Passport & Visa Information

For summer programs less than 90 days in Barcelona and London, only a valid passport is required. Summer program participants in Florence and Paris will be required to obtain a student visa for their time abroad.

Semester, quarter, and year students attending programs (or expecting to stay) in excess of 90 days are required to obtain proper visa documentation from the appropriate consular office of their host country. For students participating in the GSE London study abroad program, you do not need a visa for semester participation, only for the full academic year.

GSE will guide students through this process and direct them to the appropriate consular office. However, it is the responsibility of the individual student to obtain necessary visas. GSE cannot intervene for students who do not acquire appropriate passports or visas. While each country has its own specific requirements, issuance of a student visa generally requires verification of enrollment in a foreign institution of learning, a financial statement guaranteeing the student will have access to adequate funds during their stay, and other forms or documents required by the consulate. All students applying for a visa should do so no sooner than 90 days prior to and no later than six weeks before their date of departure from the United States. If all documentation is accurate and adequate, visas for some countries can usually be issued on the same day. Please go to the following consular websites that correspond to the your country of study for more information.

US Passports:
Passports

Foreign Embassies and Consulates in the United States:
Spanish Consulates
Argentine Consulates
Italian Consulates
British Consulates
French Consulates
Australian Consulates