Basic passport information for instructors

When planning a study abroad trip, remember:

• The U. S. State Department website has great information on passports, visas, travel restrictions, etc.

• It is up to you, the instructor, to determine what is needed for your study abroad trip based on your travel plans.

• You must make sure you and your students have all the required documents needed before, during and after your travel.

• You must make sure your students fully understand that not having the required documents could jeopardize their eligibility to travel.

• To help with this, you should have some type of clause (or check with your university’s Study Abroad Office to see if they have a clause) that explains what will happen should the student fail to provide all the required documents.

• The instructor must determine if the country(ies) they plan to visit require a valid passport and/or visa. However, most study abroad programs that last less than 90 days usually do not require a separate study visa.

• To determine whether a visa is needed to study abroad in a country, you should check the U.S. Department of State Travel website.