The weeks before a move to a new market go quickly. Between castings at home, packing, and saying goodbye, it is easy to arrive without something essential: a working bank card, a confirmed address, or the number of the person collecting you.
This checklist walks you through the practical preparation in a sensible order, starting about a month before departure. Work through it once, then reuse it for every future trip so nothing depends on memory.
- Copies of your key documents should exist in at least two places that are not your bag.
- Your first weeks may bring costs before income, so you need a funded buffer you can reach from abroad.
- A written arrival plan removes most of the stress of landing somewhere new.
- Healthcare preparation includes medication supply, prescriptions, and knowing where to get care.
- A contingency plan decided calmly at home works better than one invented under pressure.
Step by step: your before-you-go checklist
01Gather and protect your documents
Check that your passport is valid well beyond your planned stay, since many countries require a minimum period of validity on entry. Collect your visa or permit, agency letters, insurance certificate, and any vaccination records the destination requires.
Scan everything into a secure cloud folder and email copies to a trusted person at home. Carry printed copies separately from originals so a lost bag does not leave you with nothing. Note your passport number and issue date somewhere easy to find, which speeds up any emergency replacement at a consulate.
02Prepare your money for the first month
Estimate food, transport, phone, and personal costs for four weeks, then add a margin. Even with advances, you may face expenses before your first payment arrives, and clients in some markets pay weeks or months after a job.
Tell your bank about your travel dates, check foreign transaction fees, and carry two different cards stored in different places. Keep a small amount of local currency for your first taxi or meal. Track spending from day one in a simple note or app, so you notice early if your budget is slipping.
03Confirm your accommodation details
Get the full address, the name and number of whoever holds the keys, and your check-in time in writing. Ask what is supplied, such as bedding, towels, kitchen equipment, and Wi-Fi, so you know what to pack.
Look up the address on a map and check the nearest station or bus stop. If you land late at night, confirm someone can let you in at that hour.
04Build your contact list
Save every number you might need: your local booker, your mother agent, the apartment contact, and a trusted person at home. Add the local emergency number and your embassy or consulate.
Write the most important numbers on paper too. A dead phone in an unfamiliar city is far less frightening when you can borrow someone else's and still reach the people who matter.
05Plan how you will get around
Decide exactly how you will travel from the airport to your accommodation, and know the approximate fare. Use official taxi ranks, licensed services, or arranged pickups rather than accepting offers inside the terminal, and share your ride details with a contact.
Download the local transport app and an offline map before you leave. Find out whether the city uses travel cards or contactless payment, and how long typical trips to castings take at rush hour. Allow extra travel time in your first week while you learn the routes.
06Set up phone and data
Check whether your phone is unlocked so it can accept a local SIM or eSIM. Compare roaming charges with local plans, as a busy casting schedule uses plenty of maps and messaging.
Turn on two-factor backup options that do not depend only on your home number. Otherwise, swapping SIMs can lock you out of banking and email.
07Prepare your healthcare
Bring enough regular medication for your stay, in original packaging, with a copy of the prescription. Some medicines are restricted in certain countries, so check the destination's official guidance before you travel.
Locate a pharmacy and clinic near your accommodation and save your insurer's emergency assistance number. If you see a doctor or dentist regularly, book a check-up before departure. Pack a small first-aid kit with plasters, pain relief, and blister care for long casting days.
08Confirm bookings and plan for the unexpected
Ask the local agency for your first appointments, any options or confirmed jobs, and what to bring on day one, such as comp cards and a printed portfolio. Update your digitals before you go if your look has changed.
Then decide your contingency plan: who you call if the pickup fails, where you stay if housing falls through, and how you would fund a flight home. Write it down and share it with someone you trust, along with your flight details and arrival time.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Packing every copy of your documents in the same bag as the originals.
- Arriving with only one bank card, which may be blocked, stolen, or simply lost.
- Accepting unofficial rides from strangers offering help at the airport.
- Assuming your home medication is legal everywhere without checking first.
- Leaving contingency planning until after something has already gone wrong.
- Scan your passport, visa, and insurance documents to secure storage.
- Budget four weeks of living costs plus a safety margin.
- Get your accommodation address and key contact in writing.
- Save essential numbers on your phone and on paper.
- Download offline maps and the local transport app.
- Pack enough medication with prescriptions in original packaging.
- Write and share your contingency plan before you fly.
Preparation will not make a new city feel familiar overnight, but it lets you spend your first days focused on castings instead of logistics. Keep this list, add your own lessons after each trip, and every move will get a little easier.