Before you leave

This is the part most agencies skip because it costs nothing to sell. It is also the part that turns a stressful first month into an ordinary one.

Documents to carry, not check in

Your passport, offer letter, visa or entry document, and the university's admission letter — as physical copies, in your hand luggage, not your checked bag.
Printed proof of funds, even if you already submitted it digitally. Border officials sometimes ask for it again.
Your accommodation confirmation and its address, written down somewhere that does not depend on your phone having signal.
Any vaccination or medical documents your destination or university requires.
Contact details for your university's international office and for someone at home, written on paper.

Arrange before you fly

Insurance that covers the whole period you will actually be there, not just the flight dates. Many countries require a minimum level of health cover to register on arrival.
Your first month of housing, confirmed in writing, even if it is temporary. Arriving with nowhere booked is the single most stressful way to start.
A way to access money on arrival: an international card that works in your destination, or a small amount of the local currency, since not every airport has a reliable exchange counter.
A local SIM or an international data plan, so you are not depending on airport wifi the moment you land.
Tell your bank you are travelling, so your card is not blocked the first time you use it abroad.

What to pack

Clothing for the actual season you arrive in, not the one you imagine — check the real weather for your destination and month, not a general idea of the country.
Adapters for the local plug type and voltage.
A modest supply of any prescription medication, in its original packaging, with a copy of the prescription — rules on bringing medication vary by country.
Copies of your documents stored separately from the originals, and a digital copy saved somewhere you can reach without your phone.

Your first week

Many countries require you to register your address with the local authorities within a set number of days of arrival. This is not universal and the deadline varies — check your destination's visa requirements before you land, not after.
Your university's orientation week exists to answer the questions you have not thought of yet. Go, even if it feels unnecessary.
Open a local bank account as soon as your university confirms you are enrolled — most require proof of enrolment first, so this is rarely a day-one task.
Find your university's international student office in person once, even if everything else happens online. It is the fastest way to get an actual answer later.

Meeting us in person

We meet students face to face in Tashkent, Dushanbe and Bishkek. Everywhere else, support is online — by consultation call, chat and email, not an invented local office. If you are travelling from one of those three cities, come in before you fly; the rest of this guide still applies wherever you are starting from.

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