<p>As Twin #1 wraps up her study abroad, #2 is getting ready to begin his. Apparently, Great Britain does not require a visa for less than a 6 month stint. However, lots of people have advised getting one anyway, since it makes traveling easier. My son is reluctant to spend the almost $200 that it will cost for a visa - is there really any necessity for one if it is not required by the host school/nation?</p>
<p>I studied abroad in London last fall, and didn’t have a visa. I traveled to Ireland and Spain without one with no problem as well, so I don’t see any need.</p>
<p>D studied in France this past summer, and traveled to England and Ireland with no visa and no problems.</p>
<p>My high school sophomore age son spent an entire school year in France. He did need a visa and it was a time consuming procedure with several trips to the consulate in NYC. It may just have been the French – but if a visa is not required, I wouldn’t get one.</p>
<p>Don’t waste your money. We got a visa for our son. It came the day before his flight - talk about stress, the embassy had his passport and had no one that answered the phone or e-mails. Turns out he didn’t need it after all.</p>
<p>Same here. D was advised to get it “to be on the safe side.” She never needed it (and she traveled a lot).</p>
<p>this is good to know- D #2 will be traveling and working in Europe this summer- staying with friends- but anything we don’t have to pay for…</p>
<p>If you are a US citizen you don’t need any visas to travel to any EU country. You just fill in the visa wavier form you get on the plane, and don’t stay longer than 6 months.</p>
<p>If you want to study in the UK you don’t need a visa for less than 6 months, for the same reason. You basically enter as a tourist and you can stay up to 6 months as normal and do what you like, as long as it’s not paid employment (and presumably crime would also be a bad idea).</p>
<p>However, if you want to WORK you do need one. A student visa automatically allows the student work up to 20 hours per week during term time and longer in the vacations. You still wouldn’t need a visa to visit other countries though (I don’t know if a UK student visa would allow work in other countries. Probably not).</p>
<p>My daughter needed a visa for her study abroad program in France.</p>
<p>Son will be studying in the UK next term. No visa.</p>
<p>Daughter is going to UK (Scotland) next semester, and has been stressing about a visa because of the time it takes to get one. Both her school in the US and the host school have really been pushing getting the visa. She finally e-mailed the host school about it and someone there told her she could not travel after the program if she does not get a visa. How can that be? The semester is only early Feb until late May. I don’t see how Scotland can tell her what she can do after May–seems she could go anywhere US citizens can go without a visa. I guess the one danger is if her ticket is into and out of Edinburgh, she might not be able to get back in to take the flight. This still seems nonsensical if she is under the 6 month stay.</p>
<p>We’ve decided on no visa.</p>
<p>csshsm- Is your daughter going to Stirling? The dates match my sons. Everyone else seems to be going to Edinburgh. It would be great to meet a Mom to discuss stuff with.</p>
<p>
Somewhat off topic but - if she is definitely planning to travel, and you have not already purchased her ticket, do you realize it is possible to buy a ticket that arrives in Edinburgh but departs elsewhere? We did a Girl Scout trip a couple of years back where we started in London then were going to the Girl Scout chalet in Switzerland, and wanted to visit a few other places. e flew into London and flew out of Paris. The ticket was only very slightly more expensive than flying out of London but the savings in time, convenience, and money of not returning to London more than compensated for it.</p>
<p>DS studied in London in 2005. No visa…and he traveled to Germany, Austria, Netherlands and Spain also. DD went to Ireland, Austria, Germany…no visa needed.</p>
<p>My son is going to University of Stirling leaving Feb 6. He applied for Student (longer than six months) visa on the advice of study abroad provider . It returned yesterday (Dec22-Jan6) but the expiry date is June 7/09 - a mere 4 months from entry. I am frantically looking for the reason for the early expiration date because the reason he chose the longer option was so he could possibly do a summer program after the semester ends May 30. Has anyone encountered this?
I’m very concerned that this early expiry means my son will not be able to travel after his semester ends, do a summer program and will have to change travel home. The fee to extend student visa is 250Pds. I welcome any comments.</p>
<p>For some reason, the UK welcomes any US citizen to enter the country without much fuss. However, if you identify yourself as a student, then troubles start. One reason given is that they are afraid the student will seek employment.</p>
<p>One thing your son may do is to leave the UK for a few days, say take a trip to Paris (no visa needed) then come back and tell them he has ended his studies and now he is a tourist. Then there’s no reason for them to deny his entry, provided he can show a return plane ticket.</p>
<p>Shucks, one doesn’t even need a visa to stay in the USA, either as a K-12 student or as a worker. As a visitor, maybe.</p>
<p>Do exactly as cbreeze says. A US citizen can stay in the UK as a tourist for up to 6 months. As long as you don’t work, you will be fine (there are a few other benefits to having a student visa, the main one being access to free healthcare. But really you don’t need these to do a summer program). Just have a weekend in Dublin or somewhere else close, then come back with proof you intend to leave the UK within 6 months.</p>
<p>If you leave the UK, then the six month period starts all over again?</p>