Traveling is, of course, one of the greatest joys of life. Getting out and seeing the world allows you to expand your horizons by meeting new people, absorbing the foreign culture, and presenting opportunities. But for all its excellent benefits, traveling can quickly turn from a dream to a nightmare. Many things can go wrong before, during, and following your arrival at an airport for domestic and international travel, so you should stay vigilant throughout the process.
Airport operations are substantially controlled these days, even more so since the global pandemic began. But alongside Covid-19 restrictions, various other conditions will prevent you from entering a country and land you in legal hot water. Drugs and ill-prepared legal documentation are two things you need to be aware of.
Stay Away from Illicit Substances
No one is suggesting that you are a drug user, but you can come into contact with drugs in a variety of ways. For example, you might visit a friend who smokes cannabis, or you can get cocaine on your clothing from a nightclub. Frighteningly, someone could even try to smuggle drugs in your luggage without you knowing it – that actually happens. Therefore, you need to stay vigilant because airport drug detection is exceptionally efficient, and you may not be able to defend yourself.
If the airport drugs detectors or K9s detect something on you, you will face long delays at security. Even if you stow some herbals in a doob tube, as they need to figure out precisely what it is. And they won’t just take your word for it. The machines used are extremely sensitive and can detect illegal drugs if you have been in proximity to them without knowing it. So the best advice is to take a shower, change into fresh clothes before you leave your home and only take prescription medication with you, and proof of prescription.
Prepare Your Legal Documents
This might sound like a no-brainer, but you need all the necessary documents to enter another country. Your passport is the most obvious, but you might need additional documentation depending on your reasons for visiting. Documents such as work, spouse, and business Visas are required for many countries, even if studying abroad. While you can’t be jailed for not holding required documents, you can be deported and barred from entering that country for a long time.
The past two years have also seen the Covid-19 pandemic sweep the world. As a consequence, some nations and airlines have reacted by requiring additional documents for entry. Documents might include proof of a recent negative test or the controversial “Covid passports.” Covid passports were snubbed initially, but the spread of the Delta Variant has spurred their implementation. Europe was open to them initially, but the UK has also recently adopted their use.
In summary, traveling is not as simple as it should be, especially international travel. One of the primary concerns is security issues at airports, where sensitive machinery can detect all kinds of illegal drugs on a microscopic level. Therefore, you should stay away from drugs and change into fresh clothing in case you have unintentionally come into contact with something.
You should also prepare your travel documents accordingly. Not all, but most countries require Visas for almost every type of visit, and inadequate documentation can get you banned from entering those nations. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic means that some countries now require proof of negative tests and/or vaccination upon the threat of refusal of entry.
