After Approval

After Approval

Travel

International flights. Unless your program includes a mandatory flight, shop around for the best fares. If the flight is optional, you might find a better fare than the group rate, or want a later return date. You can book through Hewins/Carlson Wagonlit Travel (207.729.6261), conveniently based in Brunswick, or one of the many online services, which include Kayak.com, STA Travel, Travel Cuts, Orbitz, Travelocity, and Travelzoo. When booking your return trip, allow plenty of time for final exams, which Bowdoin requires you to take if they are open to you; note that exam dates may be provisional as currently published. If there is a chance that you may extend your stay for a time, inquire when booking into the costs of making changes to your return date; change fees vary considerably.

Passports & visas. Apply for a passport well in advance, especially if you will need a visa in addition. US passport applications are accepted in Brunswick at the Post Office and the Town Clerk's Office, and at State Department offices in large cities. Go to the State Department website for the complete requirements and application forms. You must have proof of citizenship (an expired passport, a certified copy of your birth certificate -- not a hospital birth certificate or photocopy -- with the embossed seal of the city or town in which you were born, or a naturalization certificate); identification (a valid driver's license, an expired passport, or a naturalization certificate); and two passport-type photographs. U.S. passports for adults are valid for ten years; note that some countries require that a passport be valid for six months beyond the intended return date to the U.S.

Your program will give you information on entry requirements for your country of destination, and in some cases will be able to batch-process visas for program participants. But it is also worth visiting the website of the appropriate embassy or consulate through the Electronic Embassy, Embassy World, or the State Department's list of foreign consular offices in the US. Allow plenty of time: you may need to send your passport to the consulate over two months before the start of your program. You can generally apply at the consulate with jurisdiction either over your home state or over Maine. There is much variation among countries (and even among the same country's consulates), and regulations often change. You may need to provide notarized documentation of such matters as financial support, confirmation of enrollment in your host university, and required immunizations. If you are applying in person at a consulate, bring the phone number for your provider so that you can contact them if necessary.  If you are not applying in person at a consulate, send your passport by certified mail. Please note that the visa application process may make travel abroad before your program begins impossible, and that US citizens may usually not apply for a visa at foreign consulates outside the US.

In most cases, you will need to pay a fee for a student visa, which is usually a seal or stamp added to your passport (Australia issues an electronic entry permit). In the UK, an entry clearance (like a visa, attached to your passport) is needed for visits of more than six months. Some countries (such as Ireland) do not require a visa, but immigration authorities will need to see a confirmation of enrollment letter from your university.

In many countries you may not take paid employment while on a student visa, or you will need to follow special regulations. Finally, be sure to take into account any vacation travel which would make it necessary to obtain a visa to reenter your host country, or to extend your stay.

If you need a notary public for this or another part of the OCS application process, the Bowdoin website has a list of Bowdoin administrators who are qualified as notaries.

If you are not a US citizen, check the regulations with the consulate of the country in which you will be traveling, or with your own consulate.

For entry into any country, have the following handy in case you need to show them to immigration authorities: a copy of your program or university admission letter; your round-trip plane ticket; and proof that you have sufficient funding (bank account information, financial aid documentation, etc.) to support you while in the country.

Passport photos are obtainable at a number of Brunswick businesses. CVS in Merrymeeting Plaza (Cooks Corner) charges a reasonable rate, about $8.00 for a sheet of photos. Be sure to ask for the official passport size. Get plenty of photos while you have the chance, as you will be surprised at how many you will need for various forms and cards.

International Student Identity Card. Many students find it advantageous to have an ISIC, the internationally recognized card that entitles holders to various student discounts worldwide (e.g., museum entries, theater tickets, air fares). Ask students who have studied in your destination country how useful they found the card; some universities issue student IDs that give similar discounts. The ISIC also provides basic health and accident insurance for travel outside the U.S. and access to a 24-hour toll-free help line, staffed by representatives who can offer help in a medical, financial, or legal emergency. Under a pilot trial, the card is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. Go to the ISIC website for further details of benefits.

Bowdoin's OCS Office is an official ISIC Issuing Office. To obtain a card, give us an application (available from the office, or here in PDF format), with one passport-size photo, and a fee of $22.00 (cash or a check payable to Bowdoin College); because of state and federal laws over verification of birthdate, you will also need to present a form of state or government-issued identification (driver's license or passport). If you have been approved to study off campus, we can verify your full-time student status; you do not need to have your application signed by the registrar. Depending on how busy we are in the office, we will usually be able to make the card up for you on the spot or in one or two days. If you apply to us by mail, please include a photocopy of your driver's license or passport data page, and add $1.00 for postage to a US address. Before you purchase, make sure that you will not receive a free card through your program.