Please take time to review the information below about passport and visa requirements, as well as more specifics on the documentation non-U.S. citizens may need before their program.

• Passports: Required for all EF Study Abroad programs.

• Visas: Required for some programs, depending on where you're traveling or your citizenship.

• Non-U.S. citizens: Documentation requirements may vary.

Passports
A passport is required for all EF Study Abroad programs. We recommend applying for a passport as soon as you enroll on a program, as it can take up to 12 weeks to process. U.S. citizens traveling abroad must bring a passport that is valid for at least six months after the program’s return and has at least three blank pages.

Once you have received your passport, please confirm your passport information to EF by logging in and visiting your My Programs page. (This information is required by 95 days before your program departs.)

Make sure that the first, middle, and last name on your EF account matches your passport letter for letter, including punctuation and spacing. We’ll use this information when purchasing your flights, and airlines may not permit passengers to board if their ticket does not match their passport exactly. Name changes after 95 days prior to departure carry a minimum $200 fee up to the cost of a new ticket.

Group Leaders can log in to their account to keep tabs on travelers’ passport information. In addition, we recommend that all Group Leaders collect a photocopy of each traveler’s passport to verify that it has been signed and to double check that the name on the passport exactly matches the name in our records.

For more information, please visit the U.S. Government passport website. You can contact our Traveler Support Team at [email protected] or by calling 877-485-4184.

Visas
Depending on where you’re traveling or your citizenship, you may need a visa for your program. Because visa applications must be personally completed by the applicant, all travelers must obtain their own visas, both for destinations they are visiting and those they are passing through. Depending on the country, you can apply for an electronic visa, a paper visa, or an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization). Please see more details below.

• Electronic visa: Many destinations, like Cambodia and Vietnam, allow for travelers to apply for an eVisa. We recommend using Sherpa for visa processing for your destination as applicable.

• Paper visa: Some destinations, like mainland China, require a paper visa for entry. For these destinations, we recommend using Visa Central, which for these destinations gives a discount to EF travelers for visa processing.

• Electronic Travel Authorization: An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is necessary for countries like Australia or New Zealand. The eTA is an online application completed using the specific country’s government website. Please visit the applicable government website directly to submit your application.

Please note: We don’t recommend beginning the visa application process until your program itinerary is confirmed, which happens at approximately 70 days before your scheduled departure date.

Please visit travel.state.gov for the most up-to-date requirements.

Requirements for non-U.S. citizens
All travelers are responsible for obtaining the necessary visas and/or travel documents for all locations on their program. Once the program itinerary is confirmed at approximately 70 days before departure, non-U.S. citizens should visit Sherpa, contact Visa Central, or contact the embassies or consulates of all locations they will be visiting and traveling through to verify which documents are required. If proof of insurance coverage is required, travelers who purchased insurance through EF should contact Traveler Support to obtain this documentation.

Please note: Visa requirements do apply even if travelers only have a short layover or a stop at the airport in a particular destination. Travelers should inquire at relevant embassies and/or consulates two weeks before departure to ensure that requirements haven’t changed. For instance, if you are flying to Madrid via Frankfurt, check with both the German and Spanish embassies.

For a list of embassies and consulates in the United States, visit usembassy.gov.

The embassies and/or consulates of your destinations may require that you submit documentation from EF verifying your travel plans. If so, our Traveler Support team can provide a sample template. Contact them at [email protected] or by calling 877-485-4184.