This material was originally written for employees and family members assigned to an American Embassy or Consulate abroad, but most of it is practical advice that would be useful to anyone living outside of their own country.
Before boing overseas, make a list of the following and leave with a trusted contact at home:
- Passport numbers and dates of issue
- Bank account numbers
- Credit card numbers
- Insurance policy numbers
- Car registration, serial, and license numbers
- U.S. driver’s license numbers
- Social Security numbers (including children’s)
- Current prescriptions, including eyeglasses
- Contents and location of safe deposit box(es)
- Assets and debts
- Names and addresses of business and professional contacts
Put the following into your safe deposit (making copies of the items if you will need them at post, and get one if you don't already have one):
- Copy of will(s). Do not put original of will in safe depository. Originals should be left with lawyer or executor.
- Power of attorney (one of the originals)
- Birth and marriage certificates
- Naturalization papers
- Deeds
- Mortgages
- Stocks (or leave with broker in case you want to sell)
- Bonds (or leave with broker in case you want to sell)
- Insurance papers - life, car, house, medical, and household effects (HHE)
- Current household and personal effects inventory
In addition, do the following:
- Execute a current power of attorney
- Make sure your wills are up to date, too
- Consider getting an ATM (automatic teller machine) card for your bank account that can be used all over the country. Make sure both spouses know the PIN (personal identification number).
- Put checkbooks, bankbooks, credit cards, some travelers checks, and a small amount of cash in a safe (but easily accessible) place.
- Keep a list of regular billing dates for all recurring expenses -- insurance, mortgages, and taxes. See the sheet I used to track this
- Be certain your emergency contact person is capable of dealing with an emergency. Make duplicates of all personal address lists.
- Discuss with your immediate and extended family what to do in case of an emergency.
- Give them the emergency telephone numbers for your agency.
- If you have children you're leaving at home, choose a surrogate parent and supply that person with a current power of attorney for medical or other emergencies in the event you need them to care for your children unexpectedly.
- Keep immunizations up to date and recorded in your yellow shot card.
- Plan for pets.
- Learn some of the local language to help you in an emergency.
In the local language, write your personal information, emergency contacts, and essential telephone numbers and put this in your wallet to carry with you at all times. - Learn the location of the closest hospital, police station, and friendly embassy in the regions where you will be staying.
- (The rest of this document is geared toward emergency evacuation for people residing in the country, so I didn't include it).
Fellow mommy blogger Jennifer M (thank you!) also recommended that you create a document that is in both English and Russian with the following information:
- your name
- your in-country contact's name, address, and phone number
- contact info for your state side coordinator and your travel agent
- Kaz travel insurance (not the private stuff obviously, but just contact info)
- your airline phone number for the Almaty office, your layover city, and the states
- basically any other pertinant contact info you think is important.
Make a copy for each piece of luggage and have each paper laminated (I didn't do that part and was just fine). Right before you zip up your bags, stick your sheet in right at the top of each bag. Not only will you have all your contact information very handy, but if a bag gets lost, the finder will be able to get in touch with your in-country people.
1 comment:
Thanks so much for the invite--this is a great blog and will be very helpfull to all that view it.
YOu are so organized!!
Mary
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