Getting a Passport and Visa

Passports

U.S. citizens generally need a passport to travel outside the United States.

If you do not have a passport that is valid for three months after the end of the program you are planning to attend, you should apply as soon as possible for a new or renewal passport. If you are applying for a passport for the first time, you will need to visit a passport acceptance center in person. If you are renewing an expiring passport, you can complete the process by mail in some cases.

Passport applications can be printed online, picked up at the main post office in town or certain other passport offices. There are costs related to obtaining a passport.

If you are applying for your passport for the first time or if you do not meet certain renewal conditions, you will also need:

• valid proof of citizenship (certified copy of your birth certificate or an expired passport)
  
• proof of identity (valid driver's license)
  
• Two passport ready (2 x 2 inches) photos taken within six months of submitting your application. Most camera stores or pharmacies take official passport-sized photos
  

Please refer to the State Department website for the latest information about passports.

General information about passports can be found here:
https://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html(link will open in new window)

Passport Application forms can be found here:
https://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_847.html(link will open in new window)

Once you receive your passport, keep a photocopy of your passport ID pages in a safe place at home with family and keep a copy in a secure place with you abroad, including in your checked luggage. If your passport is lost or stolen, it is easier to replace if you have the photocopy accessible.

It is important to remember that your passport is your most crucial legal document while you are outside the U.S. Treat it with special attention.

Student Visas

Students participating in academic programs in another country often are required to obtain a student entry visa from the host country prior to arrival in the host country.

Every country has different rules and procedures for obtaining an entry visa. It is crucial that you understand the entry visa procedures for the country you will be studying in, as some programs DO require visas and some programs DO NOT require visas.

The processing and approval of your entry visa sometimes takes several weeks or sometimes months, so it is important that this process is started in a timely manner!

Please refer to the State Department website for the latest information about visas.

General information about visas can be found here:
https://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html(link will open in new window)

Non-US passport holders must find out whether they need a visa for the country they will be studying abroad in, through their countries' embassies.