Visa in hand? Now for documents, tickets, luggage, plug adapters and your plan after arrival. A complete guide with a checklist for students going abroad to study for the first time.
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Once your visa is in hand, start preparing at least 4–6 weeks before you travel. Keep the originals of your passport, visa, ticket, offer letter and certificates in your hand luggage, with copies in your checked bag and online. Match the name on your ticket to your passport, allow enough time for transit and pack to the airline’s baggage policy. Take medicines with prescriptions, buy an adapter for your destination’s plug type, and arrange accommodation, airport transport and emergency contacts before you leave home.
Offer letter and visa in hand, now it is time to go to the country of your dreams. But on a first trip, forgetting one paper can leave you stuck at the airport.
Tick what is ready in the list below. Your progress is saved in this browser, so you can check things off over a few days.
All originals. Passport, visa and admission papers never go in checked luggage.
One set of photocopies, so you can manage even if your hand luggage is lost.
Scans in secure cloud storage or email. Leave a set with your family too.
Say your visa is in hand and classes start in six to eight weeks. Doing each task at the right time avoids pressure in the final week:
Weight and size limits differ between airlines, so the baggage policy that comes with your ticket is your real rule. Broadly, the split is:
Keep one practical sum in mind: most things can also be bought in the destination country. Excess baggage fees are often more than the item itself costs.
When buying a ticket, don’t look only at the price. Get answers to five questions:
Bangladesh uses 220 volts, and sockets are usually types C, D and G. Type your destination in the box below to see what you need:
| Country | Plug type | Voltage | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom UK | G | 230V | Adapter with three flat pins |
| United States USA | A, B | 120V | Adapter; a converter too for 220V-only devices |
| Canada Canada | A, B | 120V | Adapter; a converter too for 220V-only devices |
| Malaysia Malaysia | G | 240V | Adapter with three flat pins |
| South Korea Korea | C, F | 220V | Two-round-pin plugs usually work |
| Cyprus Cyprus | G | 230V | Adapter with three flat pins |
| Germany Germany | C, F | 230V | Two-round-pin plugs usually work |
| Most of Europe, including France, Italy and Sweden Europe | C, F (E in some places) | 230V | Two-round-pin plugs usually work |
If your charger says “100–240V”, it works in every country; you only need to match the plug shape. 220V-only devices such as hair dryers or rice cookers will not work properly in 120V countries.
For the first few days after arriving you will need both cash and a card for food, transport and a SIM. Bangladesh Bank changes the limit on how much foreign cash you can carry from time to time, so ask your own bank for the current rule and get the endorsement on your passport.
Activate a dual-currency or international card in advance and test it with a small transaction. Do not keep all your money in one place. Leave the contact details of the bank where you opened your student file with your family.
Want one last check of all your papers before you travel?
Our counsellor will check your offer letter, visa, ticket and accommodation papers for mismatches, free of charge.
Book free counsellingThe complete study abroad guideWhere you will stay, how you will get there from the airport and whom to call in an emergency: you need the answers to these three questions before you leave home.
Confirm accommodation for at least your first few weeks. Write down the numbers of the university’s international student office, your accommodation, people you know and the Bangladesh embassy or high commission, both on your phone and on paper.
999 or 112
911
999
Police 112, ambulance and fire 119
112
After you arrive, also save the campus security number from the university website.
Usually at least 3 hours before an international flight. On a first trip it is better to go a little earlier, but the airline’s instructions are final.
No. Lithium battery power banks are allowed only in hand luggage. Many airlines also limit their use during the flight.
Regular medicines are usually allowed in amounts for personal use, in original packs and with prescriptions. Some medicines are controlled in certain countries, so check the destination’s rules first.
Before leaving the airport, report it at the airline’s baggage service counter and get a reference number. That is when your luggage tag receipt is needed.
Let your family know, get online, check in to your accommodation and rest. Check your email for the university’s reporting and enrolment dates.
Free, one to one, in our Baridhara office or by phone.
Study abroad tipsপরিবারের ফান্ড ক্যালকুলেটর (টাকায়)স্পাউস ভিসার কাগজপত্রের চেকলিস্টভিসা প্রসেসের ধাপ ট্র্যাকারস্বামী বা স্ত্রীকে সাথে নিয়ে বিদেশে পড়তে চান? ২০২৬-এর নতুন নিয়ম মিলিয়ে কানাডা, নিউজিল্যান্ড, জার্মানি, ফিনল্যান্ড ও যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের স্পাউস ভিসা, কাজের অধিকার, বাড়তি টাকার হিসাব ও প্রসেসিং গাইড।
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Study abroad tipsস্টাডি গ্যাপ চেকারদেশভিত্তিক তুলনামূলক টেবিল২, ৫ বা ১০ বছরের স্টাডি গ্যাপ নিয়ে কোন দেশে ব্যাচেলর বা মাস্টার্স সম্ভব, ভিসা অফিসার কী দেখেন আর কোন প্রমাণে গ্যাপ শক্তি হয়ে ওঠে। গ্যাপ চেকার ও দেশভিত্তিক তুলনাসহ।
