The Pre-Trip Tech Checklist Every Digital Nomad and Expat Should Run First

Back Up Everything — Twice, and Not Just to the Cloud

A single cloud backup is good; a cloud backup plus a local encrypted external drive is much better, because a lost device, a corrupted sync, or a suspended account are all real possibilities you don't want stacked on top of each other while you're abroad. Back up documents, photos, browser bookmarks, and an exported list of your passwords as a fallback (even if you also use a password manager). Before you leave, actually test that the restore works — a backup you've never restored from is a guess, not a plan.

Pre-Configure Your VPN Before You Leave, Not After

Your home network is the easiest place on earth to test and save a working VPN configuration — fast WiFi, familiar settings, and no restrictive hotel firewall to fight. Confirm your VPN client connects reliably, save working exit-node profiles for the regions you'll be in, and note down the protocol it uses. If your employer issues a corporate VPN, get it working and tested at home first; troubleshooting a blocked or misconfigured VPN is far easier before you need it for an actual work deadline. Our guide on VPN setup for remote workers covers protocol choice and the port tricks that matter once you're on a restrictive network.

Migrate 2FA to an Authenticator App — SMS-Only 2FA Breaks on a New SIM

This is the single most common way nomads lock themselves out of their own accounts. The moment you swap to a local SIM card abroad, any two-factor authentication tied to SMS on your home number stops arriving — and that includes banking, email, and sometimes the very accounts you'd need to fix the problem. Before you leave, go through your important accounts (email, banking, cloud storage, work logins) and switch two-factor authentication from SMS to an authenticator app such as Authy, Google Authenticator, or 1Password, which work identically no matter what SIM is in your phone. Save the backup/recovery codes somewhere offline too — a password manager vault or a printed copy, not just your inbox.

Set Up a Password Manager With Offline Access

Consolidate your logins into a password manager that supports an offline vault, so you're not locked out if you land somewhere with unreliable internet on day one. Export or print an "emergency kit" with your master credentials stored securely and separately from your main devices, and consider sharing emergency access with one trusted person back home. This single step removes a huge share of the "I'm locked out and can't remember which email I used" problems that eat entire travel days.

Update Your OS, Drivers, and Firmware Before Departure, Not During

Major operating system updates, WiFi adapter driver updates, and firmware updates all go faster and more reliably on your fast home connection than on spotty hotel WiFi where an interrupted update can leave a device in a broken state. WiFi adapter drivers specifically matter more than people expect — an outdated driver is a common, invisible cause of the connection drops covered in our WiFi abroad troubleshooting guide. While you're at it, check battery health on a laptop that's about to get heavier daily use than usual.

Download Offline Maps, Documents, and Emergency Contacts

Download offline map regions for wherever you're headed, so navigation still works without data. Save PDF copies of your passport, visa, travel insurance, and any prescriptions somewhere accessible without internet — your device's local storage, not just an email you can't load. Keep a short list of emergency numbers on hand too, including your bank's fraud line, your insurance provider, and a tech support number that actually works internationally.

The Safety Net for Whatever Still Breaks Once You Land

Even with every item on this checklist done properly, something still breaks. WiFi won't cooperate with a villa router, a VPN gets blocked by a resort firewall, a laptop picks up malware from a shared network, or an update you ran before leaving quietly failed halfway through. That's the gap RemoteFix 24/7 fills: a flat-fee, worldwide, remote fix with no membership, available in 130+ cities and covered by No Fix, No Fee.

RemoteFix 24/7 is operated by IT Cares of Canada, founded in 2014 by Samad Mokrini, and built specifically around the reality that tech problems for nomads and expats don't happen on a convenient schedule.