Going through borders typically is straightforward: show your visa, flash proof of onward travel, maybe give a local address, etc. However, with a family of 4 or 5, you're likely juggling loads of paperwork because you have copies for each person!
I've started using a WhatsApp Community and Subgroups to keep all our documents organized and easily accessible... this system stemmed from traveling with teens but is applicable for any traveler.
Note: Not traveling with a family? Skip the stories and jump ahead: Who Organizes Your Docs?
Parents & Our Youngest Adult-Sized Children at Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan 2023
I travel with two teens who often are asked to go through immigration and border control on their own. In the past we used to cross borders as a family of five… but as the children became adult-sized, we’ve routinely been asked to split up and go through borders individually.
In this past year we have had two minor separation issues at exit/entry immigration counters:
Separation Story 1 At the land border from Uzbekistan into Tajikistan my kids were quickly stamped through the Uzbekistan exit point following our friends… but my husband and I got stopped on the Uzbek side. Though the kids (and the UK friends) were not asked for their registration documents, both Lance & I were… and we only had 3 of the 4 registration documents that we needed, one for each apartment where we stayed.
It took a while to explain what happened and why the 4th rental didn’t have documentation for us (note: some people are never asked about the registration paperwork when departing so we didn’t push the last apartment to complete it for us). The agents were a bit perturbed about the whole situation and found someone to translate their annoyance into English for us.
Another friend crossing with us had the same issue. She ended up calling their 4th apartment for the paperwork and let the host talk to the border guards. That seemed to appease everyone. We apologized multiple times and eventually they decided there were no repercussions…
Once that was sorted, there was a second issue. The exit agents were confused about the visa requirements for US citizens traveling into Tajikistan (it’s visa on arrival for us, but that’s not the case for other nationalities). Another discussion ensued and eventually border control contacted the Tajik side to verify that we were allowed to proceed into Tajikistan visa-free. They actually seemed a little embarrassed and apologized to us for the hold up.
None of this was difficult, but it was a bit nerve-wracking and meant that my kids were in the no man’s land between borders waiting for us for 20-30 minutes.
Adult-Sized Children in Dushanbe Tajikistan 2024 (we made it!)
Separation Story 2:
We flew from Baku, Azerbaijan to Batumi, Georgia. At the Batumi immigration line we were happily chatting and without thinking about it, Salem walked up to the counter first, Kemaya was second, there was a short wait... then I was third, and Lance last.
Immigration was incredibly straightforward, actually no questions at all. Just a moment's wait for the passport to scan and the border agent to type a few things in the computer... then the ID photo and stamp.
When I got to the other side of the border, Salem was waiting, but no Kemaya! I had expected both of them to beat me. Ugh, I just sent up a prayer that she had all the proper paperwork she needed to enter the country.
About 30 seconds later Kemaya came waltzing through and I asked her what the holdup was... turns out the border agent loved looking at her stamps and was browsing her passport and saying "oooohh" and "aaaahhh" 🙃 A happy ending, thankfully.
Adult-Sized Children In Georgia (we made it!)
Both stories are the case of not being aware of our order when approaching immigration desks… sigh. However, even when we are paying careful attention at the borders and send one adult first, the children in the middle, and the other adult last, the kids still need to be responsible for all their documentation.
Depending on the country they may need any of these documents:
Valid visa paperwork
Proper registration forms
Local address
Dates of stay
Exit date and proof of onward travel
Boarding pass (at both counters: exit from Country A & entry to Country B)
Proof of health insurance*
Proof of funds for travel*
*Aside: Yes, you can be asked for these documents, too. Research ahead to check the requirements for your passport country, there often is a long list of items that may be requested at border control. They're not always requested, but there is always the chance.
*We’ve only been asked once for proof of health insurance and proof of funding... during 2020 when the UK did not want to allow people into the country that might create a burden on the NHS. Luckily we were entering as a family unit and they set the kids aside while they asked Lance & me questions about our travel intent and proof of funds and health insurance.
FYI my kids have digital access to their health insurance QR code. I have physical papers for our full policy and account balances if we’re ever asked (I don’t give those to the kids and I assume they can ask for me to join them at border control if they need to answer questions of this sort).
Who Organizes Your Docs?
For the person in your family who organizes all the travel documents, it is a pain to find all the copies and send them to each person the day prior to travel so they're not buried in some random family chat. I don't know why it took so long to dawn on me, but a WhatsApp Community is a super-efficient way to provide proper paperwork to each person as we book our travels.
The Community has an Announcements board and then as many subgroups as you want. I’ve started creating a subgroup for each country that we visit (or local grouping of countries if we’re moving through a related section for 2-3 months).
Sample Subgroups within our Travel Docs Community
Using the Community to Organize Travel Docs
In the Announcements board I put copies of information that is stable over time: pictures of our passports, a link to a google doc that has all our upcoming travel dates and stays, QR codes for our travel health insurance, and photos of paperwork granting my niece permission to travel with us in 2024/2025 (I have physical copies as well).
Then in each country (or country grouping) subgroup, I copy the information as we book it: entry plan (flight, bus, train, ferry), accommodation address & receipts, car rental paperwork, tickets for prebooked tours or shows, proof of exit (which may be transport receipt and a receipt for lodging in the next country), etc.
NOTE: See the carry-on and checked bag weight limits? It's super nice to have them handy. Just make a note when you book the flight so you're not doing a last minute web search... so smart!
Vietnam Visas & Flight from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan (as Exit Proof in the Kazakhstan Subgroup & Entry Docs for the Azerbaijan + Georgia Subgroup)
PS We often make two flight bookings to save money. One for the single person who will be in charge of the family's checked bag, and another for the three remaining family members with carry-on luggage only. It's usually cheaper to buy a packaged seat that includes 1 piece of checked luggage than to add the luggage to a carry-on only ticket... and no need to buy the packaged seats for everyone when we don't need the extra luggage.
Attaching Documents
To attach documents, you use the “plus sign” or the “paperclip” icon and select “document” from the list. Yes, you can use screenshots / photos which is generally fine for QR codes… but when you use the document button, you can share the entire file at a higher resolution.
While we’re in the country, I also upload anything pertinent to our stay such as nightly registration forms, neato things to do, foods to try while we’re there, etc. Depending on how quickly we’re traveling I sometimes share entry codes for the lockbox or accommodation door, WiFi passwords, addresses for future accommodation, Google map pins for our apartment, etc.
Sometimes we have multiple rentals while in the country / region and it would clutter the group with non-legally relevant information. If that’s the case, I choose to share these in our normal WhatsApp Family Chat.
I try to keep the Travel Docs Subgroups as clean as possible so the special information (train tickets, registration forms, visas, etc) is easily accessible.
Info to Share in the Country-Specific Subgroups: Local SIM Card Numbers, Ongoing Flights, Rental Instructions
Caveat🙂
This plan is brilliant -- everything we need for entry / exit is in one easy to find place. No one is scrambling at the last minute to find the one piece of paperwork they need. The only caveat is that each family member needs to download the documents at least once so they’re available locally on the phone. Do not rely on airport WiFi at the immigration counter. Sometimes we’re unable to hook up to WiFi at border control (occasionally the WiFi requires a local phone number in order to register to use it).
We’ve been using this system for 8-9 months now and I can’t believe how much time it saves me. Though there really isn’t any one right way to add information, I’ve found it’s best to do it as the info comes to you: the visa approval email, the bus ticket booking confirmation, etc. Otherwise you’re scrambling for it later on – but even if you like the last minute scramble, you can add the info to the country subgroup where all the members of your family can easily access it in one place.
Kuala Lumpur over Christmas 2023
Top 3 Travel Tips
Of all my travel tips, here are my three favorites:
Use a WhatsApp Community w/subgroups for organizing travel docs (or equivalent on Signal / Telegram)
Pack light
Carry a high quality lice comb: Terminator
Coming Soon: How to Sleep Well around the World! PS When I say "soon" I mean in the next 4-6 months 😉
Happy travels!
Are you worried about the security of these docs you've saved in Whatsapp? I know msgs are encrypted but still... Your pp info especially would be sensitive. What are your thoughts?