extremely important to be aware of all the crisis and political issues going on in your destination country. You can read about it on the local news websites of that country and through various forums. If you book your business trip through a reputed travel agency like houseoftours.com, you will be informed about all the things you need to take particular care of, during your visit.

As an extra precaution, give one copy of your travel itinerary to your close friend and one to an employee or colleague. In case of any crisis situation, have someone who can be in touch with you constantly, such as your travel management company and your office. Also, always have a plan ‘B’ if you are able to foresee any such challenges during your visit.

6) Being healthy

Be in a good physical shape before you set out for the trip. The atmospheric conditions in different parts of the world are very different, and you need a healthy body to cope with the sudden changes, without falling sick. You can do a lot of things, such as preparing yourself for the inevitable jet lag, eating healthy, and working out regularly. Once you reach the new country, prevent yourself from drinking the local water right out of the tap during your initial days. Even if the water is pure, the mineral content in the tap water could vary from the mineral content that you’re used to, making you feel sick.

While these things are often overlooked, I believe, nobody needs to tell you how important a thorough preparation is. Being a travel management agency, we have helped hundreds of business travellers make their trip enjoyable and safe at the same time, just by being available for them throughout the trip duration. So, if you’re making an international business trip, be sure to get in touch with us using our contact page — our representatives are all ears!