Study Abroad Packing List
Here's a study abroad packing list to help ensure you don't forget anything important at home!
- Preparing to Study Abroad
Is your flight date approaching? Better get serious about packing! Every region will require different items to bring, and you can also buy many items once you get there. Below is our ultimate packing list, optimized for 6 months abroad regardless of location. Feel free to customize the list according to your own needs!
✔️ Do you want a checklist of all the essentials?
We've made a study abroad packing checklist for you!
🗺️ Travel Essentials
- Passport and a photocopy
- Student visa
- Local currency, if needed
- Credit cards with a travel notice
- Medical prescriptions with an original copy of the prescription
- Health insurance
- Vaccine pass or test certificate
- Student ID
- Driver's license
- Wallet
- Snacks for the journey
💡 Pro-tip
Leave a photocopy of your passport, visa, credit cards, insurance information, and licenses with someone you trust at home in case something gets lost or stolen.
🎒 Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories
Tops:
- 2-3 tank tops
- 4-5 short sleeve shirts
- 2-3 long sleeve shirts
- 1 light jacket
- 1 sweatshirt
- 2-3 sweaters (light and heavy)
- 1 rain jacket
Bottoms:
- 14 pairs of underwear
- 1-2 pairs of tights
- 4 pants, including jeans
- 1-2 shorts
Other Outfits:
- 2 pajamas
- 1 formal outfit
- 2 athletic outfits
- 1 swimsuit
Optional:
- 3 bras
- 2 sports bras
- 2-3 dresses
- 2 skirts
Shoes:
- 1 pair of athletic shoes
- 1 pair of comfortable walking shoes
- 1 pair of dressier shoes
- 1 pair sandals
- 12 pairs of socks
Accessories:
- Hat
- Purse
- Tote bag
- Backpack
- Umbrella
- Sunglasses
- Reusable water bottle
- Jewelry
Location Dependent:
- Cold:
- 1 heavier jacket
- 1 scarf
- 1 pair gloves
- 1 pair of boots
- Warm:
- 1 pair flip-flops
🧼 Toiletries
Bathroom supplies take up a lot of space in a suitcase, so only bring small travel sizes to last you a week or two until you can buy new stuff in your destination country. Here's a list of what you should bring with you and what you should buy when you get there:
Bring from home:
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste (travel size)
- Sunscreen (travel size)
- Eyeglasses and contacts
- Contact solution (travel size)
- Hairbrush
- A few hair ties and clips
- Tweezers
Bring if you need a specific brand:
- Deodorant or antiperspirant
- Makeup
- Skincare items
- Menstrual and sanitary items
Buy there:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body wash
- Lotion
- Laundry detergent
- Toothpaste
- Sunscreen
- Contact solution
- Bandages
- Hand sanitizer
- Razors
- Nail care
- Bug spray
🔌 Tech
- Laptop or tablet and charger
- Phone and charger
- Power adapter or converter
- Cloud access or flash drive
- Headphones
- Power bank or portable phone charger
- Camera and charger
- USB cable
Conclusion
With this study abroad packing list, you'll cover all the basic needs and be well-prepared. Remember that even if you might forget something as you're organizing your trip abroad, you'll likely be able to find something similar once you arrive! You may even find some new favorites of international brands to bring back with you.
So focus on the essentials and personal items that will make your transition period smoother.
Read more:
Tetiana Sokolova
Author
With a Bachelor's degree in System Analysis and Applied Statistics, Tetiana brings a strong analytical foundation to her role as a Content Editor at Keystone Education Group. She is dedicated to researching, producing, and refining content to support students worldwide in their education journey, applying her technical expertise and analytical skills to ensure accuracy and relevance.
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