BEING human, we have this curious, inquisitive mind to know the unknown & to experience new things in life. Because of this nature, there are new inventions across the world. This is the main reason why a person wants to travel& explore new horizons.

When we travel by car, we have GPS (Global Positioning System) to show us map of path ahead (navigator), so that we are not lost in our journey. Similarly, Astrology is the map of a native's life, from which we can predict, what is likely to happen in future. One among them is foreign travel.

3rd house is for short distance travel.
9th house is for long distance travel, which could be within the country also.
12th house is a house of foreign land, which is different culture / country.
Duration to stay there depend on dasha & purpose of travel. Broadly, planets like Jupiter, Moon, Mercury have foreign travel significations.
Long distance travel could be for short duration & short distance travel could be for long duration. All these depend on sign, planet, nakshatras &dasha involved.


To travel, there has to be, Essential Pointers for Travel
A promise in Rashi/lagna chart, which can be determined by yogas, placement of planets, signs and houses, which indicate travel.
Secondly, operating dashas and their lords should have relation with travel-yoga giving planets/ houses then there is travel for sure.
Thirdly, current transit of planets should support travel.Connection of lagnesh with the promise and dasha is necessary.
Lastly, to give it a thump, we can verify same promise in Divisional chart. We may check in D-4 to see fortune, D-10 if related to career, D-9 if it is after marriage and if partner is involved someway, D-24 for education, D-20 for spiritual progress.

If all above conditions are fulfilled, then there are chances of travel to a foreign land.

Signs that Indicate travel
The Movable signs - Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. These signs are generally on move. They cannot stand still so chances of travel is more if supported by yogas.
The Dual signs - Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. These signs have tendency to explore and gain knowledge. Always have several options to opt. They like to travel to increase their horizons so if there is yoga for travel, they will not miss chance to travel.
The Fixed sign - Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. They indicate that native may settle abroad.
Specially, Watery signs - Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. With travel, we generally cross sea-water. These are Moksha signs, giving liberation. Cancer is the natural 4th house, related with homeland. Scorpio is the 8th house of transformation, need to change/transform and Pisces is the natural 12th house, related with foreign land. When these signs are strongly connected with Yoga-giving signs, planets and houses, then native is bound to travel.

Houses that indicate travel:
1st house is self, the native himself and for any event to happen in life, involvement of the native is necessary. It provides the resources, Will power, conviction and desire to travel.
2nd is the house of wealth and family: if 12th lord and 2nd lord are related then money can come from foreign land. Any affliction to the 2nd house of family with placement, aspect or lordship, takes the native away from family.
3rd house has signification of short distance journey. 3rd house is 12th from 4th house of home.
4th house is our motherland/birthplace. We go away from house, when we travel.
7th house is the descendant of 1st house & indicates far-away places. It is also 4th from 4th and 10th from the 10th house; hence travel for business/profession orwith spouse/marriage as 7th house signifies marriage.
8this the house of transformation/change. Foreign travel transforms the native in many ways, with knowledge& perceptions. It gives experience of new culture & people. It broadens the horizons of the native. With 8th house relation, travel would be sudden with dramatic incident. There is always some distress involved with 8th house matter.
9th is the house of long-distance travel and also higher education. It indicates foreign travel with luck. Mostly, this connection makes the journey auspicious unless lord of this house is afflicted or has malefic aspect.
12th house is the foreign place.
If lords of the above houses are inter-related with conjunction, placement, aspect or inter-change lordship with each other, then there are strong chances of traveling or settling abroad.
At least, two houses should be activated, along with related dasha, to make it a strong yoga.

Planets that indicate travel: -
There are several planets that naturally denotes travel, regardless of their lordship or house placements. Rahu signifies foreign element in a horoscope, something that is unconventional. This one planet is enough to make strong yoga by dasha, placement, transit or even aspect, to instigate the native to leave his motherland and have either settlement or frequent travel in foreign countries. There is unknown/uncertain reason, which we cannot figure out, but a strong pull within is there towards foreign countries/culture.
Saturn has separative element. It gives displacement/dislocation to native with its dasha, placement, transit or even aspect. When Saturn's Sade-sati or Dhaiya comes, foreign travel is possible and it can be challenging too. Nothing comes easy with Saturn. Saturn indicates travel for career advancement or medical treatment. If it is job-related, then connection of 6th & 10th house is a must with travel yoga & planets. For treatment on medical ground &improvising health, connected houses for this type of travel would be 6th, 8th &12th.
Moon indicates overseas & frequent travel. It has natural tendency to keep on moving. It is fastest planet & ruler of the natural 4th house, significator of home, birth place& also it is one of the Moksha houses. The native cannot remain at one place, when there is strong Moon, working in horoscope, with its dasha, placement or aspect.
Ketu too has separative element, working very strongly. With its placement or dasha, any connection with 4th, 2nd & other travel related houses, gives foreign travel, which could be sudden & challenging too.  With Ketu, there is a strange/hidden force, working behind to cut your roots with homeland.
Jupiter is a natural benefic.  It is the significator of luck& fortune.  It is the lord of 9th/12th house in Natural Zodiac; so it becomes important for foreign travel. It is connected with Dharma and Moksha houses. It has spiritual/ religious touch, along with education & knowledge signification. So, when Jupiter is connected with travel, it is with purpose of some advancement and to reach higher level in life, where we are growing.
Mercury is also a fast-moving planet, next to Moon & does not like to be at one place for longer period. Mercury is the significator for short distance travel. It is the lord of 3rd house in Natural Zodiac. This house is a Kama house of Natural Zodiac;  so there is strong desire to have growth in business or knowledge. With Mercury, purpose of travel would be professional, business-related or for learning reasons.
Venus is the planet of happiness & pleasure. There are people, who travel just for vacation &pleasure purpose.  Venus is the lord of 7th house in Natural Zodiac; so travel is possible through/for marriage. 7th being Kama house, there is desire to travel.
Each Rashi & planet has its direction to help us know which direction, travel is favourable. Fire, Earth, Air & Water signs are connected with East, South, West & North direction respectively. Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu & Ketu are connected with East, North of N/w, South, North, North/east, South/east, West, South/west & West of N/w direction respectively.    
Planets which are malefic in nature,like Rahu, Saturn, Ketu give travel with some problems & stress, related to matter connected with signification of its lordship, placement, its dispositor or aspect that it has.
Planets that are benefic in nature, like Moon, Jupiter, Mercury & Venus give travel with willingness, liking and preferences. Goal is clear & the native is happy to undertake that travel. Generally, it brings growth at some level to the native.

Yoga and Time that indicate travel
Promise to travel is determined by specific combinations of planets & houses. We may check same combinations in the Divisional chart also, to support chances of travel.
When lord of 7th, 9th and 12th are placed in their own house.
When travel planets like Rahu, Saturn, Moon, Jupiter, Ketu, Venus, Mercury are placed in Movable, Watery or Dual sign.
When 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 9th or 12th houses have Movable or Dual sign, with Watery planets/signs. When these house-lords are interchanging signs or make connection with travel planets by placement, conjunction, aspect or dasha.
When lagnesh is far from lagna that is 7th house or after that. Also, if lagna, lagnesh or Moon sign is in Movable, Watery or Dual signs.
When 1st& 4thhouses or their lords are in Papa-kartari yoga.
The native can travel to foreign land in a particular dasa only. Even though, the native has strong yoga to travel, but if the dasa-bhukti periods are not supportive, then travel may not happen.  Travel houses like 3rd, 7th, 9th and 12th should be active with dasha, bhukti, antara of related planets, then only, travel can happen.

Settlement in foreign land: -
It is not necessary that whoever travels to foreign land, settles there. If lagna or lagnesh is strongly connected with 4th, 2nd or 11th house/lords & when operating houses are 2-11, 4-11, or only 11, then there are chances of returning home or the native will not leave his birth place, family and friends, permanently. In this case, even if the native travels, he will return back to birth place, after a few years, whenever dasha changes &activates his 4th, 2nd or 11th house. The native may travel on some purpose, but once purpose is over, he returns home.
When 4th house, your home/birth place along with 2nd house of family &their lords are afflicted by placement, lordship, transit or aspect of malefic planet like Saturn, Mars, Rahu/ Ketu and when their dasha operates, there are chances of settling in foreign land permanently.
When operating houses are 3-11, 7-11, 9-11, 12-11, then foreign travel, getting Visa stamping done for travel, getting Work Permit in other countries, travelling after marriage, getting Green card to stay or having Education Visa is quite obvious. When dasha-bhukti periods are running for lord of these houses, then there is surely travel.

Role of Nakshatras: -
Nakshatra impacts, quality of Rashi & planet in which they are positioned.  Planets transiting in nakshatra fulfils the promise, through the lord of nakshatra, it is placed in. So, major results of planet we get is through nakshatra lord of planet. Thus, Nakshatra plays important role in results, a planet will give,which determines promise of foreign travel.
Nakshatra of lagna, lagnesh, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 12th houses & their lords should be checked as well, with their placement, aspect & transit.
We may apply the above parameters, discussed for travel yoga, timings & related planets to even nakshatra lord.

Obstacles in travel: -
One has to choose the right muhurta for travel. Panchang Shuddhi and other parameters should be considered, for choosing the day for travel. Muhurta is very important to have smooth, safe & pleasant travel.  Travel-related houses such as 1st- 4th,3rd- 9th, 9th- 12th are Kendra (Square aspect) houses to each other. This brings challenges &struggles.
If travel-related planets have any relation with Badhaka planet, then there will be obstacles during journey or after journey.
If the travel-involving planets/houses, have very low degree, in Gandanta or at Sandhi, combust, retrograde, then too, it is not easy to have smooth travel & there would be problems in realizing the desired travel.

Case-study 1: Female


The native travelled to a foreign country for settlement, immediately after the marriage at the age of 21.
Rahu-Ketu are in 3-9 axis from lagna. Marriage took place in Rahu mahadasha. 9th lord Moon is with lagna lord Mars in the 4th, aspected by Retrograde Saturn from 7th house. Venus, 7th /12thlord, is in 2ndwith 11thlord Mercury.  Marriage took place in Rahu-Mars-Venus period in June 1992 & foreign travel materialized in Sep 1992, when Rahu-Mars-Moon period was running.  So foreign Travel occurred as a part of life-settlement, with all happiness during Rahu dasha, Rahu (occupying 3rd), Mars bhukti (lagnesh), and antra lord is Moon which is 9th lord.

Case-study 2: Male


The native was forced to leave India &it was not pleasant move for him. There are many planets placed in Movable sign, including lagnesh Sun, Saturn, Moon, Rahu, Ketu, Mars and Mercury. So, chances of movement with Movable sign & settlement with Fixed lagna are there.  Foreign travel happened during Saturn-Saturn-Jupiter period in Jan 2014. Planets involved were malefic in nature, being 6th, 8th lords, causing stress & problems.  Rahu-Ketu are in 6-12, axis making strong yoga for foreign settlement. Rahu conjunct Mars (lord of 4th / 9th), Ketu conjunct Moon (12th lord), & Saturn 6th /7th lord with aspect on 12th house indicate strong connection to foreign travel.