VISAS
What Program are you Attending?
🇬🇧 Oxford
Electronic Travel Authorization — ETA
As you prepare for your study abroad experience in the United Kingdom, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, a new requirement for travelers from certain countries. The ETA is a digital travel permit that allows you to enter the UK for short-term stays, including study abroad programs. Designed to enhance security and streamline border control, the ETA process is straightforward but essential for ensuring a smooth arrival. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to obtain your ETA, what you’ll need to apply, and how to plan your travel accordingly, so you can focus on making the most of your time abroad.
The ETA is electronically linked to the traveler's passport. Students should apply only through the official UK government website or the official UK ETA app. An ETA does not permit a traveler to remain in the UK longer than six months, work for a UK employer, or use repeated visits to effectively live in the UK.
Before you begin, note that you will need the following:
an iPhone 7, 7 Plus or newer or Android 8.0 and above
iOS 15 or later - to find the software version installed, go to Settings > General, then About
at least 165MB (Android)-179MB (Apple) of storage space to install the app
to be connected to 3G, 4G, 5G or WiFi
An electronic payment method (credit card, paypal, Apple Pay, etc)
1.
Download the UK ETA App
2.
3.
Make a Payment
4.
(The visa costs 16 GBP (about $22 USD) and is good for up to two years for future visits (so start making your plans for a return trip!).
Wait
Once you submit payment, you’ll need to wait for confirmation that your application has been accepted. Typically, this takes between 24-72 hours. You can delete the app when you’ve finished applying. Your ETA will be linked to your passport digitally, and you will not need to show anything else when you enter the UK.
🇩🇪 Leipzig
Germany is part of the Schengen Zone. Students will enter the country on a 90-day tourist visa that they do not have to apply for. The length of our semester term does not exceed 90 days. However, if you plan to deviate and extend your stay in the Schengen zone you will have to follow these steps:
Arrive and register with the city of Leipzig as a resident
Apply for an extension up to 120 days with the support of Leipzig based ACU staff.
The cost of an extension is 120€ plus additional legal fees
Extensions are typically examined and granted in November (fall) or March (Spring).
If you are planning to deviate please contact our office so that we can plan accordingly and get you the right materials
🇪🇸 Valencia
Valencia is also part of the Schengen Zone. ACU Valencia students may not deviate their program flight or planned extended travel without demonstrating proof that you have been granted a Spanish visa. For the regular ACU Valencia semester itinerary, students remain under 90 days and therefore do not need a Spanish student visa solely for the ACU program as long as you haven’t been to the Schengen Zone 6 months prior.
ACU Study Abroad can assist with guidance, required documentation, and general support throughout the visa process; however, students are responsible for completing and submitting their own visa applications.
Please refer to our Spanish Visa Application Guide for information about the documents and steps required to apply for a Spanish visa.
Students who live outside the Houston Consulate's jurisdiction should use the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to identify the Spanish consulate responsible for their permanent residence.
Understanding the Schengen 90/180-Day Rule
Spain and Germany are members of the Schengen Area. For U.S. citizens traveling without a long-stay visa or residence permit, short stays in the Schengen Area are generally limited to 90 days during any rolling 180-day period (6 months). The 90 days apply to the Schengen Area as a whole, not separately to each country. Traveling from Spain to another Schengen country does not restart the 90-day clock. The calculation always looks backward at the preceding 180 days.
If you plan to travel independently before or after the semester, those additional days count toward the maximum amount of time you are legally permitted to remain in a country or region.
The United Kingdom, including England, is not part of the Schengen Area. Days spent in Oxford or elsewhere in the United Kingdom do not count toward the Schengen 90-day total.
Countries in the Schengen Area:
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland