Administrative matters for your travel
In this article
Admin – the enemy
Let’s be honest, administrative tasks can often range from being an annoyance to the bane of one’s existence.
We love the notion of freedom associated with travel, however when you’re visiting somebody else’s land, you have to play on their terms.
Depending on the purpose of your travel, duration, and what passport(s) you hold, this may or may not be trivial to resolve.
Some of the ideas below to tackle the administrative tasks of travel apply to all travel.
The good news is (and we need a silver lining here) – visas don’t come into play for domestic travel.
Visas and customs
For the purposes of this article, we are going to make an assumption about your plan, that what you’ll be doing is considered acceptable on a tourist visa.
Taking photos (or video) are considered normal activities these days, arguably almost obligatory!
Even expensive equipment should not cause immigration / customs officers to bat an eyelid.
However, there are a few things to consider to in avoiding delays / disappoints / confiscations.
Visa vs visa-waiver
As a rule, check in advance to see whether you require a visa or visa-waiver in advance to visit a country.
The situation changes fairly fluidly, and what was once a simplistic visa / visa-waiver on arrival now requires a little forward planning.
A good place to start is the website of the embassy of the country that you’re visiting.
Also have a look at the Wiki page on travel visas (note: this doesn’t replace proper consular / legal advice).
Many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, operate visa-waver programs that require advanced registration.
The registration process typically asks for a nominal fee and a small amount of information submitted in advance of your flight.
This means that you can avoid going through the hassle of acquiring a tourist visa for these countries.
The duration of validity of these visa-waivers will vary by country.
Tip
Make sure you have at least six months validity left in your passport for the dates that you travel.
The actual requirement for some countries can be less than six months.
However, following this tip gives you a margin of time and avoids complications.
Tourism vs working
Tourism means that you will not be working, in particular, not taking up a job that a local could be performing.
If you are being hired to shoot an event or take portraits, this may constitute work ( and therefore fall outside of the scope of a tourist visa).
The likelihood of you being tripped up by this varies from country to country.
It could mean that you would need to get a simple business visa instead.
Many countries have basic business visas that are as obtainable as tourist visas, and typically cover activities such as attending conferences, meetings with local offices, etc.
If in doubt, consult the embassy of the country that you are visiting.
Customs declarations
If you have lots of shiny camera equipment in your bags, this does increase the probability of extra questions if you are stopped by customs.
If you are on holiday, need to explain that you’re taking photos as a hobby.
Explain that you will be returning home, and be prepared to show your return flight booking.
They may also require you to “bond” your equipment by filling out a customs form, and declare that you’ll be taking the equipment home at the end of your stay.
There is no harm in doing this as you intend to leave with all of your stuff anyway.
A specific note about drones
Some countries outright ban the use of drones for security and / or privacy reasons.
A few countries go further and will confiscate drones that are detected (baggage scans) upon entry to the country.
This usually means that you collect the drone when you depart.
Don’t get caught out in having to leave your expensive toy in the hands of others by planning in advance.
As a cautionary tale, India will confiscate your drone if detected on entry (all bags are scanned during customs), and you won’t be getting it back.
Travel insurance
Nobody thinks that they need travel insurance until they do.
There are a variety of types of coverage out there.
Make sure to pay close attention to the following items, as they are more relevant to travel photographers.
Stolen / lost equipment cost
It is unlikely that you’ll be able to get coverage for all of your equipment with a standard travel policy.
You can consider taking the risk, approach the insurer for custom coverage, or seek out specific professional insurance for photographers.
Or just leave some of the equipment at home – travel light for once!
Trip duration
Most policies have a limit on the number of days per trip, ranging from 30, 45, or even up to 90 days.
Search online for insurance that is aimed at “nomads” or “digital nomads” if you are planning on taking a longer trip than this.
Location coverage
Make sure that your travel insurance covers all countries that you are visiting, even those that you are only transiting through.
For example, even if you are not planning on visiting the United States but happen to be transiting through, you will have to technically enter the country.
This has an implication on both arranging a visa (or ESTA visa waiver if eligible) for the US, as well as potential insurance coverage.
Altitude
Check your insurance policy terms to determine the maximum altitude you will be covered for.
Usually standard travel insurance will specifically exclude anything that could remotely be construed as mountain climbing.
This extends to higher than usual altitude, potentially even activities above 4,000m.
As an example, if your intent is to visit Everest Base Camp to get some amazing photos as part of your Nepal trip, check your insurance coverage.
Medical costs coverage
This could go without saying, however medical care is expensive everywhere.
When it’s an emergency, these costs quickly escalate.
Firstly there is the immediate hospitalisation costs.
And even if these aren’t overbearing, you could sadly end up with a long rehabilitation process which could financially wipe you out.
If required, a medical evacuation back to your home country will become an expensive proposition very quickly.
Medical evacuation includes airfares in a premium travel class, particularly where extra space is required.
You won’t be alone – you will most likely have accompanying medical staff sitting next to you in that premium travel class, at your cost.
And lastly, you will have private transport (often ambulances) getting you to and from airports.
All in, a serious medical emergency in a foreign country can bankrupt all but the most savvy billionaire traveller.
Vaccinations
Many travel destinations in the world that have increased risk of infectious diseases.
Included in this higher risk disease group is the usual range of concerns, from the likes of cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis, all which can be vaccinated against.
Some Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) can also be immunised against.
Some vaccinations can be a multi-stage process, such as Hepatitis A or B.
This means planning your vaccination regime well in advance of travel, potentially up to six months ahead.
Consult your doctor for further information.
Medication and supplements
As we get older, or sick / injured, medication simply becomes a facet of daily life.
Thrown into this mix can be a combination of supplements that we’ve incorporated into our diet in an effort to maintain peak physical health.
Here are some things to bear in mind when travelling with medication.
Prescription medication
The level of control over drugs will vary from country to country, sometimes even between territories of the same country.
As an example, if you are taking medication that helps with pain management, this needs to be clearly labelled with your name.
Also ensure that you are carrying an amount that is appropriate for personal consumption only.
If in doubt, consult your doctor for further information.
It is also a very good idea to carry the prescription with you as further proof of your eligibility to take the drug(s).
Carrying your medication
Using a pill box can reduce the amount of space required for medication, as well as help you keep track of what day it is when on holiday!
Tip
Make sure that you carry several days’ worth of essential medication in your carry-on bag when flying, if not all of it.
This should cover you in case of delay or being stranded somewhere at very least.
Altitude sickness
Medication used to combat altitude sickness, such as Diamox, are often restricted from sale over the counter at a pharmacy.
Make sure that you allow sufficient time to obtain a prescription and get that prescription filled before your travel.
Pill form vs liquid form medication
If you use medication and / or supplements in a liquid form, investigate whether it is possible to switch to a pill or powder form.
This reduces weight, and enables you to easily carrying it in your carry-on baggage for a flight.
It also reduces the risk of a mess in your bag of a liquid container breaking during transit.
Copies of travel documents / key information
Having your key travel documents and bookings readily available isn’t always as straightforward as pulling out your smartphone.
The dreaded flat phone battery can mean all the difference.
Avoid having to explain to increasingly exasperated airport security staff that you do indeed have a plane ticket to fly home in an hour!
If you are travelling with multiple electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, aim to have your key documents saved on each of the devices where possible.
If you’re travelling as light as possible, then paper printouts don’t weigh much, pack down into compact size and can be discarded when no longer needed.
Having physical printouts can also be helpful in specific situations, in addition to the above nightmare scenario:
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The printout of the hotel booking can easily be handed to a taxi driver or hotel clerk without fear of them somehow running off with your phone.
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Asking for directions of others, when you don’t speak the language of the destination, is much easier when you have a printout of the address in the local language / on a map.
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In case you delete the email with your booking!
The documents that makes the most sense to have secure (encrypted) electronic copies of include the items below:
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Photo page of your passport
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Driver license
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Credit card (and CVV number) – this allows you to make online bookings even if you can’t find the card
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Visas
Using a password management system such as LastPass or 1Password safely encrypts your data to minimise the chance of it being stolen by hackers.
Make sure that you’ve retained electronic copies of the following, either by saving the original files (e.g. PDF / email) or emailing the data to yourself:
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Flights
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Hotel bookings
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Key activity bookings
Photography permits
In order to take photographs in certain locations, you may require advance permission.
This is particularly true if you plan to take photos in some parks, or inside some buildings, museums, or monuments.
If your photos are going to be used for private purposes, there typically doesn’t tend to be any restriction.
However, if you plan on selling the photos, even as Editorial images, you may require permission.
Many places can even impose restrictions on your ability to share any photos on social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc).
Realistically though, the chances of you getting into trouble are pretty minimal unless you’re a huge social media star.
At worst, the venue management could issue you with a “take down” notice to remove the offending image(s), which isn’t the end of the world.
Like most other matters covered in this article, start things as early as possible.
The sooner that you start the process for arranging permission, the greater the chances of successfully having the right permits for when you arrive.
Tip
Sometimes the mere act of having to get permission to photograph something will have an unexpected bonus.
It will likely be your opportunity to visit a place that few other tourists get to see.
As the permit becomes a “barrier to entry”, it deters all but the most committed.
Therefore, you can count yourself amongst the few that have made the effort and therefore enjoy the spoils!
Key takeaways
Avoid the administrative elements of travel at your peril.
Often deeply unsexy, having all of the documents, bookings, permits, etc will actually make for a much smoother experience.
Plan in advance wherever possible, as administrative matters often take much longer than expected.
Visas, travel insurance, permits, vaccinations, documentation all become easier to handle if you break the tasks down to small chunks.
The work can be leveraged for future trips (such as insurance) as quite often these tasks need to be completed only once.
