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Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses

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Passports and Visas

Passport

You will need a valid passport to study abroad, meaning that it will not expire within three to six months after your flight home. If you do not have a valid passport and are considering study abroad, you should apply for or renew your passport as early as possible.

Learn how to apply for your U.S. passport and review current processing times.

Passport Deadlines

For long-term study abroad programs (semester and year) and some summer programs, U.S. passport-holders will need a study visa to study abroad. You need a valid passport to apply for your visa, so plan to have your passport in-hand or an expedited passport appointment by the program application deadline. Contact if you have any questions.

If you already have a passport, double-check the expiration date. Your passport needs to be valid at least 3 months after your flight home, meaning it cannot expire less than three months after your flight home. Some countries require a valid passport for 6 months after your return home.

Study Visa

If your destination requires you to apply for a visa, you’ll apply to the consulate of your host country for the visa before you depart. For some programs, you need to apply for the visa as early as the program application deadline to have enough time to complete required visa paperwork, so plan to have your passport in-hand or an expedited passport appointment by the program application deadline. Once the consulate issues your visa, it will be stamped inside your passport. The visa process typically requires you to submit your actual passport along with supporting documents to the consulate for several weeks or more. The Education Abroad office has no control over processing times which are determined by the consulates. We therefore strongly discourage you from traveling outside of the U.S. between the program application deadline and the program start date. If you must travel before your program, please contact Education Abroad to discuss the feasibility of your plans. 

Read below for more information about visas by program type.

Temple University Rome

A study visa is required for U.S. citizens who study in Italy for a semester or academic year, and for some non-U.S. citizens studying in Italy in the summer.

All students  participating in the Temple Rome program who live or study in the jurisdiction of the Italian Consulate of Philadelphia will participate in the batch submission process. This means that we will collect your visa materials and submit them to the Italian Consulate on your behalf. If you live or study in another part of the U.S. (or abroad), you will apply to the Consulate closest to your permanent address. We will provided detailed instructions for the visa application to accepted students, and we will assist you throughout the process.

Temple University Japan

A study visa is required for U.S. citizens who study in Japan for a semester or academic year, and for some non-U.S. citizens studying in the summer. Before you can apply for the student visa, you first apply for and obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the Japanese government. We share detailed instructions for the COE application with accepted students, and we offer workshops and info sessions to guide you through the process.

Once you receive your COE, we will provide detailed instructions on how to apply for your student visa. All students apply for a visa independently at the Consulate within their jurisdiction.

Temple in Spain

A study visa is required for U.S. citizens who study in Spain for a semester or academic year, and for some non-U.S. citizens studying in the summer.

All students who participate in the Temple in Spain program who live or study in the jurisdiction of the Spanish Consulate of New York will submit their passport and visa materials to Education Abroad. We will submit the applications to the Consulate on your behalf. If you live or study in another part of the U.S. (or abroad), you will apply to the Consulate closest to your permanent address. We will provided detailed instructions for the visa application to accepted students, and we will assist you throughout the process.

Please note that some Consulates require students to submit visa applications in person. At the time of writing, the Spanish Consulate in New York allows study abroad staff to appear in person on behalf of each student. If that procedure changes, Education Abroad will notify applicants immediately. 

Faculty-led Summer Programs

Visa requirements for summer programs vary by country and citizenship. If you are participating in a Temple faculty-led summer program and are required to obtain a visa, we will help you with the process. We will provide more details about visa requirements to all accepted students.

Exchange Programs

A study visa is required for U.S. citizens participating in exchange programs. Guidance for non-U.S. citizens may be different. Education Abroad and your host university will provide guidance about the process after you are accepted.

External Programs

If you’re studying on an external program, check with your external program if a study visa is required. Most study abroad providers will offer assistance with the visa process. 

Non-U.S. Citizens
  • If you’re not a U.S. citizen, start researching visa requirements for the country you’re planning to travel to. Review what requirements apply to your citizenship and map out the timeline to meet these requirements. 
  • If you're an international student studying in the U.S., make sure you check with ISSS how to maintain your U.S. visa status (F-1 or J-1) while participating in your study abroad program. Your U.S. study visa should be valid from the program application deadline until after your program's end date. If your U.S. study visa (F-1 or J-1) expires before your program's end date, please contact Education Abroad immediately. Consult the ISSS office to ensure you understand and comply with U.S. re-entry requirements. 

Passport Scholarship

If you’re a freshman or first-year transfer student at Temple and have never applied for a passport, make sure to apply for Temple’s Passport Scholarship to help cover the cost of your passport fees.