Preparing to go abroad includes a lot of organization and planning, making lists, securing important documents, making copies, and double checking everything. Ideally, you should make 3 copies of your passport, visas, and other important paperwork (birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc.). Keep one with you, one in an accessible but safe place (e.g. safe deposit box), and one that is with a trusted relative of friend that can give you the information if something were to happen to you or the other copies.
A checklist of other things to consider:
Before you leave, make sure all your bills are paid or have a means of being paid. If you are retaining a residence while abroad, make sure your rent/mortgage is taken care of and that utilities are being paid while you are away. Insure that important institutions, like your bank, are able to reach you.
Make a list of mailing addresses to change once you are relocated (e.g. banks, educational institutions). Remember to cancel any newspaper or magazine subscriptions. You might also consider forwarding your mail.
If you are retaining a bank in your home country, ask about fees for overseas transactions. If you have a credit card, find out if there are additional fees or any changes you need to make with your account. Inform your bank that you will abroad so as to not arouse suspicious activity on your account as anti-theft systems can put an inconvenient hold on your account.
It is best to inform tax offices of any change in residency. Some countries have reciprocal tax agreements, and others may require you to pay some form of taxes both in your home country and aboard. Most National Tax Administrations are an excellent resource for exactly what steps to take when moving away. For more information, refer to our section on taxes.
For example, UK nationals should refer to the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for details of managing their taxation payments and National Insurance contributions in the UK while living abroad.
Generally, there are no special vaccinations required for travel to Malta. Although yellow fever is not a disease risk in Malta, the government requires some travellers arriving from countries with a high risk of yellow fever transmission to present proof of yellow fever vaccination.
For concerns about your health when abroad, the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes International Travel and Health which is revised annually and is available free online. Another excellent resource is MD Travel Health. It provides free, complete travel-health recommendations for every country and is updated daily.
Update 26/05/2013
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