Passports and Visas

• A visa is an endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period within a country.
   
• Though our office doesn't personally advise students on the visa process, the steps below can help most students identify if a visa is needed for your program.
   
• It is your responsibility to determine if you need a visa to participate in an off-campus program.  
   
• Failure to obtain a visa when one is required could result in removal from your program and/or legal issues in-country and your ability to receive academic credit for the program. For this reason, we highly recommend you obtain your visa before you travel to avoid delays or being barred from entering the country.

Since our faculty-directed programs tend to be 90 days or less, most students won't require a visa and are considered "tourists" or "visitors."

However, there are some exceptions. It is vital to review visa requirements per country if you fall within any of the following categories.

You may need a visa if you are:

• A student on F-1 visa. Also review the section on International Student Visas below.
• An international student. Ensure you check the official country website and/or TraVisa to review visa requirements for your country of travel making note of the travel dates.
• A US citizen going on back-to-back programs (either through Guarini, Dickey, Rocky, etc. programs) or staying beyond the program dates in the same country and/or in the Schengen zone. Schengen Visa Calculator 
• Going on an exchange program. Since our exchange programs can be the length of a standard semester, exchange students may need to apply for a "student visa."

A note of caution: Although we try to help with these requirements as much as possible, each student's situation is unique so we encourage you to do your due diligence and research to determine that you have all the necessary documents for entry.

New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)

1. If you are not a citizen of the US or a European country, check here to ensure you are from a visa waiver country. If your citizenship country is not on this list, you will need to apply for a student visa, which is a different process.

2. Submit a waiver through the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority-NZeTa. We encourage you to download the applicable app to your phone and submit the waiver online so you can also check in more easily when you arrive in New Zealand.
3. Everyone traveling to New Zealand by air, including New Zealand citizens, must complete a Traveller Declaration and receive a Traveler Pass before departure.

Vietnam E-Visa

1. Instructions are provided directly by the ASCL department faculty director for the program and completed as a group.

United Kingdom European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS)

1. Starting in 2025. Information about the ETIAS can be found on the NAFSA website.

TraVisa or Local Consulate (Online or in-person)

Use the list of consulates to contact the nearest consulate that serves Dartmouth students. Please note that several consulates are short-staffed. With that in mind, the visa process can take upwards of 8-12 weeks and maybe more in some places. The wait times will change based on the consulate location and staffing. Please plan ahead to make sure you have all of your documents in time for travel.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR SUMMER PROGRAM APPLICANTS: 

Due to the quick turnaround of summer programs and the backlog of local consulates that process visas, we highly encourage international students OR students who know their location requires a visa who are considering applying to summer programs to schedule an appointment for late March or early April with the local country's consulate (usually located in Boston) as if you were already accepted and committed to the summer program. That way, if you are accepted and commit, then you won't have to wait an inordinate amount of time for an appointment and therefore more likely to ensure you obtain a visa before departure (or if you are not accepted or choose not to commit, you may just cancel the appointment). Additionally, international students should work to obtain the necessary documentation from their country that is necessary to apply for the program country visa (i.e. renew your F-1 visa so that it's valid 3 months beyond the program end date, etc.).

Check the list of local consulates for our programs that serve Dartmouth students.

Entry Requirements

Whether you find you do or do not need a visa, please be sure to review the entry requirements for your countries of travel on the official country website, TraVisa website, the Consulate website, and/or the US Department of State website (for US citizens).

For example, New Zealand requires the New Zealand electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), Vietnam requires an e-Visa, and countries in the European Union (EU) require registration via the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) for entering after November 1, 2023.

Entry Letters

While some program sites may not require US citizens to apply for a visa prior to arrival the immigration officials at the airport will sometimes ask for documentation upon arrival of your student status, this is often the case with the United Kingdom (UK). In this instance, the Guarini Institute will provide you with a letter indicating your student status that you should print and have available when you arrive at your destination. To access this document, log into your program application via the application portal and click on the Documents tab. These letters will be added to your application the term preceding your term away so if there is no letter, or if there is an error in your letter, please notify the Guarini Institute.

Visa Support Letters

The checklist for the country's visa application should indicate if you need a Visa Support Letter. Usually, international students and students going on back-to-back programs (whether through Guarini or some other Dartmouth department) will need a visa support letter.  To access this document, log into your program application via the application portal and click on the Documents tab. These letters will be added to your application the term preceding your term away so if there is no letter, or if there is an error in your letter, please notify the Guarini Institute as soon as you know you will need one (preferably 2 weeks prior to your visa appointment) indicating all the necessary details that should be added to or included in the letter.

IMPORTANT: Students who are studying at Dartmouth on an F-1 visa must review their F-1 visa stamp expiration and research if an in-country visa is needed as well. Make sure your F-1 visa is going to be valid beyond the end of the O or X term. If not, the Consulate in the country where you want to study may deny the visa for that country. It is critical that this process is started very early in the process, ideally before you apply for an off-campus program, but no later than when you commit to your program so that you can ensure you have the documentation you need in time to participate in your program. The Office of Visa and Immigration Services (OVIS) may be able to review your documents with you and advise you on your eligibility for third-country visa applications.

Important Information for International Students from OVIS

• International students should contact OVIS for specific advice on their D-plan before applying for off-campus programs.
• An O or X term may count as an enrolled term for purposes of SEVIS. These terms are regulated by the college therefore the enrollment must be full-time.
• Never take an O, X, or T term:
  • in the term before you want to want use OPT, as the timing for application can be difficult, or
  • in the last term before graduation, as the credits may be delayed, and graduation delayed, and the I-20 could be canceled for Failure to Complete or extend and OPT could be lost.
• Never assume you can just go as a tourist to study in another country – ask Travisa or the consulate for that country.
• Make sure your F-1 visa is going to be valid BEYOND the end of the O or X term. If not, the consulate in the country where you want to study may deny the visa for that country.
• We recommend that you be prepared with an official, sealed, Dartmouth transcript if you know you will be making an F-1 visa application while you are away.
• Remember that security clearances can delay visas for other countries and your passport can be held by the other country while the application is pending – so consider when you have to travel and when you will need your passport.

Meet with your OVIS Advisor to Check Visa Validity

It is critical that students on F-1 visas meet with their OVIS advisor for specific advice on their D-Plan before committing to mention a potential term off-campus. Your advisor will check your visa validity and let you know of any issues before they arise. This is to ensure your F-1 visa is going to be valid BEYOND the end of the off-campus or exchange term. If it is not valid, the consulate in the country where you want to study may deny the visa for that country.

Planning for your Term Away

An off-campus or exchange term may count as an enrolled term for purposes of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS). These terms are regulated by the college therefore the enrollment must be full-time.

Never take an O, X, or T term in the term before you want to want use OPT, as the timing for application can be difficult, or in the last term before graduation, as the credits may be delayed, and graduation delayed, and the I-20 could be canceled for Failure to Complete or extend and OPT could be lost.

CPT work visas are required for students who participate in program internships as part of the Government DC (GOVT 93) and Film and Media Studies LA (FILM 80) programs. 

Prepare Documentation

We recommend that you be prepared with an official, sealed, Dartmouth transcript if you know you will be making an F-1 visa application while you are away.

Remember that security clearances can delay visas for other countries and your passport can be held by the other country while the application is pending – so consider when you must travel and when you will need your passport.

Never assume you can study in another country as a tourist. Consult Travisa or the consulate for that country.

The Guarini Institute will provide you with a visa support letter or entry letter upon request and make it available in your program application under the "Documents" tab. It your responsibility to understand the visa requirements for your host country and gather the appropriate documentation.  You should review all of your materials for accuracy prior to submitting them to the appropriate consulate or visa agency. 

Questions?

If you have any other questions about traveling on an F-1 visa, please contact the Office of Visa and Immigration Services (OVIS).