Travel Documents: Visas
Statement of Student Responsibility (Taken from the BOSP Participation Agreement)
"I understand that I am subject to the laws and immigration regulations of the host country and agree to abide by all such laws and regulations. I am responsible for completing all the necessary steps to obtain a visa (if required) in a timely manner and am responsible for associated costs. I understand that I am fully responsible for the visa process and Stanford University cannot guarantee that the appropriate visa will be issued to me."
NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VISAS? Students Abroad: Visas
BOSP's recommended visa and passport service provider: A BRIGGS Passport and Visa Expeditors
Visas
A visa is an endorsement or stamp inserted by consular officials of a foreign country into a passport that legally authorizes the bearer to visit, study, reside, or work in that foreign country for a specified time period. For the purposes of the Bing Overseas Studies Program, the majority of visa applications made by Stanford students are student visas.
It is the students’ responsibility to obtain any and all required visas before departing for their program location.
For up-to-date information on visa requirements per program location, please go to the website of the U.S. consulate or embassy of the country that you will traveling to.
U.S Citizens going to the Berlin, Florence, Madrid, and Paris Programs:
Germany, Italy, France, and Spain are all part of the 25 countries that signed the Schengen Agreement. This agreement standardizes visa requirements and eliminates border control between them. As a U.S. citizen, you may continuously travel within the Schengen countries for 90 out of 180 days. Most quarter-long programs are between 75-85 days, leaving few additional days for travel. For more information regarding the Schengen countries, please go here: Schengen Fact Sheet.
Most students applying for a visa will use the following local consulates:
Australia
Embassy of Australia
Beijing
Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in San Francisco
Berlin
German Consulate General San Francisco
Cape Town
South African Consulate-General Los Angeles
Florence
Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco
Kyoto
Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco
Madrid
Consulate of Spain in San Francisco
Moscow
Consulate General of Russia San Francisco
Oxford
UK Border Agency
Paris
Consulate General of France in San Francisco
Santiago
Consulate General of Chile in San Francisco
Seminars
See A BRIGGS Passport and Visa Expeditors
Non-U.S. Citizens and U.S. Permanent Residents
Depending on their nationality, non-U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States are normally required to apply for a visa for all of our overseas programs. We recommend that these students request visa information (free of charge) from A BRIGGS as soon as possible through the following link:
https://www.abriggs.com/signup/non_us_form.php
All participating non-U.S. citizens who are studying at Stanford on a F-1 or J-1 status, need to request a “travel signature” on their DS-2019 (formerly IAP-66) or I-20 from Bechtel International Center before departure. You will be permitted to re-enter the U.S. on the same student status only if you get this signature before you leave. For more information go to the Bechtel International Center at Stanford University website.
U.S. Citizens
BOSP Centers where a visa is ALWAYS REQUIRED:
Australia, Beijing, Kyoto, Moscow, Barcelona
BOSP Centers where a visa is SOMETIMES REQUIRED:
Florence, Madrid, Paris, Cape Town and some Overseas Seminars
For up-to-date information on international visa requirements as a U.S. citizen, please visit the “Country Specific Information” section of the U.S. Department of State website or A BRIGGS.