Making a Will Before Travelling Abroad

It is a familiar pattern: people who have put off making a will for years suddenly feel the need to sort it out in the days before a big trip abroad. There is nothing irrational about this. Long journeys, extended time in unfamiliar places, or simply a heightened awareness of your own mortality before departure all make the absence of a will feel more pressing than it did the week before.

The reassuring part is that a will does not take long to arrange properly, even with a short lead time before you fly. What matters is being organised about it rather than leaving it to the very last moment, so there is time to check the document, sign it correctly with witnesses, and store it safely before you go.

If your departure date is close, focus on getting a valid, signed will in place covering the essentials: who inherits your estate, who acts as executor, and guardians for any children. A simple, clear will made under time pressure is far better than no will at all, and it can always be reviewed and expanded later once you are back or settled.

Make sure the will is signed and witnessed correctly, since an improperly witnessed will is not valid regardless of how good the intentions behind it were. In England and Wales this means signing in the presence of two independent witnesses who are both present at the same time and who then sign it themselves, none of whom should be a beneficiary or married to one.

A will only helps your family if they can find it. Store the signed original somewhere secure, such as with a solicitor, a will storage service, or a fireproof safe at home, and make sure at least one trusted person, ideally your executor, knows exactly where it is and how to access it while you are away.

It is worth leaving a simple note, separate from the will itself, with practical information your executor might need: where important documents are kept, who your bank and pension providers are, and any online accounts they should know about, though never include passwords or PINs directly in the will itself, since it can become a public document once probate is granted.

If you own property, a bank account, or other significant assets in another country, a will made in England and Wales may not automatically deal with them, since many countries have their own rules about which law applies to property located there. This is a more involved question than a straightforward UK will can usually resolve on its own.

If this applies to you, it is worth taking individual advice, ideally before you travel, about whether you need a separate will covering assets in that country, and how to make sure the two wills do not accidentally conflict with or revoke each other. For most travellers without significant foreign assets, a standard UK will is sufficient.

It is worth being clear that a will deals with what happens to your estate if you die, not with what happens during the trip itself, such as medical costs, cancellations or lost belongings, which is what travel insurance is for. The two serve completely different purposes and neither replaces the other.

Sorting your will out before you go simply means that, alongside sensible travel insurance, you have covered both the practical risks of the trip and the longer-term question of what happens to everything you leave behind. It is a small task that can be completed online from £69, well before you need to head to the airport.