Start Here Route
Money + Setup
Use this route to make the boring systems work before they become stressful: money access, phone service, documents, account recovery, and first-week admin.
Build a money access backup plan
Debit cards, backup cards, cash reserves, account access, and what to do if normal payment paths fail.
Start here 2Set up phone service for banking codes
Keep your U.S. number reachable, add local or travel data, and avoid breaking two-factor access.
Phone + 2FA 3Organize documents and recovery info
Keep essential records, contacts, and recovery details accessible without making them unsafe.
Documents 4Budget the first 90 days realistically
Deposits, temporary lodging, setup costs, health needs, and emergency cushions before life settles down.
Budget 5Avoid getting locked out of your money
Fraud alerts, two-factor authentication, replacement cards, phishing, and bank contact routes.
New 6Build a money-and-documents backup system
Tie payment access, passport copies, medical notes, phone recovery, and emergency contacts into one practical fallback plan.
New 7Put the setup pieces together
Use the broader setup checklist to connect banking, communication, paperwork, meds, and arrival routines.
ChecklistComing next: a first-week admin checklist after arriving abroad, tying together cards, cash, phone service, Wi-Fi, pharmacies, maps, groceries, and local transport.
Planning tool
Turn the money, documents, phone, and arrival steps into one checklist
The First 90 Days Abroad System gives you worksheets for the setup pieces that tend to fail together: cards, documents, phone access, housing checks, and first-week admin.