Passport & Visa

Passports

As soon as you're accepted into a program, you should apply for or renew your passport. Your passport must be valid for a minimum of six months beyond the return date of your program. The process to acquire a passport may take up to 8 weeks or longer. Remember, you may need to submit your passport information several months before you travel so it's best to start the passport process as early as possible.

Students may request/renew a passport through the United States State Department.

Visas and Entry Requirements

You should research the visa and entry requirements for all of the countries you will be visiting. If you are considering travel to Europe, you must comply with the Schengen Area regulations, which only permit a stay of up to 90 days within continental Europe within a 180 day period. This regulation may affect students intending to participate in both a MayX and a Fall semester study away program in the same year or a Fall semester followed by a different Spring semester program. Students should limit independent summer/winter travel in Europe immediately prior to or after a semester.  If your academic program is longer than 90 days, you will be eligible for and will need to obtain a student visa.

International students, you are responsible for obtaining all necessary visas for your program's destination(s). You should consult with the program director and the study away office to determine what additional visa requirements may be needed. In some cases, you may need to travel to the nearest consulate office to obtain a visa for travel to their desired destination country.    

For more information about passports, visas, and entry regulations, visit the U.S. State Department website to begin your research.