Pre-Departure Checklist for International Students: Your First 72 Hours

The first evening in a new country is easier when you already know where you will sleep, how you will get there and whom to call if the plan changes. Pre-departure preparation is more than packing. It is the work of making the journey, the first few days and the start of classes manageable.

This guide is for Nigerian and other international students preparing to leave home, with a practical arrival plan you can adapt to your destination.

How do you check that your academic and travel dates agree?

Check your course start date, orientation schedule, enrolment instructions and latest permitted arrival date with the university. Compare those with the travel dates allowed by your immigration permission. If anything conflicts, resolve it before booking around an assumption.

Read the university’s arrival guidance and identify the international-student support contact. EducationUSA’s pre-departure guidance is a useful starting resource for students heading to the United States; students travelling elsewhere should use their own institution’s destination-specific instructions.

Create a one-page arrival sheet with your destination address, booking reference, arrival time, transport plan and emergency contacts. Save it offline and keep a printed copy. A plan stored only in an email account is less useful when you have no signal or your phone battery is flat.

2. Verify accommodation and your route from the airport

Confirm the full address, check-in window, access instructions and a contact number that works outside normal hours if you arrive late. Ask what happens if your flight is delayed. For temporary accommodation, know when you must move out and how you will search for longer-term housing.

Verify a housing offer through the university’s accommodation service or another independently checked channel before transferring money. Read the agreement, deposit terms and included costs. A photograph and a messaging-app conversation are not enough to establish that someone can rent the property to you.

Plan the final part of the journey, not just the flight. Compare official airport transport information and any university pickup instructions. Decide on a backup if the last train has departed or a promised pickup does not arrive.

Travellers leaving Nigeria should allow for the journey to their departure airport as part of the same plan. An international ticket does not solve the earlier challenge of reaching the terminal on time with the correct bags and documents.

3. Keep essential documents accessible and protected

Check the destination’s entry guidance for the documents you may need to present. Depending on the route, that can include your passport, evidence of immigration permission, university documents and accommodation or funding information.

Keep necessary travel documents in your cabin bag rather than checked luggage. Store digital copies securely, with access that still works when you change SIM cards. Review account-recovery options before departure without sharing passwords or verification codes with other people.

• Passport and destination-specific travel evidence
• University offer, enrolment and arrival instructions
• Accommodation confirmation and contact details
• Travel and insurance records relevant to your journey
• Emergency contacts and an offline route to your accommodation

This is a planning list, not a substitute for the authority’s entry requirements. Check transit requirements too, particularly when a journey involves changing airports, collecting baggage or travelling on separate tickets.

4. Plan access to money, communication and necessary care

Arrange a legitimate way to pay for transport, food and accommodation on arrival. Confirm whether your payment cards work at the destination and understand charges and limits. Carrying every available fund as cash creates avoidable risk; also check applicable cash-declaration rules before travel.

For students funded from Nigeria, discuss the timing and method of future payments with the person supporting you. International students funded from other countries should make the same arrangements. Record what to do if a routine transfer is delayed.

Check phone compatibility, roaming costs and how you will obtain mobile service. Save essential contacts in a format you can access offline. Tell a trusted person when to expect your arrival message and what they should do if you are delayed.

If you use prescription medication or medical equipment, check the rules for the destination, transit countries and airline. Ask your clinician about the documentation you may need. The UK’s guidance on medicines in hand luggage is specific to UK airport rules; it should not be treated as permission to carry a medicine into every country.

5. Pack for the first week and the actual journey

Start with your airline’s baggage allowance for the ticket you bought. Check both cabin and checked-bag rules, including connections. Rules for batteries, liquids and restricted goods deserve a separate check rather than a guess based on your last trip.

Pack a change of clothes and essential personal items in your cabin bag in case checked luggage arrives later. Look up the expected weather for your arrival period and prioritise items that let you travel comfortably. You do not need to buy an entire new wardrobe before learning what daily life requires.

Check customs rules before packing food, plants or animal products. A familiar item from home may still be restricted at the destination. Follow declaration instructions and ask the relevant authority if you are uncertain.

6. Give the first 72 hours a simple structure

The schedule below is an example, not an institutional requirement. Adjust it around official appointments, your arrival time and your need for rest.

An adaptable first-72-hours plan

Period	Priority	Useful outcome
Arrival day	Reach verified accommodation, eat, rest and contact home	You are safely settled and someone knows you arrived
Next day	Read university messages and locate essential services	You know your next appointment and local route
Following day	Complete scheduled enrolment or orientation tasks	You know where to get academic and practical help

At check-in, document the room’s condition and report existing damage through the accommodation provider’s process. Keep receipts for important payments. If an arrival or registration instruction is unclear, contact the university promptly instead of waiting for another student to explain it.

7. Prepare for learning and daily life, not only travel

Before classes begin, find the library, academic-skills service and student-support team. Learn how your institution handles referencing, academic integrity, attendance and extensions. These expectations may differ from those at your previous school.

Build a manageable weekly routine for food, laundry, study and contact with home. Feeling unsettled does not mean you chose badly. If difficulties persist, use the university’s support services rather than trying to handle everything alone.

For help thinking through flights, accommodation and arrival logistics, explore Gallant Edu Travel’s travel-planning services. You can also revisit our document checklist and send an enquiry with your confirmed destination and intended travel period.

Prepared 7 October 2026. Confirm current airline, border, customs and university instructions before travelling. The arrival schedule is an illustrative planning tool.