The Hurdles of Passports and Visas

In just seven days, I'll be embarking on my Fall 2023 study abroad semester in Japan. I'm thrilled about the opportunity to enhance my language skills and connect with people from diverse backgrounds that will allow for my own understanding of the world to grow. Nevertheless, as a first-time traveler outside of my country, I'm admittedly a little nervous and I've come across a few obstacles that I could have easily avoided with more experience. That's why I've compiled a list of helpful tips and suggestions for those who may be in a similar situation to me and are new to international travel and flying. First off, I’ll go through some of the documents that you’ll need to apply for, as well as be required to take with you on your trip:

Passport

Probably the most essential item you’ll need to apply for is your passport. I would highly recommend that you obtain your passport before you even start looking at study abroad opportunities, which is for several reasons.

1. Obtaining a passport can be a lengthy process and the processing time can be affected by various factors, such as backlogs caused by other applications. It took me about six weeks to receive my passport, although the timeline may vary for you.

2. In certain circumstances, a passport can be used as a valid form of identification instead of a birth certificate or driver's license. Furthermore, its compact and durable design makes it a more practical item to carry around. However, it is essential to be aware that applying for a passport does come with a few fees, and you should expect to spend somewhere around $130 for a new passport, which is what I paid.

3. Lastly, a passport is typically valid for at least ten years, so once you obtain it, you won’t have to worry about renewing it anytime soon, so there’s no need to worry about applying for it too early and having it expire before your study abroad semester. I will provide a few useful links throughout this brief guide, so see below for some helpful links to various websites that relate to applying for your passport.

Passport Links

1. (U.S. Department of State) Steps to Apply in Person for a Passport

2. (U.S. Department of State) Passport Fee Calculator

3. (U.S. Department of State) Expedite Passport Application

4. (USPS) Apply for a First-Time Passport

5. (USPS) Schedule an Appointment (Passport, photo, etc.)

Visa

• While a passport will allow you to enter the country you intend to study abroad in, a visa will allow you to stay for the entire duration of your studies and is one of the things that I made a mistake with during my application. I highly recommend reading the visa application requirements on your desired country’s consulate/embassy’s website. Also, be sure to check whether or not the consulate that has jurisdiction over your area is either close enough to be within driving distance or accepts mail-in applications, which is the method I chose to go with. However, one of the drawbacks to mailing it in is being unable to quickly alleviate any issues that may arise with your application, which is what has happened to me since I provided the consulate with a photo that had incorrect dimensions. So, again, I highly recommend that you double-check, or even triple-check, that you are adhering to the guidelines presented on the website, or even book an appointment with your local post office to have them take your photo for a small fee. I’ve heard the waiting period to receive your visa varies from country to country, but if you plan to study abroad in Japan like me, you can expect your passport back within a week, give or take.

As this is my first time writing a blog, it may be a little rough around the edges until I can get a better grasp on how to make everything flow a little smoother, but I’m hoping to diversify this blog with a number of topics relating to my time studying abroad. Next time, I’m hoping to write about some of the apps that seem worthwhile while studying abroad in Japan as well as how to go about ensuring that your cell phone is still usable while overseas if your phone plan doesn’t have an international option, as this was a pretty big issue to me. Also, once I land in Japan and settle in for the semester, I’ll be sure to provide updates about the semester and any events or locales I visit. I really hope this small guide was helpful, especially since if I had this same type of guide while going through the process myself I could have avoided a few close calls.