UMass Boston

Before You Go

Congratulations on your approval to study abroad through UMass Boston.

There are a number of steps to complete after you have been accepted to your program abroad.

  1. Passport: If you don't have one already, apply for one as soon as possible. Make sure your passport will be valid for at least six months after the end date of your study abroad program, or the date of your departure.
  2. Do you need a visa?: You are responsible for obtaining the correct visa before you travel. 
  3. Complete all UMass Boston requirements in your study abroad application.
  4. Attend a Pre-Departure Orientation & Pay your Study Abroad Fee
  5. Health & Safety Preparation
  6. Prepare for your Study Abroad Destination, Book your Flights, and go abroad!

Visa Requirements:

More than likely, you will need to obtain a student visa for your study abroad program. Please check here to see if you need to obtain a visa: http://travel.state.gov/content/studentsabroad/en/visa.html

A visa is the government document required by your host country and is often a stamp in your passport. Some visas can take several weeks to obtain. Make sure you understand the requirements for your specific visa. Check where the consulate is for your study abroad country. This is where you will need to submit your visa application documents. Specific visa requirements can always be found on the nearest consulate website. For example, if a student is traveling to Spain, check the Consolate of Spain in Boston's website very early in the process to understand exactly what is needed once you recieve your acceptance letter to apply for it. You can find the specific visa under Consular services and navigate to the appropriate study visa. Many visas have longer processing time and it is vital you get your application in as soon as possible to ensure you get your visa on time for your departure. More information on visa's and requirements can be found here.

Contact your program provider or sending institution and embassy or consulate of the country you plan to study in for specific requirements and regulations and specific instructions about how to apply and obtain a visa for your destination.

The visa process for many countries can be found on the NAFSA website. Be sure to check if your host country is listed on the website. Here is an excel of common program locations and consulate websites. 

Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation

Each semester the Office of Global Programs holds a pre-departure orientation for all outgoing students studying abroad. For students studying abroad in Summer/Fall, orientation is held in May. For students studying abroad in Winter/Spring, orientation is held in December. All students must attend this very important session in order to study abroad through UMass Boston. Attendance is mandatory. Topics include the Dean of Students and Expectations, Health Abroad from University Health Services, safety abroad, financial aid reminders from the Office of Financial Aid, culture shock and other important topics to prepare to go abroad. Details of the orientation session will be sent to all approved students to RSVP.

Study Abroad Advising & Application Fee: $250

All students participating on Reciprocal Exchange, Affiliate, and Alternate Study Abroad Provider Programs or directly enrolling  are required to pay a $250 fee. This fee, along with UMass Boston required forms and documents will assure the following: maintenance of fulltime UMass student status while on approved program abroad; WISER remains active; Financial aid can be applied to overseas program; pre-approval of courses toward the UMass degree program; transcript processing; credits will be interpreted and applied to the UMass transcript upon return. In addition, students are provided with ongoing advising throughout the process. Pre-departure orientations are offered the semester before studying abroad. All UMass Boston students are also covered by UMass International Travel & Emergency Insurance while participating on an approved, overseas program. This fee is NON-REFUNDABLE. 

Prepare for your Study Abroad Destination:

Responsible, Sustainable International Travel: Impact

Study abroad exposes students to the world. It also exposes the world to the environmental, social, and economic impacts of international travel. Make an effort to take into account the ways in which you may impact the world while studying, living, working, traveling, or volunteering abroad.

Learn About Your Destination

Before you go, read as much as possible about the country where you will reside. Libraries, bookstores, and tourist bureaus are good resources to find out more information about the country. Check out YouTube videos, student blogs, and travel guides for particularly rich resources. You can also visit a country's embassy website to locate consulate information and services. Country-specific consulate websites are full of information for visitors: tourists, students, businesses.

Talk to a Peer

Returned students (students who have been abroad before) will give you information that you can't get from a guidebook. They can give you advice on what to pack, how to make friends, and the cheapest way to call home. If you don't know anyone who has studied abroad, ask your advisor for names and contact information of students who have studied abroad. We have created a Study Abroad Blog where you can learn from other UMass Boston students who studied abroad. 

Airline Tickets

Start researching flights so you can budget your money.
Check out www.studentuniverse.com for cheap, no-overhead flight prices just for students! Kayak.com is a good website to compare flights from many different airline companies. 

Time and Money

Quick Currency Converter - Interactive web services on the Internet and the world's most popular Internet currency tool. Provides immediate current exchanges for over 180 of the worlds' currencies.

World Clock/Time Zones - Current local times around the world.

Sunrise and Sunset Times - Daily report on the sunrise, sunset and various twilight times for your location.

Be sure to let your bank know all the locations you will be traveling! Also research what banks have lesser fee's associated with withdrawals from abroad. 

Arrange Your Arrival from Airport to Destination

Some universities arrange to have you picked up at the airport. Be sure to arrange, or at least research this prior to your departure from the U.S. Many universities and programs also provide you with clear instructions on your arrival and what to do to get from the airport to your next destination. It's also a good idea to travel with contact information for people you may be meeting upon arrival.

Keeping in Touch

For many people, the hardest thing about traveling is being away from family and friends. There are plenty of cost efficient ways of maintaining contact with the important people in your life while you are away. If you plan to call anyone while traveling abroad, you definitely need a pre-paid phone card because calling from overseas can be extremely expensive if you don't have one.

  • Skype - Stay in touch using the phone and Internet while you are traveling.
  • WhatsApp - Make calls to anywhere in the world while on wifi with this app. 
  • Viber - Free text, calling, photo messages and location-sharing with Viber users
  • Unlock your phone- Buy a SIM card upon arrival and connect to the local cellphone network

World Electricity Guides For information on the electrical systems in use in most countries of the world.