The Emergency Kit Every Expat Needs but Most Skip
When Jennifer had a kidney stone attack at 2 AM in a small town in rural Mexico, she realized she had no idea where the nearest hospital was, did not speak enough Spanish to explain the emergency.
Picture this. It is 2 AM. You are doubled over in pain in a foreign bathroom. Your phone shows 4 percent battery. You do not speak the language. You cannot remember the emergency number for an ambulance here. The hospital might be 30 minutes away or three hours. You have no idea. Your head is spinning and you are alone. This is not a nightmare scenario. This is what actually happens to expats who did not prepare.
First, carry a medical information card in the local language. This sounds simple but it is life-saving. Write down your blood type, any allergies, medications you take with their generic names not brand names because brand names differ by country, and emergency contacts. Put this in your wallet, your phone case, and a small waterproof pouch in your day bag.
Second, research hospitals before you need one. Find the nearest international hospital or clinic with English-speaking staff. Save its address in offline maps on your phone. Save the local emergency number programmed into your contacts. In the EU it is 112. In the UK it is 999. But in Cambodia it is 119. In Japan it is 119 for ambulances and 110 for police.
Make three copies of every important document. Keep digital copies in a secure cloud folder that you can access from any device. Keep physical copies in different bags or locations. I keep one copy with me, one at my accommodation, and one with a trusted friend back home. Your passport, visa documents, insurance policy, and driver's license should all be backed up.
Always have at least $200 in local cash hidden somewhere separate from your wallet. In a natural disaster or civil unrest, ATMs might not work and card networks might go down. I keep a small amount of US dollars too because in many countries, dollars are accepted as backup currency during emergencies.
Do not skip travel insurance. I know someone who broke her leg in Colombia and the hospital wanted $8,000 upfront before treatment. Her travel insurance covered everything including medical evacuation to Bogota. That evacuation saved her from permanent damage. Another friend got dengue fever in Thailand, was hospitalized for a week, and her insurance covered the entire stay plus a medical repatriation flight.
You are not being paranoid. You are being prepared. Every experienced expat has a story about the time something went wrong and preparation made the difference. The person who knew where the hospital was got there 30 minutes faster. The person who had emergency cash did not have to sleep on the street. The person who had travel insurance did not go home with $30,000 in medical debt.