Travel Information

Passports

Passports are issued by the U.S. government to U.S. citizens. If you already have a passport that was issued within the past 15 years and you were over age 16 when you received it, your passport may be renewed by mail. Passport information is available from your local post office or can be found on the U.S. Department of State's passport website. 

Visas

A visa is attached to your passport, allowing you to travel to a country for a certain period of time for a specific purpose, such as work, travel, tourism or study. They can be attained from foreign consulates in the U.S. or other countries.

Health and Insurance

It's recommended that you bring any over-the-counter or prescription medicine that you normally use or expect to, as well as an extra pair of glasses or contact lenses, if needed. We also suggest bringing a copy of prescriptions for medicines you will be bringing and to have the generic name of the drug written on the prescription should you need to have it filled.

You should check with your primary care physician to determine whether you need any vaccinations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has information on vaccination recommendations and general health precautions for the country you will be traveling.

Be sure you will be covered by health insurance when abroad, which can be verified with your insurance provider.

Your Safety Abroad

Use common sense to stay safe and avoid crime in a foreign country. Follow the laws of the country you will be visiting. Legal systems in other countries are not like that of the U.S. so you should do your best to avoid anything that possibly could be considered illegal.

Other safety recommendations when studying abroad:

• Familiarize yourself with recommendations on where to travel by buying a tour guide book for the country or countries you will be visiting.
• Carry your money in a money belt or neck pouch under your shirt.
• Carry little cash, cashing traveler's checks as needed, and leave an emergency credit card at home.
• Take a photocopy of your passport and put it in a safe place separate from your original passport.
• Do not carry a wallet in your back pocket and never in a backpack.
• Never pull out large sums of money in public

Hilbert recognizes there are overseas and national situations where personal security outweighs the advantages of an international experience. We are vigilant about the safety of our students. To ensure your safety, we carefully monitor the U.S. Department of State travel warnings and other public announcements. Information on travel warnings may also be found online.

Other Documents

You should also consider taking along the following documents when studying abroad:

• Birth Certificate. This is a useful document to have in the event of the loss of a passport or for other official need.
• Driver's License. Occasionally you may need another form of ID and a driver's license can serve this purpose.