1.5 THE PAPERWORK.

1. Humans.

Passport:

Yes, you need this outside your village.

Visas:
For Russia and Mongolia before we leave.  Japan, Canada, USA and the Americas at the border or at the embassy of the following country in the preceding country.
For the USA, Belgian citizens need to register under the Visa Waiver Program, minimum 72 hrs in advance at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ .  The authorisation is valid for two years and is of a "multiple re-entry" type.

Vaccination booklet:
The vaccination for Yellow Fever is compulsory in some countries of South America (and Africa).  Other vaccines are not, but it is wise to get your body punctured and to keep track of your antibodies via the booklet.  Also: some officials at the border can ask you to show a certain vaccination because of an outbreak or just for ...

Extra pass photo's:
For visas, local permits, authorizations, ...

Travel/Repatriation Insurance:
In case of an accident or illness with potential disastrous consequences on the home front or for us, an insurance that pays the tickets home and/or pays the bills in a hospital for possibly some months, is not a luxury.

International Driving Licence:
Outside the European Union/Schengen Area the Belgian driving licence has to be replaced with the International Driving Licence.  In Belgium we can easily obtain the document at the town hall and the licence is valid for three years.



2. Machines.

Car documents:
Homologation certificate, registration, insurance, ...

Car insurance:
Our Belgian green card limits the third party car insurance to the area of Western and Central Europe and some countries of North Africa.  Russia is not included.  So, at the Russian border we have to purchase a local car insurance.  At the same moment we will suspend the Belgian car insurance until we will be back in the area, the Belgian green card covers.
However, the Russian third party insurance limits the payable sums for bodily injury to 6.000 € only and therefore we will subscribe an extra insurance, with more realistic payable amounts, before entering Russia.  These additional insurance cannot be purchased for Mongolia and Japan.  For Japan I'm not worried that much about the locally purchased third party insurance.  In Mongolia we will drive carefully ...
http://www.alessie.com/oldsite/index.html
http://www.ingosur.nl/kortetermijnsverzekeringrusland.html

Carnet de Passage:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnet_de_Passages

Size A4.

The international customs document Carnet de Passages permits the temporarily duty free importation of road vehicles into certain countries of Asia, Africa, South America, to Australia and New Zealand. It entitles a person to take several trips with the same vehicle and is usually issued with one-year validity.

The Carnet de Passages is a guarantee for a foreign country that the vehicle will be re-exported within the time limit of duty free importation and if the vehicle can not be re-exported (e.g. total loss, theft), that all duties and taxes will be paid. 

The basis for the issue of the Carnet de Passages are International Customs Conventions. Carnets de Passages are issued by the federation: AIT/ FIA (Alliance Internationale de Tourisme/ Federation Internationale de l'Automobile). 

Invoices:
For some of the equipment (camera, computer, ...) in case of a warranty problem or for a difficult official at a border.

Various technical data from the car and equipment, on a stick or CD.



3. Back up of above paper.

Colour hard copies of the original, plasticized or not, subject to the purpose.
Scan and save the original on the hard disk/stick and/or mail to yourselves.