Passports
All travel outside of the U.S. requires a passport. The passport is your official document identifying you as a citizen of the United States or home country.
If you do not currently have a passport you must apply for one as soon as possible! View this checklist to make sure you have all the correct documents before your appointment!
Check out our guide on applying for a passport.
If you already have a passport be sure to check the expiration date. Many countries have passport validity rules or visa specifications that require your passport to be valid for up to six months after you plan on being back in the United States.
The processing time for a passport application can take four to six weeks, so plan ahead.
For U.S. Citizens
To obtain a passport application and for more detailed information on how to apply or renew your passport, visit the U.S. State Department website at: http://travel.state.gov/passport.
For Non-U.S. Citizens
To obtain or renew your passport, please check with your local embassy or consulate. Please verify that your passport is valid for up to six months after you plan on being back in the United States.
Important Passport Reminders
Your passport is the most important document you have when outside of the United States. Know where it is at all times. When you receive your passport, make several copies of the photo and signature pages and keep the copies separate from your baggage. We advise that you also leave a copy with your parents, another family member at home, or digitally stored and password protected. In most host countries (with few exceptions), it is not necessary to carry your passport with you. In fact, you are strongly advised to leave it in a locked and secure place at your domicile, e.g., apartment, dorm, hotel room, or hostel unless otherwise instructed by on-site program staff.
Obtaining a Second Passport
Students applying to semester or academic year programs who are considering traveling internationally prior to their program start date may want to consider applying for a second passport. In most cases, the consulate will ask that you surrender your passport for the duration of the visa processing period and return it to you with the visa enclosed, often via mail. If for example you plan on taking a family vacation outside the U.S. during the summer before fall semester study abroad, you may want to consider applying for a second passport so that you can travel on one passport while surrendering another to the consulate in order to obtain your visa. This is particularly relevant for students applying to programs in countries with extended, in-person visa processes (most notably Spain, Italy, and France) who plan on traveling prior to their semester abroad. Remember that each passport has a unique number assigned to it, so be sure you are being consistent with the passport number used on visa application documents and the actual passport you hand over to the consulate for processing. If you accidentally mix up the two passport numbers, it could cause unnecessary delays. Similar to your first passport, the processing time for a second passport application can take four to six weeks, so plan ahead.You can find more information about applying for a second U.S. passport here.
Visas
Many governments require a visa for entry into their country. A visa, which is a stamp or attachment in your passport, allows you to stay in that specific country for a certain amount of time. Visas are issued by a consulate or embassy of that country. Each country has its own immigration and visa policies. Please make sure you have fulfilled all of the requirements necessary before your departure. Each country has different rules and it is your responsibility to know and understand these rules. You should contact the consulate or embassy of the country to which you are traveling or visit the embassy or consulate’s website. Plan early, some visas applications can take up to three or four months to process! A valid passport with a sufficient number of blank pages is needed prior to applying for a visa.
For U.S. Citizens
For a list of foreign entry requirements and consular contact numbers visit http://travel.state.gov and review your host country’s fact sheet. Alternatively, verify the visa requirements with the embassy or consulate of the country to which you are traveling.
For Non-U.S. Citizens
Please verify the visa requirements with the embassy or consulate of the country to which you are traveling. In addition, if you are in the U.S. on an F-1 student visa, please also make sure that your F-1 visa is not expired or will expire by the time you wish to return to the U.S. Consult with the Tulane Office of International Students and Scholars for additional guidance.
Important Visa Reminders
Due to the number of programs we work with, and the variety of immigration requirements around the world, the Tulane Office of Study Abroad is unable to assist students with visa arrangements. Your study abroad program, host university and/or the embassy of your host country will have up-to-date instructions available about immigration requirements. You are responsible for seeking out this information and fulfilling these requirements in a timely manner. Failure to attend carefully and in a timely manner to visa requirements may make it impossible for you to study abroad. The NTC Office of Study Abroad cannot advocate on your behalf to the State Department or immigration authorities to accelerate or change visa/passport processes.
