Crisis Guide
You Need to Fly to India — Now
A parent is critically ill, or worse, and you have to get home. Here's a calm, ordered checklist so you can move fast and not forget the things that matter.
Free & IndependentNo ads on this pageLast updated: June 2026
A Gentle Note
Breathe. You'll be more useful calm than frantic. Do the next single thing, then the next. You don't have to solve everything before you board.
Right now
- Book the flight — search directly and call the airline for emergency/bereavement fares (some airlines offer them with documentation). Take the first reasonable option rather than hunting for the perfect one.
- Check your passport & visa/OCI — make sure your documents allow immediate travel. OCI holders should carry the OCI card and passport.
- Tell one person in India your arrival plan so someone can receive you and update you en route.
Before you leave (15-minute version)
- Work — a short message to your manager; details can follow.
- Money — a working card, some cash/forex, and your banking app; medical bills may need fast payment.
- Home — childcare/pets/keys sorted with a friend.
- Documents — your ID, your parent's key details (hospital, doctor, insurance, Ayushman card) from the Parent Profile.
- Medicines — your own essential medicines for the trip.
- Phone — charged, with an India SIM/roaming plan ready and chargers/adapters packed.
On arrival
- Go straight to where you're needed; let your in-India contact handle logistics.
- If hospitalisation is ongoing, our hospitalisation guide covers what to do at the bedside.
- Pace yourself — crises last longer than the adrenaline. Eat, sleep, and share the load with family.
Worth Knowing
The families who cope best in these moments are usually the ones who'd done a little preparation before the crisis — a Parent Profile, an emergency plan, documents in one place. If you're reading this before a crisis, that's the gift to give your future self: see Emergency-Ready.