Planning Tools: Emergency Contact Sheet

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Emergency Contact Sheet

Jani’s “Just In Case” List
☐ Emergency contacts back home, written down (not just saved in a phone that can die, get lost, or get stolen)
☐ Medical info for every traveler in the group
☐ Copies of key documents, stored somewhere other than your wallet
☐ Local emergency numbers for wherever you’re headed
☐ One person back home who knows your itinerary, start to finish
Nobody wants to think about this stuff while they’re packing sunscreen and flip flops. But the whole point of a “just in case” list is that you fill it out on the good day, so you’re not scrambling for it on the bad one.

Who To Call

☐ Emergency contact name, relationship, and phone number for each traveler
☐ A second emergency contact, in case the first one doesn’t answer
☐ Your travel insurance company’s claims and assistance phone number
☐ Your bank and credit card company’s “lost or stolen card” number
☐ Your airline’s customer service number, saved somewhere besides your email confirmation

Medical Information, For Every Traveler

☐ Full name and date of birth
☐ Blood type, if known
☐ Allergies (medications, food, everything relevant)
☐ Current medications and dosages
☐ Existing medical conditions your travel companions should know about
☐ Health insurance provider and policy number
☐ Primary doctor’s name and phone number

Documents Worth Copying

☐ Passport photo page, copied and stored separately from the original
☐ Driver’s license, copied
☐ Travel insurance policy number and coverage summary
☐ Prescription list, in case you need a refill somewhere unfamiliar
☐ Hotel and flight confirmation numbers

At Your Destination

☐ Local emergency number for the country or city you’re visiting (it’s not always 911)
☐ Nearest hospital or urgent care to where you’re staying
☐ U.S. Embassy or Consulate contact info, if you’re traveling internationally
☐ Address and phone number of where you’re staying, written down in case your phone dies

Before You Walk Out The Door

☐ Leave a copy of your full itinerary with someone back home
☐ Share your location with a trusted person through your phone, if you’re comfortable with that
☐ Store a digital copy of this whole sheet somewhere you can access without your physical phone (email it to yourself, save it in the cloud)
☐ Print one paper copy anyway, because phones die at the worst possible moments

Common Mistakes

☐ Saving every emergency number only in a phone, with no backup if that phone is lost, stolen, or dead
☐ Assuming your regular health insurance covers you the same way overseas (it usually doesn’t)
☐ Not telling anyone back home your actual itinerary, just a vague “we’ll be in Italy”
☐ Skipping this for short trips, when short trips are exactly when nobody’s thinking to prepare for the worst

Happy travels! XOXO, Jani

Jani’s Tip ☕

Embassy and local emergency numbers can change, so don’t just copy last year’s list and call it done. Give them a quick check before every trip, especially if you’re headed somewhere new. It takes two minutes and it’s the two minutes you’ll be grateful for if you ever actually need them.

Did you know? Our Handbook covers travel insurance, international prep, and what to pack for peace of mind, all linked below so this sheet is just one piece of a bigger safety net.