Travel day checklist — the 30-minute sweep before the airport

The morning-of-departure sweep. Every item is fast; the cost of skipping one is high. Goes hand-in-hand with /documents/check-before-flying.

Who this is for

Every seafarer flying to join a ship. Cadets in particular — first-trip nerves make checklist-running easy to skip.

Practical steps

1. 30 minutes before leaving home, run the full checklist.
2. Place all originals in hand luggage — never checked.
3. Charge the phone + power bank + plug adaptor for the destination.
4. Call the manning agent or the corporate hotline to confirm the flight booking is still active.
5. Confirm with one family member that they have the home-copy folder + the family emergency plan.
6. Drink water, eat something, leave early enough that traffic isn't a problem.

Checklist

• Passport in hand luggage.
• CDC / SIRB / SID in hand luggage.
• Visa / crew transit visa in hand luggage.
• Letter of guarantee printed in colour.
• Originals of medical, PEME, yellow card, STCW, CoC, signed SEA — all in hand luggage.
• Photocopies + phone photos of all above, accessible offline.
• Phone fully charged + power bank + plug adaptor.
• Agent's name + phone + WhatsApp + corporate address printed on paper.
• Family knows flight number, arrival time, hotel address.
• Cash + card + spare card on person.
• Embassy / consulate number for the joining country saved on phone.
• ISWAN + ITF inspector number saved on phone.
• Prescription medication + doctor's letter in hand luggage.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the checklist because 'I've done this trip before'.
• Phone on 30% battery with no power bank.
• Family not briefed on the flight.
• Originals in checked baggage 'to free up the carry-on'.

Last verified 14 days ago