Visa Checklist* for English Program participants from Russia, Ukraine
Important Notes: All visas should be Tourist or Visitor Visas. If after reading through this document you still have unanswered questions, please check the Visa Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) accessed from the “Visas” button in the English Program section of The Scholar Ship website. In that document you will also find advice on the order in which to apply for your visas. If you have additional questions, please e-mail us at VisaSupport@TheScholarShip.com. Be sure to review only the visa requirements for those countries you will visit on your chosen sector. (either the full voyage, or Amsterdam to New Zealand or New Zealand to Hong Kong) HOST COUNTRY Netherlands & Portugal NEED A VISA? Yes VISA REQUIREMENT NOTES The Netherlands and Portugal are part of a group of countries that require a “Schengen Visa” for entry. Since our stay in Portugal is longer than our stay in The Netherlands, Portugal is considered the “primary” Schengen destination on this itinerary of The Scholar Ship, so you should apply for a dual entry Schengen visa at the Embassy of Portugal* nearest you. However, if you also need a visa for the stop in Tahiti, please read the Tahiti section below prior to applying for your Schengen Visa. (If your personal itinerary includes additional travel to Schengen countries, you need to discuss with your travel agent your Schengen visa application process.)
*If there is no Embassy/Consulate of Portugal in your country or near you, or if processing is a problem at the consulate near you, contact any Portuguese or Netherlands Embassy for processing. If neither is available, contact a consulate of any Schengen country.
Here is a resource to find Schengen Embassies: https://TheScholarShip.com/students/visas/embassy_search.aspx or for a more complete listing of Portuguese Consulates: http://www.min-nestrangeiros.pt/mne/estrangeiro/indice.html to find a location to apply for your Schengen visa. There are also several websites where you can download a free Schengen Visa Application Form. Here is one for your convenience http://www.eurovisa.info/Forms/pdf/SchengenVisaApplicaion_En.pdf. Panama No Though passport holders of your country would under other circumstances need a visa to enter Panama, for The Scholar Ship trip you do not need a visa. You will need to present your passport to the Immigration inspector on arrival and you will receive a local “shore pass” which will be renewed daily. (TSS participants will be lead through this process by the Purser’s Office staff on the ship.)
Ecuador
No
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Visa Checklist for English Program Participants from Russia, Ukraine
HOST COUNTRY French Polynesia (Tahiti)
NEED A VISA? Yes
VISA REQUIREMENT NOTES Use this link to find a French Consulate at which to apply for your French Visa with the endorsement “Valid for French Polynesia”: http://www.expatries.diplomatie.gouv.fr/annuaires/repdipet.asp Each consulate has its own list of requirements for the documentation to be included with a visa application, check the consulate’s website (found by using the link above). If you need a Schengen Visa AND a Visa for French Polynesia: Though The Scholar Ship will not be visiting France in Europe, it would be most convenient for you to apply for your Schengen Visa at a French Consulate because you can apply for a “Schengen + territory” using the standard Schengen Visa application. You will need to notify officials of your additional need for a visa for your visit to Tahiti. Note: the term “Dom Tom” is used by the French Consulate to describe territories.
New Zealand
Partial Voyage – Yes
For those traveling PARTIAL VOYAGE ONLY (meaning you will disembark* or embark in New Zealand): • You must apply for a Visitor Visa. To apply for a Visitor Visa see: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/visit/visitors/proc ess/default.htm To read the Visitor’s Visa/Permit Guide (form INZ 1018), follow this link. *For those disembarking in New Zealand: Your consulate may be willing to consider a Group Visitor Visa, typically consisting of at least 10 people, if you organize a group leaving New Zealand on the same flight. This is at the discretion of the individual consulate. Use this link to find a diplomatic post at which you can apply for your Visitor Visa: http://www.nzembassy.com/
Full Voyage – No, see notes
For those traveling on the FULL VOYAGE ONLY: • TSS participants will be cleared via TSS prepared documentation given to New Zealand officials upon arrival in the port of Auckland. Shore passes will be granted, but your travel in New Zealand may be limited because of the nature of the shore pass. If you would like to be assured you can travel by air to destinations within New Zealand or outside of New Zealand, you will need to pursue acquiring a Visitor Visa for New Zealand at the closest New Zealand Consulate to you. (see link above)
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May 2008
Visa Checklist for English Program Participants from Russia, Ukraine HOST COUNTRY Australia Shanghai, China NEED A VISA? Yes – by mail Yes Group VISA REQUIREMENT NOTES See TSS To Do List for Australian Visa Citizens of your country qualify to participate in a Group Visa for China. If you would like to participate in the Group Visa for China, please notify us at VisaSupport@TheScholarShip.com. Any information necessary for participation in a Group Visa for China will be gathered by the Purser’s Office on the ship. Your passport is all you will need to be able to provide the information needed by the Purser’s Office. Group Visas for China are restricted in that you must arrive and depart with your group. If you are planning independent travel in China prior to boarding The Scholar Ship, it would be best for you to acquire an Individual Tourist Visa (dual entry). To find an embassy/consulate where you can apply for an Individual Tourist Visa for China (single, double or multiple entry), follow either of these links: http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zwjg/default.htm or https://thescholarship.com/students/visas/embassy_search.aspx You will need an “Itinerary Letter of Support” (see below). Click here to for link to Chinese Visa Application Form. Hong Kong Yes Apply for your Hong Kong Visa prior to leaving home from the Immigration Services through Embassies/ Consulates of the People’s Republic of China (see links above). Explain that while we are scheduled to enter Hong Kong twice, we will not stop at any port in between. They will advise you about how many entries are required for your tourist visa. If you plan to go to Macau, you must have an additional entry for Hong Kong. Click here to for link to Hong Kong Visa Application Form. Macau is an optional excursion from Hong Kong. Visas can be obtained at the Hong Kong – Macau ferry station. If you would like more information, see www.dsi.gov.mo.
Macau
Yes – on location
*This checklist is a tool to assist you in completing all your visa requirements for your voyage on The Scholar Ship. It does not attempt to explain unusual or extenuating circumstances. You are responsible for understanding your visa requirements.
Note: The following documentation may be necessary for visa acquisition and is available upon request from Visa Support for all enrolled students or confirmed staff. Please include your full name as it appears on your passport and your country of citizenship (the passport under which you are traveling) when you make your email request. • Itinerary Letter of Support • Insurance Confirmation Letter • Letters of Invitation from countries we visit (if required by consular officials) • Financial Confirmation for any who have received financial aid from The Scholar Ship
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