Study Abroad in St. Petersburg: Student Life

Visa

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. Applicants must possess a passport that will be valid for at least seven months after the student’s return to the U.S. by May 15 for fall semester, October 1 for spring. Students who do not meet this requirement may be inelegible to attend this program.

AIFS pays the Consulate’s visa application fee of $120 for students who apply for visas through AIFS. 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. AIFS will send back the students’ passports with their airline ticket approximately five days prior to departure.

Activities

Students study and socialize at the Russian Language Center, one mile away from the main University campus. The center organizes a wide range of cultural and social events throughout the semester. There are numerous opportunities to make excursions into the city and surrounding environment. Students receive a monthly transportation pass for free travel on the metro, bus and tram in the city.

The Resident Director organizes a variety of activities which usually include:

visit to Russian, Dostoevsky and Hermitage museums, Pavlovsk and Yusupov Palaces
day trip to Vyborg
classical concert at Philharmonic Hall
opera at Mussorgsky Theater and Hermitage Theater
party with Russian students
dinner at a Georgian restaurant
Russian film, Chekhov play
ice skating and hockey match
Russian banya (bath house)
St. Petersburg circus

Computer access

Students staying at the residence are advised to bring a laptop computer to connect to the Internet since the residence has LAN connections in all rooms for a small fee. Homestay students do not have computer or Internet access at their accommodation, but they do have limited access at the University computer center for a small fee.