UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

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Education Abroad

Hooray, you're headed abroad! It's never too early to begin preparing for your experience. The Office of International Education offers a comprehensive pre-departure orientation for students accepted into education abroad programs whether a program is for credit or not. The orientation provides helpful information designed to guide program participants through the entire education abroad experience. In collaboration with other offices on campus, the orientation covers important aspects of education abroad, including remaining healthy and safe while away, obtaining academic credit, and registering for UWRF housing and classes in preparation to return to campus. Orientation will also provide information on passports and visa, and other practical information.

Some of our programs also have smaller, program-specific orientation sessions designed to acquaint participants with the particulars of their chosen program/country/region. Many of our programs also incorporate on-site orientation sessions to familiarize students with their new surroundings and culture after they arrive in their host location.

Additional resources to assist in your planning are also below.

Travel Documents & Passports
All countries to which you travel outside of your home country require you to carry valid travel documents. For most travelers, the requirement is a valid passport. Some travelers will also be required to obtain a visa or other additional documentation. Please check your travel dates and make sure you will arrive back in the United States at least six months before your passport expires.

It is the responsibility of each participant to obtain his/her own passport prior to participating in an education abroad program or international activity. Individual programs will never arrange passports for participants.

You are also encouraged to consider the following when applying for your travel documents: 

  • If the country to which you are traveling requires a visa, you will likely need to send your actual passport along with your visa application. In this situation it is imperative you apply for your passport as early as possible to allow for enough time to still submit a visa application after obtaining your passport. 
  • Though emergencies are extremely rare, you may want to consider whether you have a family member or friend with a valid passport who could travel to you if needed. Details on your coverage under CISI Insurance in this unlikely scenario can be found here. 
  • You will need to submit a photo with your passport application. Many discount retailers and pharmacies will take passport photos. 
  • If your passport is from a country other than the United States, or if you are a U.S. Green Card holder (permanent resident) without a U.S. passport, please contact the Office of International Education as soon as possible for information on obtaining the appropriate documents for travel to your intended destination.