Visas

Visas to SRAS Destinations

Based on the location and program you chose, you may need to obtain a student a tourist visa to participate in SRAS programing. Below is a brief guide to visa requirements in locations where SRAS offers study abroad, study travel, or faculty led programs. Note that this information is primarily aimed at citizens of the US, but generally is equally applicable to Canada and the European Union.

No Visa Required in Most Cases

Armenia. No visa is needed for stays of up to 180 days per year. Read more.
Georgia. No visa is needed for visits up to one year for many citizenships. Passport must be valid at time of entry/exit. Read more.
Kazakhstan. No visa is needed for stays up to 30 days. Read more.
Latvia. US citizens can stay visa-free for 180 days in total (you will extend your stay with the authorities after the first 90 days for another 90 days). Read more.

Visa Required

Kyrgyzstan

As a US citizen if your stay is less than 60 days, you do not need a visa. You will simply receive an entry stamp at border control upon arrival. US citizens (and others on this list) staying longer than 60 days must obtain a visa. If you are on an SRAS program, we guide you through this process. You will initially enter Kyrgyzstan with the entry stamp and then we help you obtain the visa shortly after your arrival.

At present, it is also possible to receive a visa at the Manas Airport upon entry, before going to passport control, but this involves more steps on your part so we highly recommend that you follow our guidance and get the visa once you are in Kyrgyzstan so you can simply proceed to passport control upon your arrival.

Nuances:

Your passport must be valid for 6 months beyond the date of entry into Kyrgyzstan.
U.S. citizens who enter the country without a visa may stay up to 60 days, but must depart and remain outside of Kyrgyzstan for an equal amount of time. In other words, in a 120 day period, you may be present in Kyrgyzstan for 60 days – unless you have a visa.
Non-US citizens: some nationals may need to apply to the Kyrgyz consulate in their country of residence for the visa.

If you are on a SRAS study abroad program, we will guide you through this process.

Poland

For stays of up to 90 days a visa is not needed. For stays exceeding 90 days a visa is required. This visa must be obtained in advance of arrival.

An in-person interview is required for Polish visas. Polish consulates abide by jurisdiction, which means that if you are a resident of New York but study in California, you still need to travel to the consulate in New York.

See the Polish Embassy website for consulate and visa requirements.

The host institution for our programs, Civitas University (Warsaw) will issue the visa support letter you will need for this process.

Note that it is not possible to apply for the Polish visa outside of your home country. If you are in a situation where you cannot logistically process the Polish visa (for example, because you are studying abroad elsewhere), there is an option to apply for residency after arrival. This should be discussed in advance.

Uzbekistan

A visa is required for all visits to Uzbekistan. Read more.

If you are on a SRAS program based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan that includes travel to Uzbekistan, your visa will be processed in Bishkek.
If you are joining an SRAS program specifically to Uzbekistan, you will process your e-visa before going abroad.

Other SRAS destinations

The following are countries in which SRAS either has short programs (under 30 days) or included program travel.

Azerbaijan. A visa is required for all visits. Passports must be valid 6 months from entry. Read more.
Cuba. A visa is necessary for US citizens and can be ordered online through several services. If you are on a SRAS program that includes Cuba, we will guide you through this process.
Tajikistan. A visa is required for all visits. Read more. If you are on a SRAS program based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan that includes travel to Tajikistan, your visa will be processed in Bishkek.
Turkmenistan. A visa is required for all visits. Read more. If you are on a SRAS program based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan that includes travel to Turkmenistan, your visa will be processed in Bishkek.

Commonly Asked Questions

"At a time in my life when I was at a crossroads regarding where my career might take me, this course showed me a path that truly inspired me, and I haven't looked back since."
- B. DeYoung, Reed College

"My semester back home so far has been incredibly influenced by my semester abroad with SRAS and I find myself talking about it almost daily. Since many of my classes touch on the region (Europe after Socialism, Central Asian Politics), I'm able to add comments and insights unavailable to me before. My contributions to our Russian club have also been greatly enriched. Thank you for everything you did to facilitate this experience and going out of your way to ensure our success."
- E. Finn, University of Massachusetts Amherst

"The program here is wonderful. All of my teachers have been extremely helpful and I have made friends both here in the dorms and with others who live in the city and find that I often have many opportunities to practice Russian outside of the classroom. Already I feel that my Russian has improved immensely, especially my listening and speaking."
- J. Wilburn, University of South Carolina

"I’ve studied in Irkutsk and St. Petersburg with SRAS, but [Bishkek] is, by far, my favorite because of the intense focus on speaking skills. I spend about three hours, 4 times a week speaking one-on-one. It's such a unique opportunity! The people are also especially friendly here. My homestay is fantastic, the coordinator is a never-ending wealth of help, and the food of Central Asia is delicious."
- C. Hughes, The Evergreen State College

"I wanted to find a program that combined my love of Russia and my passion for environmental studies. Because of my interest in environmental issues, Lake Baikal had always been a site of interest to me. Studying abroad in Siberia gives you the opportunity to see a completely different side of Russia and the Russian people. Just think, few people at home even know that Siberia is anything but a wintery tundra!"
- I. Korsgard