What to prepare for an international house sit

Got an international house sit coming up? Great - TrustedHousesitters’ international house sits are a great way to explore the world, with the company of pets. 

Before you secure your international house sit, it’s important to make sure you know how to prepare for an international house sit.

To make sure you’re ready for your international house sitting adventure, stick with us as we run through everything you’ll need to consider, including information on relevant documents, visas and immigration.

What to prepare for your international house sit

Sometimes house sitting can be categorized as work by border control officials. In these cases, some sitters embarking on TrustedHousesitters worldwide sits have found entry challenging. In very rare cases, some have even been refused entry to a country as a result.

That’s why it’s vital you’re prepared for your international house sit, so explore below for a quick-fire list, and scroll below for more detailed information.

• Travel documents. Passport with sufficient validity, evidence of onward flight, proof of funds, the home owner’s name and address, relevant visa, proof of relevant vaccinations, any documentation specified by the country.
• Reason for visit. TrustedHousesitters is not for arranging house sits as a form of work - international or local. Rather, the platform allows you to arrange a place to stay in the company of pets during your vacations.
• Vet details and emergency contact. Ensure you’ve got the details you’ll need from the pet owners, should an emergency situation arise during your sit.
• Get clued-up on the pet. Ensure you know about the pet’s medication, plus their daily feeding, exercise and training routine.
• House rules. Ensure the pet owners have given you details on house rules, and where the pets are allowed.
• Reimbursements. Agree an action plan with pet parents on how you’ll be reimbursed if you need to cover any pet care costs during the sit.

For more information on what you’ll need to prepare for any house sit - international or local - explore our ultimate house sitter checklist.

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, whether you're on a TrustedHousesitters international house sit or not.

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!

Useful resources

• 25 tips for landing an international house sit
• House sitting packing list: what to pack for a house sit
• The ultimate house sitter checklist
• 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.