Before-You-Travel Checklist: Documents, Bookings and Home

You're at the gate when you realise online check-in closed two hours ago.

Or worse, it's the week before the trip and you finally look at your passport.

Packing gets all the attention, but most trips go wrong before the suitcase comes out. Documents expire, entry rules change, check-in windows close. A checklist that runs on a timeline catches each one while there's still time to fix it.

3 months or more before: documents

This is the step people leave too late, because renewals take weeks and nobody looks at their passport until they need it.

Passport

Check the expiry date now, not when you book.
Check the validity rules for where you're going. Many countries want your passport valid for several months beyond your travel dates, often six. Some also need blank pages. Your destination's official government or embassy site will have the current rule.
Renew early if you're close. Processing can take weeks or longer in busy seasons.

The best fix is a reminder months before your passport expires, so renewal never clashes with a trip. The passport renewal reminder page shows how to set one.

Visas and entry permits

Check whether you need a visa or an electronic travel authorisation for your destination. Rules change, so check even for a country you've visited before.
Apply early. Some approvals are quick, others take weeks.
If you live abroad on a visa, make sure it's still valid on your return date. The visa renewal reminder covers reminders for each step of a renewal.

4 to 6 weeks before: bookings and money

Confirm flights, hotels and transfers. Check names match your passport exactly.
Book airport parking or transport to the airport. It's often cheaper booked early.
Tell your bank you're travelling if your card needs it, and check foreign transaction fees.
Sort out a phone plan for roaming or a local eSIM.
Arrange pet care or a house sitter if you need one.
Book any tours or tickets that sell out.

1 week before

Check the weather for your destination and adjust the packing list.
Make a packing list. The free packing list generator builds one for the type of trip: beach, business, cold weather, international, with kids.
Refill any prescriptions so you have enough for the trip plus a few spare days. Your pharmacist can advise on carrying medicines abroad.
Download offline maps, boarding passes and booking confirmations.
Stop or redirect deliveries while you're away.

24 to 48 hours before

Online check-in

Most airlines open online check-in a day or two before departure. Checking in early often means a better choice of seats, and on busy flights it can matter. Each airline sets its own window, so check yours. A reminder for the moment check-in opens saves you remembering in the middle of a busy day. See the flight check-in reminder page for examples.

Final checks

Charge everything: phone, power bank, headphones, laptop
Pack the plug adapter
Put passport, cards, some local currency and boarding passes in one place
Check the airline's baggage allowance one more time

Leaving the house

The last hour before leaving is when things get forgotten. Run through a short list at the door:

Windows closed and locked
Taps off and the oven off
Thermostat or heating set to away mode
Plugs out on anything that doesn't need to stay on
Bins out or emptied, so nothing rots while you're gone
Fridge cleared of anything that will spoil
Plants watered or handed over to a neighbour
Keys left with someone you trust, if needed

Write this list once and reuse it every trip.

How to set it up with Mindie

Mindie keeps all of this in WhatsApp, which you already have open when you travel.

For documents, set reminders far ahead:

"My passport expires 3 May 2027. Remind me 9 months before to renew it"
"Remind me on 1 February to check if I need a travel authorisation for Canada"

For the trip itself, ask for a heads-up before the deadline:

"Flight to Lisbon on 12 December at 9:40am. Remind me when check-in opens 24 hours before"
"Remind me at 6:15am on 12 December to leave for the airport"

Keep your lists in the same chat:

"Save a list called leaving the house: windows, taps, oven, thermostat, bins, fridge, plants"

Send the list from the packing generator straight to Mindie, and tick things off by message as you pack. Screenshots work too: send the booking confirmation and turn the dates into reminders.

Reminders arrive in your timezone, so set them where you are, and if a delay pushes things back, reply "snooze 1 hour". If you've connected Google Calendar or Outlook, you can ask Mindie to add the flight as an event.

A note for frequent travellers

If you travel often, keep a standing travel note in one place with your passport expiry date, frequent flyer numbers and the airport parking you use. A "before every trip" reminder list saves rebuilding it each time.

For other dates that come round every few years, like passport, licence and insurance renewals, the post on keeping track of renewal dates has a full system.

Reminders worth setting

Passport renewal reminder: A reminder months before your passport expires, so renewal is done before you book.
Visa renewal reminder: Early heads-ups before a visa or permit runs out, with a nudge for each step.
Flight check-in reminder: A reminder when online check-in opens, and one to leave for the airport.
Prescription refill reminder: A nudge to refill before a trip, so you don't run short while away.

FAQ

How long before an international trip should I check my passport?

At least three to six months before you travel, and ideally when you first start planning. Many countries require several months of validity left on your passport, and renewals can take weeks.

When does online check-in open?

It depends on the airline. Many open between 24 and 48 hours before departure, but some open earlier. Check the airline's site or app for your flight.

What should I do at home before going on holiday?

Lock windows and doors, turn off taps and the oven, set the heating to away, clear perishable food from the fridge, take the bins out, and arrange for plants and pets. A written list helps so you don't rely on memory on the way out.