EUROPE PROGRAM 2016-17 REGISTRATION INFORMATION PROGRAM DATES - FALL 2016 Beginning MONDAY, AUGUST 22 Arrive into: London, England, UK (Heathrow Airport) End SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 Depart from: Rabat, Morocco (Casablanca Airport) TRAVEL INFORMATION ARRIVAL INTO LONDON: MONDAY, AUGUST 22 The Europe 1 Program begins on Monday, August 22. The program will begin in London and you must arrive into Heathrow Airport. Arrival information will be contained in the Europe Program Information document that will be sent out to all students who have registered for the Europe 1 program on June 1, 2016. END OF PROGRAM: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 The Europe 1 Program ends on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 in Rabat, Morocco. LIU Global will provide shuttle service to Casablanca Airport on Saturday, December 10 only. You may also fly out of Rabat-Sale Airport. Flights from Casablanca tend to be about $200-300 cheaper than those from Rabat-Sale at this point. In the Europe Program Information that will be sent on June 1, you will receive information about planning your departure. Coursework runs through FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, which is the last day of class and the day on which you will be completing examinations and other course requirements. DO NOT MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO LEAVE BEFORE THE END OF THE PROGRAM. 4.1.16 Your homestay in Rabat runs through the night of Friday, December 9. If you plan to stay in Rabat beyond Saturday, December 10, you will be responsible for your lodging arrangements. PURCHASING YOUR FLIGHT TO LONDON DO NOT PURCHASE AIRFARE TO LONDON OR YOUR RETURN FLIGHT FROM MOROCCO UNTIL YOU RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM CARLOS ABOUT ARRIVAL TIMES INTO LONDON HEATHROW. The Europe Program Information of June 1 will contain that information. GROUP FLIGHTS Groups flights that are part of the Europe Program – London to Berlin, Berlin to Madrid, Madrid to Casablanca – will be arranged and purchased by the program. VISA INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS FOR EUROPE PROGRAM 2016-17 Schengen Visa Requirement A Schengen Visa is the document issued by the appropriate authorities to the interested party for visiting/travelling to and within the Schengen Area. The Schengen Area is comprised of 26 countries that have agreed to allow free movement of their citizens within this area as a single country. Of the 26 countries bound by the Schengen agreement, 22 are part of the European Union (EU) and the other four are part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The Schengen area covers the majority of European countries, except for the United Kingdom and countries such as Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Ireland soon to be part of the agreement. However, there are countries that are not part of the EU like Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein yet do belong in the Schengen Area and cherish the free movement policy. For more information, visit http://www.schengenvisainfo.com. Spanish Student Visa (120 days) A student visa is a genuine authorization from the government of the designated country issued to students who are already accepted at a certified educational establishment. The holder of this type of visa is allowed to study in the country from which it is issued. All students planning to enroll in the Europe 1 Program for Fall 2016 MUST apply and obtain a Spanish Student Visa. The visa will be issued by the Government of Spain for 120 days beginning on the date on which you will enter the Schengen Area: Sunday, August 28, 2016. 4.1.16 The Study Visa from the Government of Spain will cover 120 days of stay in the Schengen Area. Assuming some students will remain in the Schengen Area during the intersession, that means you will be able to stay in the Schengen Area from Saturday, December 10, 2016 until Friday, January 14, 2017. Tourist Visa (90 days) A tourist visa is an authorization from the designated country/countries within the Schengen Area to travel in the designated Schengen country/countries for pleasure or to visit relatives living in the Schengen Area. On January 14, 2017, your Study Visa from the Government of Spain, which allows you to stay in the Schengen Area for the purpose of study, will expire. Upon its expiration, your Tourist Visa will automatically kick in. As a U.S. passport holder, you may stay in the Schengen Area with a tourist visa for up to 90 day within a 180-day period. With your tourist visa, you will be able to complete the Europe 2 program in the Schengen Area, which runs from Saturday, January 15, 2017 to Friday, April 14, 2017. This period consists of exactly 90 days. Returning to the Schengen Area after the Balkans Program On Friday, April 14, 2017, the program travels to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina for the final two weeks of the program. Bosnia and Herzegovina are currently not part of the Schengen Area, so you will not need to apply for a visa in order to enter the country. At the end of the Europe Program on Saturday, April 29 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, you will not be able to re-enter the Schengen Area as a tourist. In order to return to the Schengen Area upon the completion of the Europe program, you MUST apply and obtain a Study Visa from the Government of Italy. Instructions for applying for a Study Visa from the Government of Italy are found below. ***IF YOU PLAN TO REMAIN IN THE SCHENGEN AREA AFTER THE END OF THE EUROPE 2 PROGRAM ON APRIL 29, 2017, YOU MUST RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES DURING THE WINTER INTERSESSION BREAK IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR A STUDY VISA FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF ITALY.*** 4.1.16 PROCEDURE FOR APPLYING FOR SPANISH STUDENT VISA Individual Application All students registered for the Europe Program for Fall 2016 MUST obtain a Spanish Student Visa. Application for a Student Visa must be made at the appropriate Consulate General of Spain according with your permanent residency or study address. Check the Consulate listing and area of jurisdiction: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/en/ServiciosAlCiudadano/Paginas/embajadasconsulados.aspx The application may need to be submitted in person by you or through an authorized representative (who must have a notarized authorization), or it may need to be mailed in. The process to get a student visa may take approximately 4-8 weeks. Do not apply more than 90 days in advance of the start date of the program. To apply for a student visa, the following requirements are necessary. Please note, documents may vary depending on the consulate serving your state of residence. (ORIGINAL PLUS ONE COPY OF THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS): ● National Visa Application form, completed and signed ● One recent passport-sized photo (white background) attached to the application forms. ● Passport valid for a minimum of one year with at least one blank page. ● U.S. driver’s license, U.S. State ID card or current Student ID. ● Original official Certificate of Admission addressed to the appropriate Consulate, in Spanish, issued in Spain, verifying enrollment as a full-time student in an official university or school in Spain. This letter must mention that you will be eligible for a credit towards your Bachelor's Degree or other degree and indicate: name of the program, duration (starting date and ending of the program), school’s address, the name and phone number of the person to contact at the school in Spain and hours of study per week (20 at least). The Certificate of Admission will be provided by the University of Alcalá. ● Proof of international health insurance coverage with a minimum coverage equal to €30,000 (or its equivalent in U.S. dollars) and “repatriation coverage” during the planned period of stay in Spain. This will be provided by LIU Global. ● Proof of means of support in the form ONE of the following: ● If you go with an international program, present a letter from the study abroad program assuming full financial responsibility for tuition, room and board for the student during his/her stay in Spain. This will be provided by LIU Global. ● Bank statements showing sufficient means of support to cover all the expenses in Spain in the amount of $700 per month. 4.1.16 ● Notarized letter from parents assuming full financial responsibility for the student during the entire stay in Spain. Attach copy of the parent's ID, bank statement and birth certificate of the student. ● Proof of having received financial aid or scholarship covering expenses for tuition, room, board, and personal expenses during the stay in Spain. ● Proof of accommodation in the form of: ● Notarized invitation issued in Spain from a Spanish national or a Spanish legal permanent resident in Spain. ● Letter from the study abroad program specifying the address where the student will be staying. This will be provided by the University of Alcalá. ● Visa Fee ($160.00), payable by USPS money order ONLY to the order of “Consulate General of Spain.” Passports must be submitted at the Consulate for processing. If you want your passport to be returned by mail, include a prepaid UPS or U.S. Postal Service Express-Mail Envelope with appropriate postage and completed mailing label form. Other express delivery service, certified or registered mail is not accepted. Tracking of mailed items is the responsibility of the applicant. PROCEDURE FOR APPLYING FOR SPANISH STUDENT VISA Bulk Application If you would like the LIU Global New York Center to apply for your visa on your behalf, please submit the following materials no later than June 3, 2016 to: Tami Shaloum LIU Global 1 University Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11201 CHECKLIST for Spanish Student Application • National Visa Application form, completed and signed • One recent passport-sized photo (white background) attached to the application form.