Packing list for Indian students going abroad (2026)
Keep every original document, your medicines with prescriptions, laptop, phone and a change of clothes in your cabin bag. Fill check-in bags with clothes, a small kitchen kit and a few weeks of familiar food that your destination allows. Check your airline’s baggage page and the destination’s customs rules before you pack, and photograph each bag before you leave.
Before you pack: three things to check
- Your airline’s baggage allowance. It depends on the airline, the route and your fare type — how many check-in bags, the weight per bag, and the cabin bag size. Some fares for students include an extra bag or extra weight. Read it on the airline’s own website for your booking, not on a forum, and weigh your bags at home.
- What your destination allows in. Food, seeds, spices, ghee and pickles are where most students get stopped. Every country publishes its rules: for example the USA (CBP), the UK (gov.uk) and Australia (Border Force). When in doubt, declare it.
- What you can buy cheaply there. Bedding, toiletries, stationery and most kitchen basics are easy to buy after you land. Space in your bags is better spent on what is hard to find abroad — your medicines, a pressure cooker if you cook Indian food, and clothes that fit.
Cabin bag: never let these out of your hands
If your check-in bag is delayed or lost, everything you need for the first week must be with you. Keep a single folder for documents so you never search through three bags at immigration.
- Passport, with visa or study permit pages
- Admission letter (I-20, CAS, LOA or equivalent) and any fee receipts
- Financial documents, scholarship letters and education loan papers
- Mark sheets, degree certificates and transcripts (originals, plus photocopies in check-in)
- Vaccination records and health insurance policy
- A printed copy of your accommodation booking and the address in the local language if needed
- Prescription medicines for at least the first month, in original strips, with the doctor’s prescription
- Laptop, phone, chargers, power bank (power banks are not allowed in check-in bags on most airlines)
- One plug adapter and a small extension board
- One set of clothes, a jacket if you land in winter, and basic toiletries in small bottles
- Some local currency or a working forex card, and a card for emergencies
- Spectacles or lenses, and a spare pair
Check-in bag 1: clothes
Pack for the season you land in plus the next one; buy the rest when you know what students there actually wear.
- Everyday clothes for 10–14 days: T-shirts, jeans, trousers, innerwear, socks
- Two or three formal outfits for presentations, interviews and internships
- One or two Indian outfits for Diwali, Holi and cultural events
- Thermal innerwear and a warm jacket if you land in autumn or winter (heavy coats are often better bought there)
- Comfortable walking shoes, one formal pair, slippers or flip-flops
- Towels (two), a light blanket or shawl for the first nights
- A small sewing kit and spare buttons
Check-in bag 2: kitchen, food and home
- A small pressure cooker, a tawa or non-stick pan, a few steel tiffins and spoons
- Spice box (masala dabba) with sealed, labelled packets — only what the destination allows
- Ready-to-eat packets and instant mixes for the first weeks, sealed and in original packing
- Tea, coffee and your favourite snacks, sealed
- A few photos, a small diya or puja item if you want one
- Photocopies of all documents, in a separate envelope from the originals
Food rules differ widely by country, and fines for undeclared food can be heavy. Keep food in sealed, labelled packets and declare it on arrival if the form asks.
A bag-by-bag split that works
| Bag | What goes in it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin bag | Documents folder, medicines, electronics, one change of clothes | You can survive a week if every other bag is lost |
| Personal item (backpack) | Laptop, chargers, power bank, snacks, water bottle (empty through security) | Quick to reach at security and on the plane |
| Check-in 1 | Clothes and shoes | Heavy but soft; protects the second bag’s items |
| Check-in 2 | Kitchen, food, towels, photocopies | Everything you can replace if this bag is delayed |
Know what is in each bag
Four bags packed over a week by you and your parents is how a charger ends up in the wrong suitcase. Before you close each bag, lay the contents out or open the bag and take one photo. In WhatsWhere, each bag is a box: the photo becomes a list of what the AI can see, and later you can ask “which bag has the adapter?” and see the photo. If an airline asks what was in a delayed bag, the dated photos are evidence to support your claim.
The week before you fly
- Weigh each bag on a home scale; leave 1–2 kg spare for things you buy at the last minute.
- Put a name and phone number inside every bag as well as on the tag.
- Photograph each bag open, then closed, and note which is which.
- Scan or photograph every document and keep copies in your email and phone.
- Tell your bank you are travelling, and set up international roaming or an eSIM for arrival.
- Share your flight details and accommodation address with family.
The first week after you land
- Get a local SIM and open a bank account (bring the documents folder)
- Register with the university and the local police or immigration office if required
- Buy bedding, a winter coat if needed, and groceries
- Find the nearest pharmacy and register with the student health service
- Unpack one bag at a time and put things in one place so you can find them later
Photograph each bag before you fly
WhatsWhere turns a photo of each open bag into a list of what is inside. Ask “which bag has the adapter?” after you land, share the lists with your parents, and keep the dated photos in your own Google Drive.