My employer has asked if I am willing to travel to India. I have a development team there. Meeting them would be nice. Still, I am not an experienced world traveler, so I have some doubts.
There is a lot of planning and paperwork to do, even if my employer points me to the proper procedures and places to help. Here is a short list of the main steps needed to prepare:
- Get a passport if you need one! Actually, this was probably the easiest step. I had to run to the drugstore to get a passport photo, fill out the application, and go to the post office to send it in, but not too hard. I had my passport in less than 3 weeks, because I chose expedited processing.
- Talk to your doctor about what shots and medicines you should take in preparation for your trip. For me, I ended up getting the following vaccination/medicines:
- Hepatitis – Accelerated vaccination schedule, one shot per week for four weeks
- Typhoid – one pill every other day for 4 doses
- Prescription for Malaria prevention – start taking 2 days before trip, every day during, and for 7 days after returning
- Z-Pack or equivalent prescription to be taken in case it is needed during the trip
- Over the counter Pepto or equivalent tablets for mild stomach issues
- Start visa process. For my trip, I needed:
- an invitation letter from the hosting company in India
- Fill out online application
- Send all the stuff in to be processed. I highly recommend using a service such as VisaLady.com to help get things done.
- Book the trip
- Check your phone plan or company provided cell phone plan for details about international roaming
- Are you taking a work laptop? Do you need any approvals from your security department to transport and use the laptop?
All these steps are done now, so next I will look up what items I might want to bring with me!
Please check back for next edition soon!