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Visa Information

What is a visa?

A visa is a passport stamp or document that authorizes the passport holder to enter a country for a specific purpose and particular period of time. Every country has different visa policies and arrangements with every other country. Different types of visas are available for different purposes; common types include tourist visas, student visas, or business visas. Different visas last for different durations of time. Visas are issued through the embassy or consulate of the appropriate host country. The process is extensive and can take up to eight weeks (or more) to receive your visa. To avoid early expiration, the consulate will issue your visa no more than 90 days prior to your program's departure.

Do I need a visa?

To determine if your academic year program requires a visa, please check the grid below by locating your program and term. To determine if your summer Faculty-Led program requires a visa, please contact the IP Office.

Visas Required Before Arrival for U.S. Passport Holders*

 

Academic Year

2025-2026

Fall Only 2025

Spring Only 2026

Summer 2025

Buenos Aires

YES

YES

YES

NO

Florence

YES

YES

YES

NO

Heidelberg

---

---

---

NO

Switzerland

YES

YES

YES

NO

London

YES

---

---

NO

Milan Spring

N/A

N/A

NO**

N/A

Faculty Led 

N/A

N/A

N/A

Japan - NO

Fiji - NO

Madrid - NO

Kenya - YES

London Legatum - YES

SURJ - YES

For programs in which students must obtain visas, all students are required to attend mandatory visa workshops. Click your program above for detailed visa instructions and workshop information.

*Visas may also be required for the Educational Field Trip or International Study Tour. The IP abroad staff will either give you instructions if you need to obtain this visa before arrival or they will assist you in obtaining the visa after arrival at your program.

**Not required for US passport holders. Students will need to consider that US citizens can use the Schengen visa for 90 out of 180 days. US passport holders can be in Europe without a visa for summer 2026 programs for 55 days which may impact students’ participation in summer 2026 EU-based programs (Florence, Heidelberg, Switzerland).

Visa Requirements by Program

  Buenos Aires 

Do I need a visa?

Academic Year, Fall Only and Spring Only Programs:

  • If you are a U.S. passport holder, you must obtain an Argentinian Student Visa.
  • If you are a non-U.S. passport holder, you will most likely be required to obtain a visa before arrival in Argentina for all terms. Please contact our office prior to applying for more information.

Summer Programs:

  • If you are a U.S. passport holder, you do not need to obtain a visa.
  • If you are a non-U.S. passport holder, you will most likely be required to obtain a visa before arrival in Argentina for all terms. Please contact our office prior to applying for more information.

How do I obtain a visa?

Learn how to obtain a visa by attending the mandatory visa workshop for your term:

Visa Workshop: Sept. 18 8:30-10:00am
An invitation will be sent out to students enrolled in the program term(s) as the workshop date approaches.

 

  Florence

Do I need a visa?

Academic Year, Fall Only and Spring Only Programs:

  • If you are from within the European Union (also including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), you do not need a visa.
  • If you are from a country outside the European Union, you must obtain an Italian National Visa for Study. This applies to all U.S. passport holders.

Summer Programs:

  • If you are from within the European Union (also including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), you do not need a visa.
  • If you are a U.S. passport holder, you do not need a visa as you will remain in the country for fewer than 90 days.
    If you are from a country not listed above, you may be required to obtain a short-term Schengen visa. Check here to determine if a visa is required for your country. More information about how to obtain a visa will be sent to you by the IP Office.

How do I obtain a visa?

Learn how to obtain a visa by attending the mandatory visa workshop for your term:

 
Visa Workshop: Sept. 4 8:30-10:00am
An invitation will be sent out to students enrolled in the program term(s) as the workshop date approaches.

  Heidelberg

Do I need a visa?

Academic Year, Fall Only and Spring Only Programs:

  • If you are from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, or South Korea, you do not need to obtain a visa before arrival to study in Germany. However, you will need to register at the local Residents' Registration Office and the Aliens' Registration Office (Ausländeramt) to obtain a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) within two weeks of arrival in the country. The Heidelberg program staff will assist you with this process when you arrive, and there is nothing you need to do in advance.
  • If you are from within the European Union (also including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), you do not need to obtain a visa before arrival to study in Germany. However, you will need to register at the local Residents' Registration Office and the Aliens' Registration Office (Ausländeramt) to obtain a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) within two weeks of arrival in the country.  The Heidelberg program staff will assist you with this process when you arrive, and there is nothing you need to do in advance.
  • If you are from a country not listed above, you may be required to obtain a Residence / Long Stay Visa which you must apply for before arriving in Germany. If you are not a U.S. passport holder and must obtain a visa, the IP Office will distribute information to you during the fall semester. Please note that students have historically had issues applying for a long stay visa from outside the United States. Non-U.S. passport holders should consult with the IP Office before applying.

Summer Programs:

  • If you are from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, or South Korea, you do not need to obtain a visa before arrival to study in Germany, as you will remain in the country for fewer than 90 days.
  • If you are from within the European Union (also including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), you do not need a visa.
  • If you are from a country not listed above, you may be required to obtain a Schengen / Short Stay Visa. If you are not a U.S. passport holder and must obtain a visa, the IP Office will distribute information to you during the fall semester.

How do I obtain a visa?

There is no visa workshop for Heidelberg programs. Students from the USA are not required to obtain a visa for any term. If you are not a U.S. passport holder and must obtain a visa, the IP Office will distribute information to you.

Academic Year, Fall Only and Spring Only Programs

More information about Residence / Long Stay Visas can be found on the German Missions in the United States website.

Summer Students

More information about Schengen / Short Stay Visas can be found on the German Missions in the United States website.

  Switzerland 

Do I need a visa?

Academic Year, Fall Only and Spring Only Programs:

  • If you are a U.S. passport holder, you must obtain a visa before arrival in Hauteville.
  • If you are a non-U.S. passport holder, you may be required to obtain a visa. To learn if you need a visa, locate your home country on this list and look to the fourth column ("Visa required for stays of more than 90 days"). More information about how to obtain a visa will be sent to you by the IP Office.

Summer Programs:

  • If you are a U.S. passport holder, you do not need to obtain a visa before arrival in Hautville, as you will remain in the country for fewer than 90 days.
  • If you are a non-U.S. passport holder, you may be required to obtain a visa. To learn if you need a visa, locate your home country on this list and look to the third column ("Visa required for stays of up to 90 days"). More information about how to obtain a visa will be sent to you by the IP Office.

How do I obtain a visa?

Learn how to obtain a visa by attending the mandatory visa workshop for your term:

Visa Workshop: Sept. 11 8:30-10:00am
An invitation will be sent out to students enrolled in the program term(s) as the workshop date approaches.

  London

Do I need a visa?

Academic Year, Fall Only and Spring Only Programs:

  • Academic Year:
    • If you are a U.S. passport holder attending the London Academic Year program, you must obtain a Tier 4 UK Visa.
    • If you are a non-U.S. passport holder (with the exception of UK citizens) attending the London Academic Year program, you must obtain a Tier 4 UK Visa.
  • Fall Only or Spring Only:
    • If you are a U.S. passport holder attending the London Fall Only or Spring Only programs, you do not need to obtain a visa before arrival.
    • If you are a non-U.S. passport holder (with the exception of UK citizens) attending the London Fall Only or the London Spring Only program, you may be required to obtain a Short Term Study visa. To learn if you need a visa, check here.

Summer Programs:

  • If you are a U.S. passport holder attending a London summer program other than the London internship program, you do not need to obtain a visa before arrival. London internship program does require U.S. passport holders to obtain a visa before arrival.
  • If you are a non-U.S. passport holder (with the exception of UK citizens) attending all other London summer programs, you may be required to obtain a Short Term Study visa. To learn if you need a visa, check here.

 

Helpful Links

International Students

Students who are NOT traveling on a U.S. passport will be subject to different visa requirements. It is ultimately the student's responsibility to research, apply for, and obtain the necessary visas for the country they are studying in, and all countries they plan to travel to, including the country for the educational field trip. However, the IP Office will provide basic guidance, support, and assistance in the process of obtaining the visa for your program.

As early as possible, students should visit the website of the host country foreign embassy or consulate located in the U.S. to obtain information about visa requirements and application timeframes. The foreign embassy or consulate in the U.S. may instruct the student to apply for the visa at the foreign embassy or consulate in the student's home country instead, or in some cases, may allow the student to submit the visa application in the U.S. but obtain the visa at the consular post abroad.

Some students may encounter difficulty because of their immigration status in the U.S. Therefore, as early as possible, students must also obtain information regarding the validity of their U.S. visa and/or status. If the F-1 visa in the student's passport has expired or will expire before the student plans to return to the U.S. after completion of study abroad, immediate consultation with the Office of International Student Services (OISS) is recommended. Students who are in the U.S. in a nonimmigrant status other than F-1 (such as E-2, H-4, L-2, etc.), or who are in pending immigrant status, should obtain counsel from their immigration attorney to ensure their ability to return to the U.S. after completion of study abroad. In any event, international students must always consult the OISS before departing the U.S.

NOTE: International students participating in any International Program in Switzerland may or may not have to travel to the Swiss Consulate in San Francisco, CA to obtain their visa.