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Visa - Travel Insurance

Here are some resources to help you learn everything you need about your visa before you go on your learning vacation

VISA FOR ITALY

Below is the basic information needed to obtain an entry Visa for Italy. As Visa procedures may change, you should therefore also contact the Italian Consulate or the Italian Embassy closest to your home to get correct and updated information about Visa applications (necessary documents such as passport, declaration of means of support, return air ticket, health insurance, etc.).

1) GENERAL INFORMATION

You must request the Visa at an Italian Consulate or Embassy in your country of residence. You will find information about visa for Italy at http://www.esteri.it/visti/index_eng.asp

You should apply in person at the Visa Section of the Italian Consulate, or arrange for your passport to be presented. On presentation, the passport will be checked and, if in order, a Visa-application-form will be allocated to submit your application.

Please make sure that you book your appointment with the Italian Consulate well in advance of your scheduled departure date (at least 4 weeks prior), as there may be some delays, especially during busy periods (e.g. summer, Christmas, Easter and other holidays).

Please be aware that the appointment does not necessarily coincide with the issuance of a Visa. The application has to be processed before the Visa can be issued, and this paperwork takes a variable amount of time.

There are two types of Visa:

• 'Type C' for tourism, language study, etc.; valid 90 days, not prolongable.
• 'Type D' for language study, etc.; valid for up to one year.

2) VISA - VALID UP TO 90 DAYS

Italy, like some other member states of the European Union, namely Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain, all being signatories of "The Schengen Convention", issues a type of uniform Visa, called the Schengen Visa.

The Schengen Visa, issued by Consulates of the above mentioned countries, allows the holder to move freely in all these countries within the validity of the Visa. To obtain this type of Visa you will be required to hold a passport or travel document that is recognised by all of the Schengen member states and valid at least three months beyond the validity of the Visa. If your passport or travel document is valid only for certain Schengen states then the validity of your Visa will be restricted to those states.

Countries whose citizens are not required to have a Visa to enter Italy, for a period up to 90 days

All member countries of the European Union (i.e. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden), plus Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Switzerland, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vatican State.

If you are a citizen of a country which is not included in the above lists, you will need a "Schengen Visa" to enter any Schengen member state, including Italy, for a period of up to three months.

N.B. A Schengen Visa is not the appropriate Visa if you wish to remain in a Schengen member state, including Italy, for longer than three months.

3) VISA - VALID MORE THAN 90 DAYS

All foreigners who plan to study in Italy longer than three months (European Union citizens included) need a 'type D' Visa for language study, valid up to one year.

N.B. If you are not sure about the length of your stay, it is safer to ask for a 'type D' Visa, as the 'type C' Visa is valid only for three months and not prolongable.

4) DOCUMENTS REQUESTED

To obtain a Visa to enter Italy, the following documentation is required

• Passport or official travel document valid for at least three months beyond the validity of the requested Visa, with a blank page to affix the Visa sticker.
• Certificate of enrolment at our school (issued by our school secretariat after the receipt of the payment).
• Proof of financial means to cover the cost of your stay in Italy (e.g. credit card, bank deposit, etc.) A credit card is sometimes sufficient.
• Certificate of health insurance which covers the entire period of your stay in Italy (ask your personal insurance company). Upon request, we can direct you to on-line insurance companies.

N.B. No additional documents should be required. If you have difficulties or doubts, please inform us immediately.

5) PERMIT OF STAY

N.B. All Visa holders, as well as European Union citizens, who are staying longer than three months, must obtain a Permit of Stay (Permesso di soggiorno). The Permit of Stay has to be requested within eight days after arrival. Our school secretariats provide all information about these procedures (where and when to go, what to bring, etc.).

Documents to bring to the local police office (Questura)

• Passport or official travel document (and photocopy);
• Certificate of enrolment at our school;
• Proof of financial means to cover the cost of your stay in Italy;
• Certificate of health insurance for the entire period of your stay in Italy;
• 3 passport size photos.

-> For citizens of non European Union countries and, in any case, or all who want to stay more than 90 days

• Entry Visa (with photocopy);
• Tax stamp (marca da bollo), purchased at tobacconists (December 2001 Euro 10,--).

VISA FOR SPAIN

European Union Member Citizents do not need any Visa; citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zeland, Norway, Swirtzerland, Iceland and USA no need VISAS for tourist visits of up to 90 days. Asian and Eastern Countries should ask for the Spanish consulate in their country for an appropriate information.

http://www.esteri.it/visti/index_eng.asp

VISA FOR AUSTRIA

For the latest information on visa requirements, contact the Austrian embassy or consulate in your country. The address can be found at the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' site. You can also contact one of our agents to help you with visa procedure. If necessary the school will send confirmation of participation to the embassy on receipt of course payment. In the unlikely event that you are unable to obtain a visa, the school will give a refund (less EUR 87 processing fee and bank charges).

More Information on Visa!
www.actilingua.com/englisch/EntryAustia.htm
www.bmeia.gv.at/index.php?id=61960&L=1

VISA FOR FRANCE

U.S. citizens traveling on regular passports do not need a visa for tourist or business travel to this country for stays up to 90 days. Please note that the stay includes the collective period spent in the combined Schengen States during any six months period. A valid U.S. Passport is required.

Visa is required for Official and Diplomatic passport holders.

Any other U.S. citizen who wishes to travel to France for any purpose other than tourism or business negotiations (e.g. work, study, adoption, immigration, or stays longer than stipulated in the entry requirements) should contact directly, the embassy or nearest consulate.

http://www.ambafrance-us.org/intheus/embassy.asp

Visa for russia

Visa support letter (invitation) Virtually all travellers to Russia need an entry visa, which is a document stuck into the applicants passport. The earliest arrival and the latest departure dates are indicated on the visa and must be observed. Students have to apply for the visa at a visa department of a Russian Consulate or Embassy in their home country. The school will provide participants with a necessary letter of invitation.

For students wishing to study four weeks or less, we will arrange a simple invitation which entitles the student to apply for a tourist visa. In order to proceed, we need to have the following information:

• Full name and last name
• Nationality
• Date of birth
• Passport number and expiry date

Students wishing to study more than four weeks need to apply for a student visa. In this case the invitation will be issued by the Russian Ministry of Interior Affairs. This procedure takes up to four weeks. We need the following documents and information about the student to file a student letter of invitation:

• Clear passport copy with all relevant personal data (name, first name, date and place of birth, nationality), passport number, passport issue and expiry dates, issuing authority, any prolongation remarks. We need the copy either by fax or scanned and sent by e-mail. Please note that the passport must remain valid for three months beyond the Russian visa expiry date.
• Exact length of stay (allow for some extra-days). It is extremely difficult to prolong a visa inside Russia!
• Permanent home address, phone/fax number
• Place of work/study; job title, position, exact address of work or study, contact phone/fax Visa application procedure

A visa-fee depends on the price policy of each consulate and on the applicant’s nationality. The following items are needed to file an application for a Russian visa:

• Completed visa application form (available at any Russian consulate)
• Visa support letter (invitation), either for a tourist or a student visa
• One recent passport-sized photo
• Valid passport
• Health insurance policy (required by some Russian consulates)
• HIV test certificate (only for stays longer than three months)
• Some consulates will deliver the visa by mail. Students should allow minimum three weeks for the procedure.
• Last-minute visa is possible, but usually doubles the price. When the visa is issued, it is important to - check if all relevant data on the visa are correct!
• Visa registration
  

The school must register all students within three days after arrival at the local office of the Ministry of the Interior. Registration of a student visa normally takes ten working days during which students’ passports and visas are kept in the Department of Visas and Registrations. Procedure of registering a tourist visa is simpler and usually takes one or two working days. We always hand out passport and visa copies (stamped by the authorities) during the registration process. Students can easily use these copies as valid documents while changing money, traveller’s cheques (at some places), etc.

If a student stays for a period shorter than two weeks, the school will use express services to register him/her. All registration costs are covered by the course fee. If a student stays in a hotel he is automatically registered by the hotel administration.

Visa extension and period of validity

Extending a visa in Russia is impossible. However, when enrolling for the course students may state the duration which they would like their visa to be valid for. Please note also that a Russian visa is usually an entry-exit visa only valid for one entry with a maximum validity of three months.

If a student plans to stay for more than three months we provide him with a student letter of invitation for three months, he obtains a three-month student visa at a local Russian Consulate and then upon his arrival we file documents to the Russian Ministry of Interior Affairs applying for a new long-term visa that will cover the whole period of his stay (up to 1 year). This long-term visa will permit a student to exit Russia up to 3 times during his stay. Russian authorities require an HIV test for all visitors staying longer than three months. 6 recent photos are also required to file documents for a long-term visa.