In order to start planning the details of your upcoming African safari, you must organize your papers to make sure your travel documents are in order. Taking the time to make a travel document checklist and check it twice will ensure that the whole process goes smoothly.

First and foremost, you will need a valid passport before you can step foot in any African country. The process of procuring a passport takes five to six weeks, so apply with haste if need be.

If your destinations include Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia or Zimbabwe, you will need to obtain a visa by submitting the complete application, your passport, and two passport-sized photos of yourself and a copy of your itinerary to the embassy or consulate two months prior to your departure. Alternatively you can purchase it on arrival in each country.

You can never be too prepared with all this paperwork because the worst-case scenario is that you can be denied entry to a particular country. Keep copies of all documents that have been submitted, including your passport and visa once you obtain them.

Your travel document checklist should include your passport, visas if needed, airline tickets, proof of yellow fever inoculation (only if coming from a yellow fever endemic region), accommodation vouchers, car-rental reservation forms, and an international drivers license if necessary.

You should also add the following copies: copy of your passport, copy of airline tickets, copy of medical prescriptions, copy of traveler’s check numbers, and a copy of your travel insurance.

Also make sure you have travel agent’s contact information as well as a list of credit-card numbers and international contact information for each card issuer.