It is a student's responsibility to acquire a passport and visa or residence permit (if applicable) prior to attending their program to ensure their departure from the U.S. and their entry into their study abroad destination.
Even if a student completes all application materials, failing to procure necessary travel documents can impact their ability to participate in a study abroad program. It is critical to apply for these documents early, as there have been many processing delays due to the impacts of COVID-19.
About Passports:
All students must have a passport valid for six months beyond the date of return to the US.
A passport is your key to traveling outside of your home country. With this document you can explore, experience and discover – everyone needs one! A passport also serves as your official identification as a citizen of your home country. This means that you can exit and re-enter the U.S. with a passport. Also, it works as a request to foreign governments to permit you to travel in another country’s territories. Say you’re studying abroad in Italy, for example, and want to head to Croatia for the weekend – you’ll need your passport to get across the border.
Give yourself several months before your planned trip to apply for a passport; during peak application times it can take up to 18 weeks to receive the final document in the mail. You also want to take into account the time of year you are applying as demand for passports goes up during the spring and summer months. While there are regional agencies that can assist you in getting one quickly, it is more cost efficient and an overall smarter choice to plan ahead. For example, if you need a visa, you will not be able to submit a visa application without a passport.
International Students: Please refer to your nation’s Embassy or Consulate for information on how to obtain or renew your passport.
U.S. citizens: Visit the U.S. Passports section on the U.S. Department of State’s website for information on how to obtain or renew your passport. If you already have a passport, make sure it hasn’t expired. A U.S. passport is valid for 10 years for citizens who were 16 or older when the passport was issued.
Passport Costs: To learn more about U.S. passport costs, please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html. If you need a passport in a hurry, you can request an expedited service (to get the passport to you in about twelve weeks) when you apply in person, for an additional $60 per application. If you are traveling within the next two weeks and really need your passport quickly, you’ll have to go to the closest regional passport agency to apply.
Application Materials: To apply for a passport, you will need a passport-sized photo. Walgreens, CVS, and Costco all provide passport photo services. Below is a list of the closest locations to campus.
Ad West Mail and Copy Center:
59 Washington St.
Santa Clara, CA
This center takes SCU Access Flex Points
Walgreens:
200 N. Winchester Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95050
CVS:
3081 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Costco:
1601 Coleman Ave.
Santa Clara, CA 95050
About Visas:
Some students may also need a visa or residence permit. Whether you need a visa depends on several factors: what the nationality of your passport is, your destination(s), and the duration of your study abroad program. You cannot apply for your visa until you have completed Phase 2 of the application process and are officially accepted by your study abroad program provider or host institution. You can, however, begin gathering the necessary supplemental documents.
Visa application procedures vary from country to country and consulate to consulate. Some countries require you to apply in person at their consulate, while others require you to submit your application by mail. Be prepared to send out your visa application at least two months in advance, and don’t forget to make copies of your visa and visa number just in case. The processing time for a visa will depend on the country/consulate you are applying to and your country of citizenship. The process may take as little as one day and as long as ninety days.
Often, the hardest part of obtaining a student visa is scheduling the appointment at the consulate. Students should work to schedule their appointments as early as possible (most consulates will not accept visa appointments more than 90 days in advance of the start of the study abroad program) to ensure the issuance of their visa and to receive their passport and documents with time to spare prior to departure.
International Students: Each country’s visa has a different application and you will have to work with the embassy of the country you wish to visit to find out the details. Contact the embassy of the countries you'll be studying abroad in (and visiting) for the most up-to-date requirements and guidance.
Be sure to review the requirements by the foreign embassy carefully. You should also be in touch with an International Students & Scholars (ISS) advisor to ensure that you have all in order with your US documentation so that you can re-enter the US without incident after your program ends.
U.S. citizens: Each country’s visa has a different application and you will have to work with the embassy of the country you wish to visit to find out the details. Contact the embassy of the countries you'll be studying abroad in (and visiting) for the most up-to-date requirements and guidance.
Visa Support: Your program provider or host institution may have guidance and tips for navigating the visa process. Most study abroad programs will provide students with a guide of how to apply for a student visa and will give detailed instructions on how to contact the embassy/consulate to verify the application procedure and needed supplemental documents. If your study abroad program offers the option to batch process your student visa (student gathers the needed visa documents, sends them to the study abroad program provider and the provider submits the visa application to the consulate on the student's behalf) we highly recommend this option.
Visa Costs: The fees associated with applying for a visa vary from country to country. Currently, the costs of visas range from as little as US $30 to over US $500, not including the costs of traveling to and from the embassy/consulate.Furthermore, the fees may change frequently and with no notice. You are responsible for paying the consular fee for your visa.
Application Materials: The documents required for a visa application also vary from country to country, and can even vary from consulate to consulate for the same country. Examples of documents required for a visa application may include such items as:
- Your passport (the consulate keeps your passport while it processes your visa application)
- Visa applications generally require an acceptance letter, also known as an enrollment verification or visa letter, from the university abroad or study abroad program. If you need one, please complete the Enrollment Verification - Request Form as soon as possible. SCU Study Abroad will communicate via email when your letter is ready for pick up at Global Engagement (Aloysius Varsi Hall, 1st Floor).
- Proof of financial means
- Round-trip plane ticket or flight itinerary
- Proof of health insurance
- A police report from your local police department
Notary Services:
PostalAnnex: 2010 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95050
Embassies & Consulates:
Here is a complete list of official U.S. Embassies and Consulates.
Santa Clara University requires all students to register their presence abroad with the US embassy in their host country. Registration may be accomplished easily prior to departure through the Department of State's Smart Traveler's Enrollment Program (STEP). Enrolling in STEP makes your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary for a consular officer to contact you in an emergency. During a disaster overseas, American consular officers can assist in evacuation, if necessary, but they cannot assist you if they do not know where you are. If you are not a US citizen, contact your country's embassy.
An Embassy is a country's main diplomatic office in another county, usually in the capital city of the host country, where the ambassador resides. An embassy provides crucial help for students in the event of a major or minor emergency. Students who lose essential documents, experience medical issues, or become victims of a crime while abroad should contact the nearest embassy. The U.S. government operates embassies in most, but not all, foreign countries.
A Consulate is a building where the Consul General can be found. The Consul General is an official appointed by a government to reside in a foreign country and represent his or her government's commercial interests and assist its citizens there. Consulates serve similar purposes as an embassy, but usually do not offer the same variety of services.