Preparing for a six-month stay in Punjab

Six months is long enough that small oversights become real problems, and long enough to be worth doing properly. Work through this checklist a few weeks before flying.

• Check every passport and travel document expires well after your return date
• Confirm your re-entry rights for the country you live in (rules differ by status, so check the official source rather than a forum)
• Keep digital and paper copies of key documents in separate places

• Tell your bank you'll be overseas. A frozen card in the pind is a bad week
• Set up at least two ways to access money
• Check how your regular bills will be paid while away
• Understand what a six-month absence means for your tax year, and ask a professional if unsure

• Arrange enough medication plus a doctor's letter for customs
• Check what healthcare you can access in Punjab and what cover travels with you
• Know the re-enrolment rules for healthcare when you return

• Decide: empty, family, or tenant. Each has insurance implications
• Redirect or manage mail
• Pause or transfer subscriptions and utilities you won't use

• Agree with family what needs fixing or preparing before you arrive
• Plan the first fortnight, because appointments, festivals and family commitments fill fast
• Budget for the visit honestly: our calculator helps convert and plan