Study Abroad

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Passports and Visas

A passport is your official identification as a United States citizen. A passport is needed to enter and leave the United States and to enter and leave foreign countries.

You MUST have a valid passport to study outside of the United States. Your passport must be valid for at least six (6) months after a program’s end date.

Furthermore, a passport will be needed when applying for a student visa.

Passport applications can take up to  14 weeks to process. Apply for your passport AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to avoid delays caused by high demand.

  • Routine passports will take 14 weeks
  • Expedite passports will take 10 weeks

1) List of documents:

  • ORIGINAL Birth Certificate OR
  • ORIGINAL Certificate of Naturalization
  • Passport size Photo 2″ x 2″
    • Walmart, CVS, Walgreen, Rolling Hill library charges $10 for a photo
  • PRIMARY IDs (One from listed below):
    • Photo ID (usually a driver license)
    • Official military or military dependent ID
    • Current (valid) foreign passport
    • Government employee identification card
  • SECONDARY IDs (One from listed below):
    • State-issued identification cards
    • Work or Industrial identification card
    • College identification card
    • Expired Driver’s License
  • DS-11 Form

Parents’ information is required: Date of Birth, Location of Birth, & Mother’s MAIDEN Name.

3) FAQ

4) Appointments

For more information, instructions, and download the application form, visit the U.S. Department of State website.

Some students require visas in order to take part in study abroad and exchange program experiences.

These students generally fall into three categories:

  1. US citizens who plan to study abroad for an extended time period
  2. Incoming international students to Missouri Western who plan to study abroad through an established Missouri Western program
  3. Students participating in short-term study abroad trips when visas are required by the country being visited

For category 3, the faculty member leading the trip should consult with the Office of Global Engagement, but the faculty member should be responsible to work with the students to obtain necessary visas. The faculty member should begin her/his investigation by contacting the relevant embassies.

For categories 1 and 2, the traveling student is responsible for ascertaining what visas are needed and for obtaining his or her own visas. The student must contact the embassies of the appropriate countries to learn current, authoritative information on the requirements for their planned travel. Visas may take weeks or even months to process, and we encourage students to apply as soon as they know they will be traveling.

Traveling to an embassy to apply for a visa can be difficult for some students, and they may wish to use a third-party visa assistance company. Although the Office of Global Engagement does not recommend one specific company above another, we have researched and compiled a partial list of reputably rated companies to assist students in obtaining this service. Please note that many other companies also offer these services.

  • VisaCentral is a website that can assist users by detailing the visa requirements for different countries, depending on the traveler’s nationality and the location they wish to visit. https://visacentral.com/.

Passport and visa service companies, along with their Better Business Bureau ratings, include but are not limited to:

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