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Passports | Renewing Your Passport | Visas | Obtaining
a Visa | Customs | Legal Issues | Safety | Health | Health
and Travel Insurance | Travel Guides | U.S.
Embassies & Consulates Abroad | Travel/Student
Sites | TraveLearn | Travel with Disabilities
Passports
A passport is an official government document that certifies
your citizenship and identity and permits you to travel abroad.
Some countries require that your passport be valid 6 months beyond
your expected return date. U.S. passports are issued only to U.S.
citizens or nationals. The procedure for applying for a passport can be
found at travel.state.gov/passport/
You will need to apply for a passport in person if you have never
had one before, if your passport was issued before your 16th birthday,
or if your passport is more than 15 years old. Allow 6-8 weeks
for processing. You will need the following to apply for a new passport:
- A passport application form (Form DS-11 - go to travel.state.gov/passport/forms_DS11.html to download an application.)
- Proof of Citizenship (a certified birth certificate with a
raised seal, a previous passport, consular report of birth
abroad, Naturalization certificate or Certificate of Citizenship)
- Proof of Identity (previous passport, driver's license
or government ID - a social security card is not sufficient proof
of identity)
- Two identical 2" x 2" passport photos taken within six months
- $85 passport fee - (subject to change) Check the Department of State Web site for the current fee at travel.state.gov/passport/get_fees.html
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Renewing Your Passport
If you already have a passport and that passport is your most recent one,
it was issued within the past 15 years, and you were over age 16 when it was
issued, you may renew your passport by mail. To do this, download form "DS-82:
Application For Passport By Mail" from travel.state.gov/passport/get_renew.html.
Complete, sign and date it and attach:
- Your most recent passport
- Two identical 2" x 2" passport photos taken within six months
- $55 check or money order made out to Passport Services
If your name has changed since your previous passport was issued, enclose
a certified copy of the court order, adoption decree, marriage certificate
or divorce decree specifying the new name. Photocopies are not acceptable.
If your name has changed by other means, you must apply in person.
If you need your passport in a hurry, you can get an expedited passport.
This will cost you an extra $60 in addition to overnight delivery costs. For
more information, visit the U.S. State Department's Passport Services Web site travel.state.gov/passport/get_first_quickly.html
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Visas
A visa is an official authorization affixed
in a passport that allows a visitor to enter and travel within a country for
a designated time period. The purpose of your visit determines the kind of
visa you are issued (for example, tourist, student, work or business). Almost
all countries require you to have a visa if you want to work or study for a
period longer than three months; some countries require you to obtain an exit
visa. Visas usually contain the following information: visa number, type of
visa, date of issue, date of expiration, number of entries/exits permitted,
authorized period of stay, special conditions, visa fee and place of issue.
Before departure, make sure that you were issued the correct type of visa.
You may be turned away at the port of entry for failure to have the proper
visa.
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Obtaining a Visa
With most study abroad programs, it is the student's responsibility to obtain
his/her visa(s). However, some programs facilitate this process for their
participants; consult your program coordinator for details. You will need
your passport before you apply for a visa, which could take up to 8 weeks
to receive. Contact the embassy or nearest consulate of the country you will
be visiting for visa information. Web sites for embassies and consulates
are included in the program description section of the catalog on the side
bar of the beginning of entries for each country. For countries that are
not represented in this catalog, a general listing of embassies can be found
at www.state.gov/misc/10125.htm or www.embassy.org/embassies.
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Customs
Upon your return to the U.S., you must pass through U.S. Customs. The U.S.
government prohibits bringing certain items obtained abroad into the U.S. or
imposes duties (import taxes) on certain items purchased abroad. If you are
planning to do a lot of shopping abroad, consult the U.S. Customs Web site
at www.customs.ustreas.gov for
more detailed customs information. ^Top
Legal Issues
Remember, you are a visitor and must abide by the laws, regulations and
rules of the host country. Listen carefully to trusted cultural informants,
travel guides and your program director and follow their advice. Do not ignore
program policies or directives. Be aware that legal systems in foreign countries
often do not operate as in the U.S., and often laws and judicial systems
are much stricter. The penalties for possessing even small quantities of
drugs may be much harsher than in the U.S. Participation in political demonstrations
or other political activities may be prohibited for foreigners. ^Top
Safety
Be sure you understand the safety precautions necessary for travel in the
country or countries you will be visiting. The State Department publication, A
Safe Trip Abroad, on the Web at travel.state.gov,
provides many useful tips for safety abroad. You will also find travel tips
for different regions of the world on this web page. Also, look at the Travel
Warnings and Consular Information Sheets maintained by the State Department
at travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html.
If the State Department feels that a country is too dangerous for travel
for U.S. citizens, it will issue a Travel Warning.
Consular Information Sheets give you a general idea of the entry
requirements, medical facilities, crime, driving conditions, criminal penalties
for drug use and the location of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad
for all countries. To help you put the Consular Information Sheet into
perspective, you might also choose to read a sheet for both a country you
consider very dangerous, and one you consider very safe. ^Top
Health
The Web page for the Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov/travel identifies
vaccinations that are recommended for travel to different regions of the
world. Travel Health Online www.tripprep.com offers
more detailed country-specific health and vaccination information. Be sure
to make a pre-travel appointment with your health care provider, county
health department or university travel clinic at least six weeks before
your trip so that you will have time to complete any series of vaccinations.
It is also wise to have a complete physical examination and dental appointment
before traveling abroad. Plan to bring a large enough supply of any regular
medication that you take to last for two weeks longer than you plan to
be abroad. If this is not possible, you should bring a prescription with
the scientific name of your medication, as brand names are different in
each country or region. ^Top
Health and Travel Insurance
It is important that you verify with your provider that your health
insurance covers you while you are abroad, and at the same levels as
when you are home. You may want or need an additional study abroad insurance
policy to cover you for sickness, accidents, emergency evacuation and
repatriation of remains while abroad. You may also wish to explore baggage,
trip cancellation and flight insurance options. Insurance may be offered
as part of your study abroad program; check with your program director.
You can find information on other insurance options through a study abroad
advisor or your travel agent. ^Top
Travel Guides
It is a good idea to purchase a travel guidebook for the country
in which you will be studying. Lonely Planet www.lonelyplanet.com and Let's
Go www.letsgo.com travel
guidebooks are good choices for student travelers.
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U.S. Embassies and Consulates Abroad
U.S. embassies provide services to governments;
U.S. consulates provide services to people, and each embassy has a
consulate attached to it. A U.S. consulate may provide lists of local,
English-speaking doctors, lawyers and notary services, and will replace
lost/stolen passports. Consular staff do not act as interpreters, replace
lost property or serve as lawyers. U.S. embassies or consulates abroad
may be found at travel.state.gov or
by referring to the Consular Information Sheet.
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Useful Travel Web Sites / Student Travel Web sites
AESU: www.aesu.com
DER Travel: www.der.com
STA Travel: www.sta-travel.com
TravelCraft: www.travelcraftusa.com
Country Background Notes: www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn
Currency Converter: www.oanda.com/converter/classic
Time Around the World: www.worldtimeserver.com
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TraveLearn
The University of Mississippi is a member of TraveLearn.
TraveLearn programs are non-credit, short-term, educational courses
held throughout the year in many different destinations. For more information
on TraveLearn, see
www.outreach.olemiss.edu/ProfDev/TraveLearn/.
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Information on Travel for People with Disabilities
Mobility International USA: www.miusa.org
Access Abroad: www.umabroad.umn.edu/access
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