It is important that you know what visa requirements will apply to you so that you can prepare for this well in advance. Many consulates, for instance, now require that students appear in person to apply for their visa. Some students even take these visa requirements into consideration when choosing the country where they want to go when spending a summer, semester, or year abroad.

If you need a student visa, applying for it can be an involved process that requires your careful attention. You should begin to do research about the student visa requirements for the country or countries you will be visiting and living in even before you know you have been accepted to your program. Gathering the required documentation for your student visa can take as much or more time than your study abroad application itself. 

Passports Are the First Step in International Travel and Applying for Entry!

In order to apply for entry into another country, you must have a passport in your possession which is valid for 3, 6, or even 12 months beyond your return date. The standard requirement CC proposes for its faculty-led programs is a 6-month cushion between the end of the program and the expiration of the passport, but you should always verify this for the specific country's passport you will be traveling on and the country where you will be going.

If you do not currently have a passport with adequate validity, you should apply for a new passport immediately.  It can take several months to obtain a new or renewed passport, so an early start on this process is essential. 

• U.S. Passport Information Hub
• Current Processing Times for U.S. Passports (new and renewal)

Applying for an Entry Visa is an Independent Process

While most travelers on individual CC Block Away programs can enter the destination countries without an entry visa, using their passport alone for up to 90 days, this is not always true for international students studying at CC, and is often not adequate for longer programs.  It is important that you do thorough, early research to determine if a visa is required in your specific case.

If you will be studying abroad for a semester or year through a program provider (such as IES, Syracuse, etc), typically they (or the host institution abroad) will provide you with the documentation and information you need in order to obtain your student visa, in most cases. It is important that you carefully and thoroughly read all information available to you about this process, deadlines, and what is expected of you. If your program offers a group visa processing service, we highly suggest that you utilize this. If you receive need-based financial aid from CC, you will see that required expenses to obtain your visa (including travel if required) are eligible expenses that you can include when completing your Study Away Semester: Cost & Aid Worksheet with CC Financial Aid.

The Center for Global Education at Colorado College is not responsible for obtaining student visas nor can we be responsible for visa complications, delays, or visa denials. Unfortunately, Colorado College does not have the ability to change visa requirements, nor does it help if we call consulates or embassies on your behalf. Though we're happy to help you in whatever way we can, the decision to issue you a visa rests solely with the consulate or embassy.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS CAN CHANGE AT ANY TIME. We advise that you pay close attention to consular updates, as you are responsible for knowing and addressing the requirements for your host country and study abroad program. All students must obtain an appropriate visa if required of their host country, in order to participate in their program. Failure to obtain a visa will result in you not attending the program. 

STUDENTS PLANNING ON MULTIPLE STUDY AWAY PROGRAMS WITHIN A GIVEN ACADEMIC OR CALENDAR YEAR

Students who are enrolling in multiple programs, whether individual blocks or longer programs, within the same calendar or academic year should meet with Global Education BEFORE CONFIRMATION OF ENROLLMENT to ensure that additional visas are not required.  Even in countries which allow entry without a visa, the entry period is often limited to a 90-day visit within any 6-month span.  When enrolling in multiple programs, the duration of stay may exceed 90 days, which creates a visa concern.  Since most CC-led study away programming is not eligible for longer stay student visas as they are not located at local universities, it may not be possible for a student to complete multiple CC-led programs within the same year due to the limited duration of the tourist visa (entry with passport).  

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS & ENTRY VISAS

International (non-U.S.-citizen) students at Colorado College may have additional costs and requirements related to studying abroad which are not common for U.S. citizens. 

• You may be required to obtain a visa to enter the program’s host country when U.S. citizens do not. Visas commonly require paying a fee.
• You may need to schedule visa appointments through consular offices outside of Colorado and travel independently to these appointments.
• If your program is a CC faculty-led program, you will likely need a letter from Colorado College to support your visa application. Please allow at least two weeks for these letters to be issued before your visa appointment; waiting until the last minute to request these may mean that we do not have time to issue them to you.
• You may need to apply well in advance to obtain a visa appointment.  Do not wait until the final weeks before departure to begin this process. We recommend beginning the visa process as soon as is allowed (for example, Schengen visa applications can now be initiated 180 days/6 months before program departure, rather than the previous 90 days).

CC Financial Aid does not cover these costs connected to applying for visas for any CC block abroad programs. If you believe you will need financial support in order to obtain the necessary visa for a program to which you have been accepted, please contact CC Global Education.  Funds are available (on a limited basis) from Global Education.

In the event a student utilized CC funds in order to obtain their visa for study abroad only to later withdraw from the program, that student may be billed for the visa expenses as these are only supported by CC when the visa leads to participation in study abroad.  It is important that students understand the financial implications of a late withdrawal from a study abroad program.  

Please be aware that the visa application process for some countries may require students to surrender their passport for several weeks or months prior to the start of the study abroad program. These consular requirements may impact students' independent travel plans. Visa requirements should be investigated and considered by all applicants prior to planning independent travel (including travel over breaks or arriving early to your program site). All students are required to be in possession of the proper visa documentation in order to participate in our program.

Country-specific visa instructions and resources are available, and students should investigate requirements well in advance. You can find your host country's embassy webpage through the U.S. Department of State's webpage. You should ALWAYS refer to the visa instructions on your host country's embassy webpage, as information and deadlines can change with no advance notice.

Starting January 8, 2025, all travelers to the United Kingdom who do not normally need a visa, including all U.S., Canadian, Australian, EU nationals, or Mexican passport holders as well as those from several other nations will need to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).  This is like a visa, but the process is much easier, cheaper, and faster. 

The ETA is required both for those traveling to the UK and for anyone traveling through the UK to get to other destinations. At present, the ETA is not required for travelers who do not clear customs at a UK airline, remaining in the "secure zone" of the airport before a connecting flight, however, this is a temporary exception which may be changed in the near future.  Travelers with connecting flights in the UK should continue to monitor news about ETA requirements in case the flight connection exception is repealed. 

All students participating in study abroad in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland will be required to obtain ETA authorization.  

If you are studying outside of the UK but plan to visit the UK or even to simply change planes at London's Heathrow or Gatwick airports on your way to other countries, you too need to get the ETA before you travel.

WHAT IS THE ETA?

The ETA is a required travel authorization needed both for travel to the United Kingdom or for transit through the UK on your way to another nation.  It is an electronic document that will be linked to your passport.  Airlines will require proof of the ETA in order for you to board a flight to any UK airport.  

WHO IS REQUIRED TO HAVE AN ETA? 

The ETA is required for all travelers from non-visa countries, which includes those traveling with passports from the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and a long list of other non-visa countries.  Students from outside the USA can check their eligibility here.  If your country is not listed, it likely means you need to acquire an entry visa, a longer and more complex process.  You should speak with Global Education if this is the case. 

HOW DO I GET AN ETA? 

The ETA app for your phone is the recommended way to apply for (and access) your ETA visa. This website includes links to download the App for iPhone or Android:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta#apply-for-an-eta

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE ETA?

While the online application takes only minutes, approval can take 3-7 days.  Do not leave this until the last minute.  Apply at least 1 week before travel if not earlier to ensure your travel is possible.

WHAT DOES AN ETA COST?

Currently the ETA will cost £10  (roughly $13-$14) and payment is made online as you complete the application.

DO I NEED A NEW ETA FOR EACH TRIP TO/THROUGH THE UK? 

No.  Once approved, the ETA is valid for 2 years or until your passport expires and is valid for multiple journeys during that span.

 WHAT DO I NEED TO HAVE WHEN I APPLY? 

You will need to have your valid passport, contact information, and a method of payment (credit card).  It will require a photo, but this can be taken by the app as you are applying.  You are not required to have your flights or a set travel plan in place to obtain the ETA. 

WILL THE ETA ALSO ALLOW ME TO ENTER THE EU? 

Unfortunately, no.  When the EU’s version of a transit visa, called ETIAS, goes into effect, it will also be needed for those traveling to the EU, so if you plan to visit both the UK and any EU or Schengen country, you will need both an ETA and an ETIAS.  This is also true even if you are only flying through London to reach the EU.  

TIPS FOR USING THE ETA APP ON YOUR PHONE

• Cost: £10 via credit card online ($13.08 as of November 27, 2024)
• What will you need to apply: Passport, contact information, photo of applicant (this can be taken directly in the app), and method of payment. You will not be asked for travel details.
• You can leave the app anytime, but you will need to start the application over from the beginning
• Your email will need to be verified via a code sent to that email. You have ten minutes to enter the code.

• It might be helpful to place the passport on a dark background.
• If the app can't find your chip, you can keep pressing the try again button as many times as necessary. 
• Try to open the passport and scan only the inside of the last/back page of the US Passport.  
• Make sure the phone is pressed evenly against the passport.
• Position the phone centered onto the passport and slide the phone slowly in the direction of the bottom of the page until it connects

• Be sure to travel with enough of your required medications for the full duration of your program.
• Always pack your medications in carry-on luggage to avoid potential loss.
• Always pack medications in the original bottles and never mixed together.
• Bring along a copy of any prescriptions with the full chemical name of the medication, not the brand name, as those can change region to region.
• Never alter, reduce, or go off of prescription medications that you normally take while traveling.  

MENTAL SELF CARE

Before you travel, take some time to consider the coping mechanisms that you most often and most successfully use to help you deal with stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative feelings.  Travel can be quite stressful and you want to ensure that you have strategies in place to help you cope with difficult times.  It is especially important that you consider what strategies will be available to you while you are away from home and to "pack" those strategies with you. 

DISCUSS BEFORE YOU GO

If you regularly work with medical or mental health care professionals at home, be sure to speak with them before you travel to discuss strategies and recommendations to maximize your wellbeing while you are in a new, often challenging, environment.  This may include discussion of current treatments and medications, recommendations based on the location, inoculations which might be recommended, and any strategies to help you better cope with the insecurities and stressors of travel. 

Colorado College Staff and Faculty will never require any inoculations or preventative medications (ex. anti-malarials) unless proof of inoculation is required for entry to the program's destination country.  All decisions about which, if any, preventative treatments a student should acquire are decisions between the students and their physicians.  

We do, however, recommend that you visit the Centers for Disease Control travel health advisory pages for all countries you will be visiting and discuss the information found there with your physician to develop a plan for illness prevention that works for you. 

The following are trusted travel information resources which you might wish to consult before embarking on a study away program, either through Colorado College or one of our approved partner organizations:

VISAS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• U.S. Government List of Embassies and Consular Offices
• Search for Visa Requirements by country
• Understanding the new ETIAS visa for travel to the EU for 90 days or less.

TRAVEL HEALTH

• Centers For Disease Control Travel Health
• Fit For Travel (The UK's travel health page, similar to the CDC pages)
• World Health Organization Travel Health Information

TRAVEL SAFETY

• International SOS: The organization CC uses for travel advisories and support.  Requires log-in with CC Membership ID (11BSGC000027).
• Worldpackers: 15 Travel Safety Tips Everyone Should Know. 
• Penn State U.:  They have put together a very nice, concise package of advice for student travelers

TRAVELING WITH CULTURAL SENSITIVITY

• Intentional Travelers:  A good article on topics to consider/research before you go. 
• Worldpackers: Another good article from this site. 
• Omnivagant: One last article on how to travel well.