Study Abroad in St. Petersburg: Student Life
Visas
The Russian government requires students to hold a valid visa for their period of study; AIFS will apply for the visa on behalf of students who apply to the program by the application deadline and submit all requested visa application materials, including original passports, by imposed deadlines. By April 1, applicants must possess a passport that will be valid for at least 18 months after the student’s return to the U.S. Students who do not meet this requirement may be ineligible to attend this program.
Applicants who apply for visas through AIFS will pay the Consulate’s visa application fee of $131 directly to AIFS (included in the program fee). Students who submit applications/visa materials after the deadlines may have to pay an expedited visa processing fee (an additional $200), or they may have to apply for the visa on their own if their application holds up the group. If a student is not prepared to have AIFS hold his or her passport from mid-April until receiving his/her airline ticket, the student will need to apply for his/her own visa. AIFS will send back the students’ passports with their airline ticket approximately 5 days prior to departure. Students must travel from London to Russia and Russia to London with the AIFS group because of group visa dates.
Because students will have a single-entry visa, they will not be able to leave Russia for the duration of the program.
Russian visa regulations and requirements are subject to constant change. Students will be given the most up to date information on application, and AIFS will advise students of any changes at the earliest opportunity. This includes information on a required HIV test.
Cultural activities
The AIFS Resident Director organizes cultural and social events every week. Students visit St. Petersburg’s great museums such as the Hermitage, and take bus trips to some of the magnificent palaces on the Bay of Finland such as Pavlovsk, Peterhof or the Catherine Palaces. Depending on performances scheduled, the Resident Director also arranges visits to a ballet performance and a folklore show. Such events are included in the fee, as is the visit to Moscow.
There are LAN connections in the dormitory rooms and Internet access in the University library. Both carry a small fee. There are also Internet options in the center of the city.
