UK uses cookies to make the site simpler. Find out more about cookies. We have created useful advice and information in this section to make sure your gap year is the best and safest it can be. Arriving in a foreign country is always exciting but it can be daunting.

Make sure you get comprehensive travel and medical insurance before setting off.

Gap year travel: what to put in if you plan to take a year out | Money | The Guardian

Shop around and make sure that your insurance is the right one for you. Your policy also needs to cover any medical costs, including an air ambulance.

How to make money on your Gap Year |

If you do not take out proper insurance, you will have to pay the costs of any emergency yourself, including expensive medical bills. Check the small print. Different countries have different penalties for people supplying or possessing drugs, and sometimes they can be really severe. Make a visit to your GP as soon as possible before you depart and find out what jabs you may need. Take any prescribed medicine with you and keep it to hand. You can get first aid kits to cover all eventualities and budgets.

If you decide to organise your trip with a gap year company, research the company thoroughly before committing yourself. Find out how long they have been operating and how many people they have taken abroad in the past. A flexible air ticket will ensure that you can come home or leave a country whenever you want without being restricted. You are at your most vulnerable when you first arrive in a foreign country.

Be aware of drugs - these have been used in incidents of rape, so keep your wits about you. For advice on how to stay safe if you are a lone woman traveller or a group of female travellers, check out our advice for women travellers page. Working while you travel is a great way to help finance your trip, allowing you to stay away for longer. If you are planning to earn a bit of extra cash abroad, make sure you have the correct work permits and visas.

15 Tips for Saving Money for Your Gap Year | Go Overseas

Also ensure you properly check out any potential employer before your interview and let friends or family know where you are going and who you are meeting.

Many gap year travellers want to make a contribution to a community abroad and volunteer for some or all of their time overseas. Voluntary work can be very rewarding although the same factors which can limit the value of gap years generally, such as language and cultural barriers, apply here too.

Volunteering projects require careful structuring, planning and support, and volunteers will get more benefit the longer the project and the closer it matches their skills.

Get a good guidebook and carry out work from home 30016 bit of research into your destination before you go, setting thinkorswim binary options indicators its laws, customs and language.

This will help you avoid offending people or breaking local laws however unwittingly. If you wish to travel abroad you need a passport, even for a day trip. Apply in good time. Some countries have an immigration requirement for a passport to remain valid for a minimum period usually at least 6 months beyond my forexpool date of entry to the country.

For more information visit FCO Travel. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. You can find more information in our guide about bringing food, animals or plants into the UK. Be aware of pickpockets who tend to operate in crowded areas and lock up your luggage with padlocks. Advice for all countries. All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3. Skip to main content.

Menu Departments Worldwide How government works Get involved Policies Publications Consultations Statistics Announcements. Home Help for British nationals overseas Advice for all countries. Guidance Gap year foreign travel advice. Advice for all countries Published: Contents Overview Insurance Staying healthy Gap year providers Working abroad Gap year local laws and customs Gap year money Stay in touch Visas and passports General gap year advice Stay up-to-date. Overview We have created useful advice and information in this section to make sure your gap year is the best and safest it can be.

Insurance Can you make money donating eggs sure you get comprehensive travel and medical insurance before setting off.

Keep earn money on your gap year paperwork, such as tickets, receipts, medical bills, police reports, etc, in case anything goes wrong if something goes wrong and you need to make an insurance claim, you should be aware that your insurance policy could be invalidated if you are deemed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol make sure you have the name of your insurance company and their hour international emergency telephone number.

If you go to an area which the FCO advises against travel to, make sure your travel insurance will be valid Staying healthy Make a visit to your GP as soon as possible before you depart and find out what jabs you may need.

Inhalers and other common prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines are banned in some countries if you need to take medication you should ensure that you have a note from your doctor and that the medicine is in its original packaging First aid kit This is vital. Book a flexible ticket A flexible air ticket will ensure that you can come home or leave a country whenever you want without being restricted.

Working diversification strategy starbucks Working while you travel is a great way to help finance your trip, allowing you to stay away for longer. Volunteer Many gap year travellers want to make a contribution to a community abroad and volunteer for some or all of their time overseas.

Gap year local laws and customs Get a good guidebook and carry out a bit of research into your destination before you go, including its laws, customs and language. This can make a huge difference to your trip and the reception you get and might help in an emergency reading up on local laws and customs and finding out a bit about the local culture can also prevent you from offending people or breaking local laws try to blend in to the local community - be conscious of any religious dress codes and dress accordingly.

Make sure you know about local laws and customs, especially those relating to alcohol and drugs.

Your guide book may also have the layout of the town or city you are visiting which can prove very useful! Be mindful of what you are photographing. The following tips should help you when thinking about cash on your gap travel: If you plan to get the bulk of your funds in this way, be sure to keep your cards safe take at least two cards, making one your emergency reserve and make sure you know the PIN numbers for both debit and credit cards - keep the emergency card somewhere safe.

Wear a secure money belt under clothing for your valuable documents and money work out your budget before you go.

Some pre-trip research will make it easier to work this out and try and stick to it. Leave these with a trusted friend or family member back home before you leave consider taking a roaming mobile so that you can contact people at home and they can reach you set up an email account such as Hotmail or Yahoo!

Also let them know when you plan to be back in touch make sure that at least one person in addition to yourself! Help us improve GOV. Services and information Benefits Births, deaths, marriages and care Business and self-employed Childcare and parenting Citizenship and living in the UK Crime, justice and the law Disabled people Driving and transport Education and learning Employing people Environment and countryside Housing and local services Money and tax Passports, travel and living abroad Visas and immigration Working, jobs and pensions.

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