66 things to bring

What Should I Bring on the First Day of Work

Documents for the hiring forms, bank details, a notebook and lunch: what to bring on day one, part by part.

U.S. passport or passport cardOn List A of the Form I-9 lists: it shows identity and work authorization in one.
Permanent Resident CardForm I-551. Also on List A, so no second document is asked for with it.
Employment Authorization Document with your photoForm I-766. It is on List A too.
Driver's license or state ID cardOn List B: it shows identity only, so a List C document goes with it.
School ID card with a photographAlso on List B. Useful for a first job if you do not drive.
Voter's registration cardList B as well: it shows identity, so pair it with a List C document.
Social Security cardOn List C. USCIS says the card must be unrestricted and must not be laminated.
Birth certificate with an official sealList C takes an original or a certified copy from a state, county, city or U.S. territory.
Consular Report of Birth AbroadForm FS-240 from the Department of State. It is on List C.
Offer letterReread it the night before for your start time and where to report.
Emergency contact's name and numberNew-hire forms ask for one. Have it written down, not just in your head.
Forms HR sent ahead, filled inPrint or save anything you were asked to complete before day one.
Professional license or certificate, if the job needs oneBring the card or a copy in case HR wants it for your file.
Your full address with ZIP codeForms ask for it more than once. Write it down if you have just moved.
School paperwork for an internshipIf the internship counts for credit, bring the form your school needs signed.
Photo ID for the front deskBuilding security may ask for it before you have a badge.
Bank account and routing numbersFor the direct deposit form. A voided check or your banking app shows both.

Next step Draw a question to break the ice Pick a color to wear on day one

All 66 things to bring

Papers for the paperwork 17

Bank account and routing numbers For the direct deposit form. A voided check or your banking app shows both.
Birth certificate with an official seal List C takes an original or a certified copy from a state, county, city or U.S. territory.
Consular Report of Birth Abroad Form FS-240 from the Department of State. It is on List C.
Driver's license or state ID card On List B: it shows identity only, so a List C document goes with it.
Emergency contact's name and number New-hire forms ask for one. Have it written down, not just in your head.
Employment Authorization Document with your photo Form I-766. It is on List A too.
Forms HR sent ahead, filled in Print or save anything you were asked to complete before day one.
Offer letter Reread it the night before for your start time and where to report.
Permanent Resident Card Form I-551. Also on List A, so no second document is asked for with it.
Photo ID for the front desk Building security may ask for it before you have a badge.
Professional license or certificate, if the job needs one Bring the card or a copy in case HR wants it for your file.
School ID card with a photograph Also on List B. Useful for a first job if you do not drive.
School paperwork for an internship If the internship counts for credit, bring the form your school needs signed.
Social Security card On List C. USCIS says the card must be unrestricted and must not be laminated.
U.S. passport or passport card On List A of the Form I-9 lists: it shows identity and work authorization in one.
Voter's registration card List B as well: it shows identity, so pair it with a List C document.
Your full address with ZIP code Forms ask for it more than once. Write it down if you have just moved.

For the desk 15

A safe place for new passwords You will set up several accounts on day one. Decide where they go before you start.
A two-sentence introduction, practiced Who you are and what you did before. You will say it all day.
Bag with room to spare You may go home with a laptop, a badge, a handbook and a mug.
Cardigan or sweater You do not know yet how cold the building runs.
Dates you already need off If a trip is booked, day one is the easy time to say so.
Headphones for training videos Day one can mean an afternoon of videos at a shared desk.
Lock for a staff locker For jobs where your things stay in a staff room.
Names of the people you already know Your manager, the recruiter and whoever you were told to ask for at the door.
Notebook kept for the new job Names, logins, door codes and the way to the kitchen all go in on day one.
Phone charger Setting up work apps and sign-in codes on your phone eats battery.
Plain wristwatch So you can check the time in a meeting without lifting your phone.
Shoes you can stand and walk in A first day often includes a tour of the whole building.
Two pens One to use and one to lend to the person training you.
Work clothes or safety gear you were told to bring Steel-toe boots, non-slip shoes or a plain black shirt: check the welcome email.
Your own laptop, only if you were told to bring it Ask before day one, so you do not carry it for nothing.

Food and drink 9

Breakfast bar for the way in For the morning when nerves make breakfast at home impossible.
Fork and a napkin The kitchen drawer is a mystery on day one.
Lunch money In case the team takes you out, or everyone orders from the same place.
Mid-afternoon snack Nerves use up breakfast fast, and you will not know where the vending machine is.
Mints After coffee and before a morning of introductions.
Packed lunch that needs no fridge You do not know yet whether there is a fridge, a cafe or a team lunch.
Small cooler bag It keeps lunch cold at your desk if the fridge is full.
Travel mug of coffee or tea Until you learn how the office machine works.
Water bottle, filled at home Finding the kitchen can wait until the tour.

For the commute 11

A few small bills For a toll, a locker or a bus when the card reader is down.
A route you have already tried Do the trip once at the same hour before day one, then leave early anyway.
The address and which door to use Big sites have more than one entrance. Check the welcome email for yours.
Name and number of the person to ask for Save it in your phone and write it on paper.
Parking instructions Ask where new staff park and whether the gate needs a pass.
Smart shoes to change into Walk in comfortable ones and swap at the door.
Something to read if you are early Ten minutes in the car or the lobby pass faster with a book.
Spare shirt For coffee spilled on the train. Leave it in the car or roll it in your bag.
Transit card, loaded the night before Not at the machine with a queue behind you.
Umbrella that fits your work bag Arriving dry is worth the space.
Welcome email, saved offline Lobby signal can be poor just when you need the floor number.

Questions to carry 14

For interns: who looks over my work? An internship goes better when one person is clearly the one to ask.
How do I ask for time off? Learn the system before you need it.
How does the team like to be reached? Chat, email or a tap on the shoulder: every team has a habit.
What do people do for lunch? The answer tells you whether to keep packing one.
What does a good first month look like? Write the answer down and reread it in week four.
What hours does the team keep? The official hours and the real ones can differ.
What should I have done by the end of this week? It turns a blur of introductions into a short list.
What should I read or watch first? There is always a pile. Ask which part matters this week.
What should I wear from tomorrow? Day-one clothes are a guess. Day-two clothes need not be.
When and how do I get paid? Ask for the first pay date, so you can plan the weeks before it.
When do benefits start? And ask which forms have a deadline.
Which meetings should I be in? Ask to be added to the invites while you are standing there.
Who do I ask when I am stuck? One name saves you guessing whose desk to stand at.
Who else should I meet this week? Then ask for an introduction to the first one.

How it works

What should I bring on the first day of work? Mostly papers. These 66 things start with the documents a U.S. employer asks for, then cover the desk, food, the commute and questions to ask.

Read the full guide

The papers a U.S. employer asks for

Form I-9 is how a U.S. employer checks who you are and that you may work. By USCIS's lists you choose what to show: one document from List A, or one from List B with one from List C. They must be original and unexpired; a certified copy of a birth certificate counts. This page is unofficial and not legal advice; your employer's instructions come first.

Reread the welcome email the night before: it knows what your employer wants better than any list does.

Questions and answers

What should I bring on the first day of a new job?

Documents for Form I-9, bank details for direct deposit, anything HR asked you to fill in, a notebook, a pen, lunch and a water bottle. Add the address, the door to use and the name of the person meeting you.

What documents should I bring on my first day of work?

USCIS's Form I-9 lists give the choice: one List A document, such as a U.S. passport, a Permanent Resident Card or an Employment Authorization Document, or one List B document with one from List C, such as a state ID card with a birth certificate.

What should I bring to my internship?

The same day-one kit, plus a school ID card with a photograph, which is a List B document, any form your school needs signed for credit, and a question about who will look over your work.

Should I bring lunch on the first day of work?

Yes. Pack one that needs no fridge and bring lunch money as well: you do not know yet whether there is a fridge or a cafe, or whether the team will take you out.

What should I not bring on my first day of work?

The whole desk kit from your last job, strong-smelling food and a laptop nobody asked for. Bring little, see what the place gives you, and fill the gaps on day two.

Notes

Facts on this page were checked against the sources named under the list. If you spot a mistake, tell us through the contact page and we will check it and correct the page.

More notes about this page

This page is an unofficial list in our own words and is not legal advice, so read the official code before you rely on any law named here.

How this list was compiled: Nine rows of Papers for the paperwork, the ones whose lines name List A, List B or List C, follow the lists of acceptable documents for Form I-9 that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services publishes (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents, last reviewed by USCIS on 5 October 2026), read on 2026-10-11; each line says only what that page says, in our words, and the lists hold more documents than these. The choice of one List A document or one from List B with one from List C, originals and unexpired, is from USCIS's page on Section 2 of the form (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/complete-correct-form-i-9/completing-section-2-employer-review-and-attestation). The other 57 rows and their lines are our own advice, written for this page and read again in full; no list was copied. This page is unofficial, is not legal advice and is not affiliated with or endorsed by USCIS or any employer. Rules change: USCIS's own pages and your employer's instructions come first. Licence: wording own work; the Form I-9 lists are a work of the U.S. government (public domain)