Got an international house sit coming up? Congrats! House sitting abroad is an amazing way to explore the world while enjoying the wonderful company of pets. But wait! Before you pack your bags, it’s important to make sure you know how to prepare for an international house sit.
In this helpful blog post, we’ll run through everything you’ll need to consider before jetting off to your house sit abroad - from what documents to prepare to the lowdown on visas and immigration.
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Why do I need to prepare for my international trip?
We’re glad you asked. Well, sometimes house sitting can be categorized as work by border control officials. In these cases, some sitters have found entry challenging and some have even been refused entry to a country as a result. This happens rarely, but it does happen.
How to prepare for an international house sit
It’s time to prepare for your upcoming trip - hooray! Here’s some helpful and important advice for your upcoming international house sit:
1. Check your travel documents
This is an important, but easily forgotten step. It’s your responsibility to check the correct entry requirements for your visit. You'll need to be prepared to produce the following:
- A passport with sufficient validity to satisfy the rules of your host country
- Evidence of a return or onward travel ticket
- If your flight isn’t direct, take particular care to have your onward boarding passes printed if you’re transiting through an original country of entry
- Proof of funds for the duration of your trip
- The pet/house owner’s name, address and contact details
- Proof of the correct vaccinations/malaria medication for the country you’re visiting
- Covid-19 travel test evidence, if required
- Relevant visa well in advance of your trip, as you’ll also need to show proof of your status upon entry
- Documentation to prove any ties that you may have in your country of residence
- And double check the country’s entry requirements for anything else you might need to have ready
2. Visas and immigration
All counties have rules around how long you can stay on a tourist visa, and the frequency with which you can visit a country. Many countries require you to have a visa in advance of your travel. So, make sure to check the immigration rules for both your destination and the country you'll be departing from. This will show you are not breaching any immigration rules, or staying in the country for longer than intended.
Know the reason for your visit. When entering a new country, you’ll be asked the reason for your visit and the details of where you’ll be staying. Our platform is not for arranging house sitting as work; its purpose is to allow you to stay in homes in the company of pets during your holiday travels.
While the primary purpose of your visit is for tourism and to have an enriching travel experience, sometimes, house sitting can be categorized as work by border control officials. In these cases, some sitters have found entry challenging and some have even been refused entry to a country as a result. This happens rarely, but it does happen.
We’ve produced some letters with the help of our legal teams for our most popular house sitting destinations, which you can show to border control if needed. These are designed to help border control officials understand that we don’t regard the type of house sitting that we facilitate as work. However, it’s important to remember that these don’t guarantee entry.
3. Finally, leave plenty of time
You don’t need us to tell you how busy security queues at airports and stations can be!
Give yourself plenty of time so that you don't forget anything important, to avoid any unexpected queues and delays and to allow time for preparing for your sit handover.
Happy house sitting!
FAQs about house sitting abroad
our country’s government website should have all the information you need to know about travelling and house sitting abroad. If you’re in the UK, visit the UK’s government website section on foreign travel advice. If you’re in the US, visit the USA.gov website section about traveling outside of the US as an American.
Local house sits are those where you sit in an area that is nearby (or at the very least, in your home country). Local house sits are a great way to begin your house sitting journey.
International house sits, on the other hand, typically take place abroad. This is a great way to experience house sitting in a different kind of way, while getting to know a whole new location and culture.
As with all house sits on TrustedHousesitters, it is the sitter’s responsibility to arrange their own travel expenses to and from a sit.
You can find thousands of international house sitting opportunities right here, on TrustedHousesitters! Simply create your free account to explore house sits from both near and far and then when you’re ready, start your membership plan to start applying. Find out more about how to become a house sitter here.
While the primary purpose of your visit is for tourism and to have an enriching travel experience, sometimes, house sitting can be categorized as work by border officials. In these cases, some sitters have found entry challenging and some have even been refused entry to a country as a result. This happens rarely, but it does happen.
We’ve produced some letters with the help of our legal teams for our most popular house sitting destinations, which you can show to border control if needed. These can help border control officials understand that we don’t regard the type of house sitting that we facilitate as work, however, it’s important to remember that these don’t guarantee entry.
If you’re looking for more information about house sitting abroad, check out our blog post about house sitting abroad and what to consider.
Have a question? Your Membership Services team is here to help.
We hope our tips on house sitting abroad have left you feeling fully prepared and raring to go. However, if you have questions or if you need to reach us for help and advice, your Membership Services team is here to help - just get in touch.
