Emergency Information to Prepare Before Travelling

Before travelling, prepare a compact emergency record containing local emergency numbers, insurer assistance details, accommodation contacts, passport and policy references, essential medical information, a trusted contact at home and instructions for accessing secure document copies.

Record local emergency numbers

Find the police, ambulance and fire numbers for the destination and any route-specific emergency contacts. Do not assume every country uses 999 or 112. Add the nearest suitable medical facility only where it is useful, and confirm information against current official travel advice.

Know how to seek consular help

Record the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate and the FCDO emergency contact route. Understand the limits of consular assistance: it does not replace insurance, pay routine costs or guarantee release from local legal processes.

Keep insurer assistance details

Record the policy number, emergency medical-assistance number, claims contact and any pre-authorisation instruction. Make sure another traveller knows where these details are. Contact the assistance service promptly for serious medical incidents where safe and possible.

Prepare essential medical information

Create a concise list of allergies, important conditions, medicines, doses and emergency contacts. Carry prescriptions or medical letters where required. Translate only essential terms using a reliable method. Do not expose a full medical history unnecessarily.

Prepare for lost documents

Store passport details and a secure copy separately from the original. Know how to report a lost or stolen passport and how to apply for an emergency travel document if necessary. Keep recent suitable identity photographs only if they are genuinely useful and protected.

Create a trusted-contact plan

Give a trusted person the itinerary, accommodation contacts, insurer details and a copy of the emergency plan. Agree how and when you will check in. Avoid giving several people unrestricted access to complete identity and financial records.

Plan for a lost or unusable phone

Write down critical numbers, enable device-finding and account-recovery options, and know how to block payment cards and mobile service. Keep one alternative payment method separately. Do not store all authentication methods on the same device.

Know what to record after an incident

When safe, record the time, place, people involved, authorities contacted, reference numbers, treatment, expenses and communication. Preserve original documents and receipts. Do not place yourself at risk to take photographs or gather evidence.

Review the plan for each trip

Emergency needs differ for solo travel, children, older travellers, disability, pregnancy, remote areas and high-risk activities. Review the plan against the destination, itinerary and current FCDO advice rather than copying an old trip unchanged.

Turn scattered travel information into one usable plan

Keep the confirmed booking reference, traveller names, dates, local times, addresses, contact details and cancellation terms together. Record the source of each detail and distinguish confirmed arrangements from ideas or provisional holds.

Create a day-by-day view that includes realistic transfer time, check-in requirements and essential deadlines without filling every hour. Add the information needed when offline, such as accommodation addresses, transport references and emergency contacts.

Store copies of important documents securely and separately from the originals. Share an appropriate summary with a trusted person, but avoid exposing passport, payment or insurance information more widely than necessary.

Common travel-planning and evidence mistakes

Do not rely entirely on one email inbox, one device or a live internet connection. Do not assume a screenshot will update when a timetable, gate, policy or booking changes.

Avoid mixing local time and home time without labels. Check that names match travel documents and that each traveller has the correct booking, baggage, visa and insurance information for the journey.

After disruption, do not discard boarding passes, receipts, notices or original correspondence. Keep factual notes and avoid exaggerating losses or treating an unconfirmed entitlement as guaranteed.

Use checkpoints before and during the trip

Review the plan when booking, one month before departure where practical, several days before travel and again on the day. Confirm current official entry requirements, provider instructions and opening or check-in times from authoritative sources.

During the trip, record significant changes and expenses promptly. Photograph receipts where useful, preserve originals when required and note who gave any instruction or assurance.

After returning, close outstanding claims, refunds and complaints, then remove unnecessary sensitive copies in line with your retention needs. Keep a concise final record of what was resolved and what remains open.