There are so many different apps available to assist you in your travels, but many of them are geared towards short-term vacationers to help put together an itinerary or find the cheapest flight. While those apps will be useful when you have some time to plan a vacation, you’ll want to add a few apps to your phone that will make your day-to-day life a little easier. Below are a few of our favorite (free!) apps:
General
Maps
Downloaded Google Maps
Maps.me
City Maps 2Go
Even if you do decide to get a data plan for your phone while you’re abroad, it’s still a good idea to limit your use of it as much as possible. Downloading maps before you leave home or a wifi hotspot helps you not get lost and save some data! Everyone has their preference, but these are the three most used map apps.
Communication
Whatsapp
Facebook Messenger
Kakao Talk
Line
Another way to save on your phone plan is to find out which free messaging app is popular in your host country. WhatsApp is the most common in general, Kakao is most popular in Korea and Line is prevalent in Thailand and Japan.
Learning the Local Language
Duolingo
Memrise
Duolingo and Memrise are the two most popular language learning apps. They are free and structured so that you only have to study for 10 minutes a day. They offer a wide range of languages but aren’t 100% inclusive so you may need to seek out a language-specific app for some countries, like Thailand.
Language On the Fly
TripLingo
Scan & Translate
Google Translate
Duolingo is good for the continuation of learning a language, but sometimes you need quick translation or an easy way to lookup a word/phrase. TripLingo is truly amazing. With over 100 destinations available, the app offers basic phrases and slang terms to help you sound more like a native. There is also a live translator option that actually works well, a dictionary and a culture guide for each destination. Google Translate is a good guide if you’re stuck on a certain word, but gets messy (i.e. wrong) when you start asking for full sentences. Scan&Translate allows you to take a picture of text and translate it which comes in handy when the local language doesn’t use the Roman alphabet.
For the Classroom
Kahoot
FluentU
Words With Friends
Heads Up
Phones are generally not allowed in the classroom, but you know the kids have them anyway and are trying to sneak glances when your back is turned, so why not turn a negative into a positive? Kahoot is an app where students use their phones to answer questions in a quiz that you made which can either be taken in teams or individually. FluentU is normally used as a language learning app (like Duolingo) but they have a ton of authentic English-speaking video clips to supplement your lessons. Games that are traditionally not educational like Words with Friends and Heads Up can still be used as a fun way to incorporate English in your classroom.
VPN
NordVPN ($40/year)
PureVPN ($40/year)
Safer VPN ($6/month)
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is an app on your phone (or software on your computer) that protects your device with less secure networks, like public wifi, by encrypting the connection and using a different IP address. VPN’s are not free, but they’re on this list for their usefulness – travelers benefit from a VPN mostly for streaming services that are unavailable outside of their home countries, like Netflix for example. The VPN is most useful for those living in China where most apps are blocked (Facebook, Instagram, Gmail, Google) but Netflix and Spotify aren’t always available in other countries and they’re nice to have, too.
Transportation
Uber
Moovit
Uber isn’t always available in every country, but most places will have their own version of Uber to make up for it. Moovit works on desktop and has an app to help you find the fastest way from Point A – Point B with whatever public transit is available. There is a wide range of countries and cities available with Moovit so it’s great to use when you’re traveling for vacation too!
Miscellaneous
Money – XE Currency
Easy way to convert multiple currencies
Safety – Smart Traveler (US Citizens)
Sign up for the STEP program before you leave home and stay up to date with safety in your host country with this app
Food – Happy Cow
Use this app to find vegetarian-friendly restaurants or dishes in your area
Country-Specific Apps
Korea
Kakao Talk
Kakao Metro
Kakao Bus
Kakao Taxi
Kakao Maps
Kakao everything!
Thailand
Learn Thai, Thai Pod 101
Language learning apps specifically for Thai that offer short, manageable lessons
Grabcab
Especially on the islands or Bangkok, this app really gives you an idea of what you should actually be paying even if you don’t use it to hail a cab
Next Station
Map of the all the Bangkok public train stops including the BTS, MRT and Airport line
Food Panda
Food delivery app similar to Seamless that can be used in big cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai
Europe
Flixbus
Find bus routes, schedules and buy tickets around Europe
CityMapper
Navigation tool that displays public transit info, such as cost and live departure times of buses and trains. It will even tell you the best section of the train to find a seat! CityMapper mostly has European cities, but there are a few other destinations like Seoul, Istanbul and Hong Kong.
Trenitalia
Mobile ticketing for Italy
China
WeChat
Similar to Kakao, WeChat is a savior in China. You use it to text, as a social media platform, to order food for delivery and even to pay your bills or a cab fare!
VPN
Everyone has their preferred VPN, but if you want to continue using your favorite social media platforms, you’ll need to shell out the money each year for a VPN on your phone and laptop
New Zealand
Grabaseat
Find super cheap domestic flights
First Table
Discounts for participating restaurants
Grabone
Similar to Groupon
Have you used an app that was a life-saver during your time abroad? Comment the name below!
We interviewed Greenheart Travel Alum, Sam Cushing, about getting TEFL certified in Argentina, living abroad for 2 years, and what he’s been up to since returning to the States.
You can watch our interview with Sam below, or scroll down to read the transcription.
Kara: Can you just do, like, a brief little bio intro?
Sam: Back in 2017, I made up my mind that I kind of wanted to, you know, leave my corporate job working in the States as a consultant. A friend of mine connected me with Greenheart Travel and specifically with Kara. I decided that I wanted to be a part of the Argentina program and I went down to Buenos Aires to live and to go through the TEFL course.
Kara: And just in case someone doesn’t know, what is a TEFL course, what did you do? What was the program like?
Sam: It was sort of like a crash course where they taught us how to teach and how to be a teacher, specifically an English teacher. So, you know, we had to do all sorts of practice classes. We had to actually get up in front of the classes as a part of the training. We had to write papers just to make sure that when we actually went out into the real world and taught that we knew what we were doing.
Kara: Did you have any previous teaching experience or education background or anything before you went?
Sam: No, I had none. I like to consider myself okay at English, I think I can navigate my language. But no, I mean I was definitely not prepared for that. I didn’t have any prerequisite knowledge or anything. So it was a new experience for me.
Kara: And you went by yourself, right?
Sam: I went by myself, I didn’t know a single person, and I had never been there before. I knew that I wanted to go to a Latin, like a Spanish speaking country, because I did have some prerequisite knowledge from like high school Spanish. And I studied abroad in Madrid. So I thought I could maybe navigate the language.
Sam: I wanted a big city and I wanted a progressive city being gay. So Buenos Aires. It’s always funny saying Buenos Aires because I kind of forget now the American way, “Buenos Ar-ess” or whatever.
Kara: We’ve talked about that in the office before because when I talk to people and answer questions, it’s like, yeah. I feel stupid being like “Buenose Air-ees”, but I also don’t want to be speaking in a heavy Chicago accent and then be like, “Buenos Aires.”
Sam: I feel kind of pompous when I say Buenos Aires, but like that is the way I would say it.
Kara: I feel like you get a pass though because you lived there.
Sam: You think so?
Kara: I think so.
Sam: Okay.
Kara: You said you met people in the course, but outside of the course was it easy to make friends? Like how did you kind of go about meeting people?
Sam: Well, I think that was also part of the criteria for me in choosing which city I wanted to go to. You know, this whole concept of like, you know, “Mi casa tu casa.” My house is your house, everybody’s welcome. I don’t think I would have done it if I didn’t already have a preset course and a preset group of people that I knew that I could plug myself into.
If there were a few days I was like, “Shoot, I don’t have any friends to text right now. Like I don’t know what to do,” That was fine by me because I would just put in my headphones and go walk around the city or go explore. And that’s also like kind of what I wanted.
Kara: A lot of friends and family that don’t travel, they often ask me what is it like to be an American traveling? And I feel like everyone kind of has their own take on it.
Sam: Totally. So I feel like there’s the Americans who go down and just gravitate towards the other Americans, and then there’s the ones that just fully reject it. I don’t know, I think I was a little bit in between.
There were certain times where it was nice because I was down there for two years. When an American, you know, a friend of a friend would come down, it was nice to go grab drinks with them or something. I will say, I think that had I done this experience pre-digital era, that would have brought with it a whole new set of challenges. Like if I just want to speak English, you know. Sometimes you get exhausted from just trying to speak Spanish all the time. I would go home and just call a friend and that would just re-energize me.
Kara: So what did you do after the course? Did you get a teaching job or did you not?
Sam: I taught for a while. I would go to companies like Deloitte or PWC and kind of do private tutoring sessions. I was really loving my time down there and I wanted to stay for a long time. I just wanted to be there legally for a long time.
Kara: Worry-free.
Sam: Worry-free. I ended up finding this job at a tech company who said they would sponsor me. What was cool about it is I actually was able to kind of use some of my English teaching skills there, because I was the only native speaker. I just kind of elected to host these Lunch and Languages where I would kind of sit down with all of the employees and we would just chat in English and I would like use some of the lesson plans that we built and the TEFL course and just repurpose them.
Kara: Since you don’t have a background in education and then you ended up not working in teaching afterward, a lot of people are in the same boat. They don’t have a background in education. They do know that they want to go live abroad and they know that teaching English is kind of like a means to an end, but either they themselves or family or friends are like, “but that’s not your career path. You shouldn’t have a break in your career.”
So what was your experience with that? Do you have any advice for somebody who’s like, “should I leave my career for a little bit?”
Sam: I mean, that was something I really grappled with too. I was freaked out because I was on such a clear career path. Like it couldn’t have been any more like laid out for me. I went to University of Illinois, I kind of honestly just followed in my brother’s footsteps. He and I are both in the same consulting business organizations on campus. He went to go work for a big four company. I did the same thing.
It wasn’t comfortable for me. It didn’t feel natural for me. I think I was, I was good at it but it just wasn’t my calling. I don’t know that teaching was my calling either, but I wanted to kind of spice up my life a little bit. I loved my experience studying abroad in Madrid, and I kind of wanted to replicate that again. Those were some of the happiest months of my life, just kind of exploring and being adventurous.
Was I worried that that gap would affect my like professional resume? Yeah, I was worried. But at the same time, I started thinking if going abroad and having this like really badass, international experience teaching, I mean, teaching is such a cool thing to do to. Think of all the leadership skills involved in being a teacher.
Kara: All those soft skills.
Sam: Yes. Seriously. If a company doesn’t value that, having an international abroad experience, becoming bilingual, being a teacher, then that’s probably actually not a company that I want to work for.
Kara: I do tell people who have this concern, I’m a perfect example. This job was an opportunity that would not have been open to me had I not had that experience.
Sam: Exactly. I mean, how crazy is this? I tell people this and they don’t believe me. The company that I ended up working for, the tech company, they sent me to Medellín to go be the head, the director, of an office of like 80 Colombians. I think those sorts of opportunities, they wouldn’t have presented themselves had I not taken the leap of faith and done it.
And I think the other thing is I was just so unhappy with my job. I started thinking, because everyone asks you like, what do you want to do in life?
I want to take with my grave a bunch of just really cool memories and reflect back on my younger years and be like, wow. The resume of my life, my life experiences, are really cool and that’s somebody that I admire. I’m happy that I chose to do that.
Advice just for anybody who’s considering this, think about what’s important to you. Is it monetary? Like what are the things that you will consider, okay, I’m proud that I did X, Y, and Z.
Kara: I’m always curious why people decide to come back home.
Sam: I only intended to be down there for like six months max.
Kara: That’s what everyone says
Sam: And when I got down there, I was like, wait, this is really cool. I’m very content. Why leave?
You just kind of know when it’s time. I was on my two year like mark. I was just ready for the next adventure, I think.
Kara: Did you have like an adjustment coming back to Chicago? Did you have any reverse culture shock? What was like the hardest thing?
Sam: On one hand, I feel like I didn’t ever leave. You come back and you know, I’m immediately plugged back into my same old friend group and my family’s here. But on the other hand, yeah, really just for the first week, I think you notice things about like our society that I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.
For example, I had a layover in like Dallas or something and the airport, and I just remember being like, “oh my gosh.” It’s so diverse in this country. Not that Argentina is not diverse, but it’s a lot more homogeneous than here.
Everything is big here. Like the cars, the highways, houses, everything is bigger here.
Kara: So are you still kind of in that? Have you figured out what you’re going to do?
Sam: I’ve just talked to a lot of people about this and everybody keeps telling me like, okay, Sam, you’ve got to figure out how to like double down on your social media presence. Focus on that and see if you can grow that digital business. So I’m kind of in that phase right now. I just launched the YouTube channel, I’m really trying to grow my Instagram account, working with different brands and sponsorships and all that sort of stuff.
My older brother and I, we actually kind of have an idea for a product to come out and maybe launch it maybe around the summertime. That’ll news right there.
Kara: Is it clothing, beauty…?
Sam: We’re thinking either something textile or something cosmetic. We’ll see. I’m trying to kind of figure out a way to use it for good, like social impact. I would love to create some sort of product that has a philanthropic, charitable tie to it. Potentially something LGBT related.
Kara: A lot of people, when they first go abroad, they want to start documenting it and they want other people to follow them. But I feel like everyone’s trying to do that and most people don’t succeed at it. Do you have any advice?
Sam: Think about your end goal with it. Is it to monetize it? Is it to do something cool in the world? Is it simply just a document? And then I think having that objective in mind will kind of drive the sort of content you put out and how you put it out.
Rapid Fire Questions
Kara: What is the tourist trap in Argentina that travelers should avoid?
Sam: Okay. I would avoid… There’s this place called La Boca. It’s where all the sailors used to kind of hang out back like a hundred years ago or something like that. It is this really cool, vibrant part of town but you really have to keep your wits about you.
Kara: What is something everyone should do in Argentina?
Sam: A tango show. I mean other people might say it’s a tourist trap, but I loved it.
Kara: What is one thing about Argentina that really inspired you?
Sam: I would say the people in the mindset, like family first sort of thing.
Kara: What is one thing, tangible or a cultural practice, that you took back with you to the States?
Sam: My little mate chalice.
Kara: What is one thing that you never get on a plane without.
Sam: My headphones.
Kara: Name one country you want to visit next?
Sam: South Africa.
What advice would you give to somebody going to Argentina?
Like many travelers, I wasn’t planning on going abroad. As a college student, balancing my time between two majors and all of the student organizations I was involved in didn’t leave me with much flexibility to take a semester off. So when I heard about a program in the summer that fit with my schedule and timeframe, it made me reevaluate my options. I ended up deciding to go for it, and it’s something I never regretted.
At the time, I had never traveled outside of the country without my family and knew nothing about what went into being abroad for more than a two week period. I had friends who had been exchange students in high school and knew people who had taken gap years, but I only heard them talk about the highlights of their experience. I didn’t know about the prep, paperwork, and the adjustments I would have to make in order to have a safe and smooth transition. Thankfully, I had people to walk me through it.
It’s hard to know the do’s and don’ts of moving to another country unless you’ve already done it.
Having spent some time working here at Greenheart Travel, I know most people going abroad are in the same position. It’s hard to know the do’s and don’ts of moving to another country unless you’ve already done it. The paperwork alone can be very confusing, with visa requirements and strict deadlines. Finding adequate housing and landing a legitimate job can also be overwhelming, especially if you’re going to a place where you don’t know the language.
But it’s more than just planning and logistics. At my orientation, I was able to make friends right away with people who were traveling too, as well as locals associated with the program. I’m honestly not sure how I would have gone about meeting people in a new country alone had I not had some sort of social structure at the time.
Taekwondo Class at Orientation for our Teach English in Korea Program
While I was abroad and comfortable in my new country, a few friends and I decided to take a trip to Dublin one weekend. We booked our flights and hostel online spontaneously and hopped on the plane that same week. After a major hiccup on our part, we found ourselves without a place to stay and spent half our time there trying to find last-minute accommodation. I learned to conduct very thorough research, and that the vetting process is not something the gloss over.
I was still living on my own, but there was a sense of security and purpose to my time there.
Knowing what I know now about travel, I could totally plan my own solo excursion. But I only think that’s because I had an example set for me. The managers on my program knew things I didn’t. They coordinated travel and accommodation, set up activities throughout my stay, and were there as a safety net if I needed help. I was still living on my own, but there was a sense of security and purpose to my time there. My experience would not have been the same without them.
Program services also save you time. This includes things like applying for jobs, trying to vet the schools, researching visa processes, researching cities/neighborhoods to live in, finding an apartment, researching and booking airport transfers and initial hostel accommodations, researching what to pack and what not to pack, researching vaccination information, etc. This a service that is not needed for some travelers, and that’s totally okay! However, for people who haven’t traveled or lived abroad before, or just want guidance, that’s what travel programs are for.
Plus, there is the money-saving aspect. The fee covers many of the costs that you’d have to pay if you were to travel on your own. It also covers extras like orientation week activities like language lessons, cooking classes, other cultural activities.
Bottom line, if you want to create your own schedule or take an extended vacation by yourself, then travel programs are probably not your route. But if you’re looking for guidance during an intentional experience, then absolutely go for it.
It’s hard to avoid setting expectations for yourself when you’re planning to live abroad. You’ve probably found yourself daydreaming about what your life is going to be like, who you’ll meet, and how free you’ll feel. But no matter how excited you are or how much you want to travel, culture shock will inevitably hit, and it may impact you in ways you never expected.
Culture shock is a “sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that affects people exposed to a foreign culture or environment without adequate preparation.”
Now, you might be thinking, “That’s not me! I did everything I could to prepare. I read books, talked to people, and researched everything. I’m going to be fine.” That may be true, but nothing really compares to physically being in a new country. Isn’t that the point of traveling?
Most people don’t anticipate culture shock, and yet it’s something every traveler goes through when moving to a new country. That’s because culture shock rarely feels like you would expect, which is why many people have a hard time identifying it within themselves.
It’s important to be able to recognize the signs of culture shock in order to take the necessary steps to get through it.
You Might Be Experiencing Culture Shock If You:
Are easily irritated by people around you
Are defensive regarding your own culture and how you were raised
Have lost interest in interacting with others
Experience extreme homesickness
Withdrawal from social activities
Have unexplained physical pain
Engage in self-destructive behavior
Have lost all motivation
Here’s what you can do:
Understand That It Will Pass
Although you might feel completely overwhelmed, remind yourself that these feelings are temporary and very common. To put it into perspective, one week is a relatively short amount of time if your program lasts six months.
Don’t Romanticize Home
It’s normal to miss home, but if you start thinking that everything in your culture is superior, this can send you into a terrible headspace really fast.
Take some time to remember why you wanted to travel in the first place. You made this decision for a reason, so you owe it to yourself to follow through.
Take Some Time for Yourself, But Not Too Much
For some people, a great way of dealing with culture shock is through reflection and downtime. For others, culture shock can worsen during isolation. Pick a relaxing activity like a walk to get coffee or journaling in a park, then make a point to assess where you’re at mentally.
Sleeping in your room or scrolling through social media might be the only thing you want to do, but chances are that it will only make you feel worse.
Make a Schedule and Follow Through
Give yourself a sense of control by planning out your week. You may already have a schedule set for you, but find where you have free time and figure out how you’re going to spend it. This will keep you focused on the short-term future, and not the following months that might seem daunting.
Cut Ties Temporarily
Missing your family and friends is normal, but if you’re finding that you feel worse after talking to them, we suggest cutting back on the communication to a simple check-in once in a while until things get better.
Cutting ties also means putting a pause on social media. People joke about FOMO, but seeing pictures of your friends having fun without you can make you feel even lonelier if you’re already in a bad place. If you want to post your own images, that’s fine, but keeps your eyes on your profile only.
Communicate with the People Around You
We cannot stress this enough but talk to your host family or local staff if something is wrong.
A common symptom of culture shock is becoming closed off and quiet, so when something inevitably gets on your nerves, you bottle it up instead of expressing how you feel. This can lead to messy confrontations with your those around you where it’s the first time they are hearing your concerns. We urge you to push yourself to communicate effectively, even if it’s difficult.
Have tips for coping with culture shock? Leave them in the comments!
So, your teen has asked to go abroad, huh? It can be hard to grapple with the common fears: “What if they get lost? Is it safe? What if they want to come home? What if I want them to come home?”
And what makes everything a bit harder is not having another parent who you can talk things through, who can specifically relate to the process. The logistics and paperwork are complicated enough without having another person who knows what it’s like to have their child on the other side of the world.
We think one of the best ways to help prepare you for your child to study abroad is to read about another parent’s perspective. In order to gather and present the first-hand experience, we asked Mary Scott some questions about how she felt before, during, and after sending her daughter, Emmy, abroad.
What were some of your biggest worries about sending Emmy abroad? How did you overcome them?
One of the issues I was worried about was that Emmy would have airline problems, such as a flight being delayed or canceled. This actually happened and when she called us from the airport, we just talked through it, and she figured out what to do. Greenheart’s team kept her calm and helped her schedule a new flight. My husband and I knew then that we had put her in the right hands.
Another worry that I had was that she would miss home too much, or rather that I would miss her not being at home too much. But I knew this was something she had been interested in for two years leading up to her applying. She wanted to have this experience for more than just being able to post pictures of it on Instagram; she wanted to improve her Spanish fluency and learn about another culture, and being immersed is the best way to do that.
What did you feel as a parent during each step of the process (before, during, after the program)? How did you see Emmy grow?
As Emmy is a very motivated person and traveling abroad is something she really wanted to do, I feel like my husband Wes and I just sat back and let her do her thing. She researched Greenheart, read a lot of blogs about other students’ experiences and found out everything that she needed to do (paperwork, etc.) She basically let us know what she needed to do and when and earned money for the trip by selling our maple syrup at farm markets, redeeming cans and bottles, and her part-time job. I know this was a great experience for her as far as making sure she had all her ducks in a row.
While she was abroad, we made sure we weren’t constantly bombarding her with texts and skype calls which at first was difficult. However, we knew she would have a more enriching experience if she wasn’t having to think about us back in Michigan the whole time. We wanted her to be able to completely devote herself to speaking Spanish and learning about her new environment.
Emmy grew in more ways than we couldn’ve imagined. While she was very motivated and independent before, she grew almost tangible confidence from her program. After that summer in Salamanca, she went into her senior year of high school and signed herself up for Spanish classes at a community college nearby and received credit that she could later use for her degree when she went to university. She found a Spanish tutor as well. She did all of this not because she hadn’t learned enough in Spain, but because she found her passion there and wanted to continue her growth.
What was it like traveling with Emmy two years after her program in Spain? How did you see her program affect her life in a positive way?
Oh my gosh! It was so awesome! I’d only been to England, Scotland, and Wales on a tour thirty years earlier and my husband, Wes, has never been overseas, although we’ve traveled many times throughout the U.S as a family. Spain was such a great country. With Emmy being so fluent in Spanish and knowing how to travel from one part of Spain to another, it was a great experience. I was so proud of her conversing with the locals and even being able to help other tourists when we were hiking part of El Camino de Santiago in Galicia. At one point she was able to help a sick woman on the trail find somewhere to stay for the day when she couldn’t speak to any of the hostel owners and they couldn’t speak to her. Emmy handled the situation perfectly!
What advice would you give to other parents who haven’t traveled abroad before?
I don’t know what advice I can give to other parents except to let your child do as much as possible in the planning of his/her cultural exchange program and when a problem comes up, discuss the different ways it can be solved instead of jumping in and telling them what to do. Make sure they have a realistic expectation of how much the trip will cost and how they can contribute to the expense.
What were some ways you supported Emmy while abroad?
We kept in contact with her on Whatsapp. That worked out pretty well. She would send us pictures and small videos, also. She knew she could contact us if she had any concerns so we tried not to bother her too much! When she got homesick (which wasn’t very often) we reminded her that her feelings were valid and suggested that she take a walk or talk with her host family to see if there was anything they could do to make her more comfortable. We also sent her pictures of the dogs to cheer her up!
If you’ve ever gone abroad before you have most likely had to fill out some sort of international documents and paperwork. It’s a drag. Who wants to fill out what seems like form after form when you could be creating a travel itinerary of all of the places you are dreaming of going! However, this paperwork plays an important part in keeping you safe and accounted for while traveling abroad. More often than not, your duration and reason for travel determine how much paperwork and planning you have to do.
This blog will serve as a guide to my experience with obtaining a Student Visa at the Spanish Consulate in Chicago. Currently, I am nearing the end of the process of applying for a Spanish Student Visa. I will be studying at the Universidad de Sevilla in Seville, Spain next year for nine months and couldn’t be more thrilled!
To be honest, I’ve never really minded filling out paperwork, especially when it came to cultural exchange; I knew it meant that I was one step closer to getting off that plane and interacting with locals. However, I’m going to be frank and say that this application was no walk in the park. Because I will be studying in Spain for over 90 days, I needed to apply for a student visa, and because I would be staying over 6 months, there were additional documents I needed to obtain.
Before I could even start on all of this paperwork, I needed to figure out where my closest Spanish Consulate was and make an appointment no sooner than three months before the start of my university classes. Since I live in Michigan, the closest consulate was in Chicago, a place where I luckily know quite a few people (Greenheart Travel 💚). With my appointment date set, I got to work on the long list of things I needed to acquire.
National Visa Application
I got this from off of the consulate’s website and filled it out with some help from my program coordinator. This form needs to be completed in capital letters and with DD/MM/YYYY format. Once it was filled out, I glued one of my passport photos to it and made a copy.
Money Order
For the Chicago Spanish Consulate, the current fee for a student visa was $160. They do not accept cash or check so I went to my post office to get a money order. I paperclipped this to my application form.
Prepaid/ Pre-addressed USPS Priority Express Envelope and Disclaimer Form
This envelope is a bit pricey ($30 ish) but guarantees that your documents will be delivered quickly and safely. I put the consulate’s address on the “From” and my home address on “To.” The disclaimer form is found on the instructions form from the consulate and states that you are allowing the consulate to mail your passport with the visa back to you.
Original Passport and ID
A passport was something I luckily had already so there was no extra paperwork there. Keep in mind that generally, a valid passport is one that will not expire for at least six months after the date you leave the foreign country. I photocopied my passport as well as my university student ID, and my driver’s license. Be sure to bring your actual passport and cards to the appointment as well.
Two Passport Photos
I got these taken at the study abroad office on my university’s campus for $3, but you can get these taken at a lot of places like the post office or Walgreens.
Original Hardcopy Acceptance Letter, Evidence of Funds, and Proof of Health Insurance
Since I am going through a study abroad provider, this was all taken care of and sent to me.
All three of these needed to be in Spanish or have a translation. The acceptance letter was to prove I was enrolled as a full-time student, the evidence of funds was to assure that I would be able to pay for my program, and the proof of health insurance was to cover any medical fees I might obtain during my stay. I made a copy of each of these forms.
Medical Certificate (For stays over 180 days)
On the consulate’s website, this is one of two additional forms to print out for stays over 180 days. I just made a normal appointment for a physical and brought in the paper. This form states that you are in good physical and mental health and do not have pre-existing conditions. There was a little confusion at my appointment as the form had a Spanish translation of what it said in English that needed to be stamped and signed as well. Because there wasn’t a translator in my doctor’s office that day they wouldn’t stamp it (surprising for a town that has a significant Hispanic population), so I had to come back the next week when the translator was in. I made a copy of this form.
FBI Background Check with an Apostille (For stays over 180 days)
This document was definitely the most frustrating and tiring of them all. It began by going through a service called Accurate Biometrics (there are a few to choose from) to get my fingerprints scanned and sent to the FBI to run the background check. This was relatively easy as I made an appointment online then went into a FedEx office for the scan. It cost about $40 and took just about ten minutes. My results were sent to me the next day through my email.
This is when it became difficult. I needed to get an Apostille of the Hague Convention (this is a kind of “stamp” that makes the document internationally recognized) issued by the US Department of State in Washington DC. I hadn’t received any direction on what this was or how to get it so I emailed my program coordinator and went on the government website. Since I had a little over a month until my appointment at the consulate, I decided not to go through an expensive apostille service and just send it to the Office of Authentications myself. In my envelope, I needed to include my FBI background check, an apostille request form (called a DS-4194), a check for $8 (that was the fee for my document), and a pre-paid addressed USPS envelope for them to send me my document back.
I had read that this would take about 10 or 12 days. When it got to be around that point, I called the office to check my document status. After waiting about 20 minutes on hold, they told me that I was not in the system and that it must be in their mail room still being sorted. I knew I should’ve gotten tracking for this envelope… I called back multiple times over the next couple days and got the same response every time. I started to panic a little as my visa appointment quickly approached. With an urge from my study abroad coordinator, I swallowed my pride and contacted an apostille service. Because I didn’t have much time left before my appointment I was forced to get the “rush” service which was about $300 altogether.
With $300 drained from my bank account, but a bit more peace of mind, I waited for my last document to arrive. It came by mail with 3 days before my appointment. Because this also had to be translated into Spanish, I went through the company One Hour Translation. With my FBI background check and the Apostille, it was around $45 and was sent back to me within 50 minutes. After I received these last forms, I compiled everything into an envelope and waited for my appointment.
But you’ll never guess what showed up in the mail the day before my appointment…
My ORIGINAL FBI background check with Apostille. Yes, the one I DIDN’T have to pay $300 for… My only advice is – buy tracking for your envelopes.
The Appointment
On the day of my appointment, I woke up pretty early to catch a train from Michigan City, IN to Chicago. I got to the consulate a bit early; because there wasn’t a sign in sheet, I sat down and waited to be called. Once called up to the window, I handed over all of my documents and passport. The official checked them all and handed back the originals (to be used while in Spain) and kept the copies. All that was left to do was give him my envelope and disclaimer form. This appointment took no more than 5 minutes. He even thanked me for being so organized and following the instructions!
To be honest, this process was probably one of the hardest and most mentally taxing things I’ve ever had to do. However, I know I truly am one step closer to experiencing new changes; changes that will introduce new people, insights, and ideas to my life.
This post is an example of a student’s perspective of applying for a student visa. This is not a step-by-step guide for applying for student visas. Each country (and each consulate) has different requirements. While Greenheart cannot apply for your visa for you, we provide detailed application instructions and support during the application process.
We all make mistakes, and when you travel across the world there are even more opportunities to mess up. One of the easiest areas to mess up is in managing your money. It is a great time to learn, but a hard one as well.
As a 17-year-old person, I am in the first years of my life where I get to have a job and my own money. Learning how much things cost and how to save your own money is one of the toughest lessons to learn. Luckily there is a grace period when you are young when you don’t have to buy as much as adults. Although this is true when you are traveling there are some differences. There is so much more to do that is new and everything costs money. When living with a host family it is often your responsibility to pay for yourself when eating out, or tickets to things or when you are out with friends.
Before I left on my exchange my parents were constantly worried about me having enough money, telling me how expensive things were going to be. Because they were worried, I did a lot of preparing and fundraisers. I didn’t like doing them and thought it was kind of overkill but I was very glad that I did. You want to have freedom while you are traveling and that takes money. So do some fundraising, get a summer job, and look for scholarships.
Once you are off and to your new country you have a set amount of money. To make sure your money lasts you, the best thing I found to do is find a balance. Instead of getting coffee fours days a week, make it a special thing on Monday. There will be things to do that cost money and you want to be able to do them. But there are also free things to do, like spending time walking around just enjoying your city or town, or watching a movie at home with microwave popcorn.
Even if you think you are doing a good job and finding a good balance you could still look at your bankcard statement at the end of the month and see that you spent way more money than you thought. Before you go, learn the currency conversion from your home currency. Although I thought I had a pretty good idea, when I did the math in my head with some rounding I often found myself spending more on something than I had calculated. I recommend a currency converter app on your phone to make sure you know how much something costs. With my bankcard, there were also some international charges, which could add up. Checking with your bank to find out what the fees are is a good idea.
There will be things that cost money that are worth doing so on your personal budget find a balance. It’s easy to rationalize buying things or spending money sometimes when you are going through a rough time. Some weeks or months you will spend too much money, but you have to be able to notice it and do better the next time. It’s a hard part of traveling but a great lesson to bring home with you.
For first time travelers, or travelers who are venturing to a new country by themselves for the first time, navigating an international airport can be very intimidating, especially when you get to customs and passport control. It’ll seem like everyone knows where to go, what to do and how to do it – everyone except you. But don’t worry! We’ll walk you through what to expect when your plane lands and we’ll give you some tips on getting through your first international airport with ease!
What to Expect on the Plane
Sometime during your flight, the flight attendants will hand out a customs form for you to fill out. This will ask about your personal information, flight number, questions about your trip like where you will be staying, and if you are bringing any food or money into the country with you. You will want to fill this out before your plane lands and keep it with your passport for easy retrieval when you need it later.
Pro Tips:
Pack a pen in your carry on so you don’t have to ask around for one on the plane.
Take a screenshot of the address of where you will be staying so you can easily access this information in your photos as you’ll likely not be able to Google it when you land.
If you’re connecting to another flight at that airport, ask a flight attendant if your bags will be put on your next flight or if you need to pick them up at baggage claim and check them again for the next flight.
Passport Control
Once you land, just follow the crowd through a series of hallways to passport control. This is where a passport control officer will check your passport for the correct visa, if you needed one ahead of time, or put a stamp in your passport as an arrival visa. If you’re in an English-speaking country, the officer may have a few questions to ask you about your past or future trip, so don’t be alarmed if this happens. However, most officers won’t speak to you at all. This process may only take a few minutes but it’s not uncommon to wait in this line for up to a couple hours.
Pro Tips:
There will be a bathroom somewhere between the plane and this line – use it!
Have a book or podcast handy in case the line is longer than expected.
Keep your passport in hand so you’re prepared when you get to the front of the line.
Keep your customs form within easy reach as well, you’ll need it later!
Baggage Claim Area
After your passport has been checked, follow the signs and/or the crowd to the baggage claim area. If you are picking up checked bags, find the baggage carousel that coordinates with your flight – there are usually TVs with the flight information displayed if you’re not sure.
Pro Tips:
Give your bag a defining feature like colorful tape on a handle or a luggage tag. Many people are impatient after an international flight and can get pushy looking for a spot close to the carousel. If you don’t like crowds, you can spot your bag from a row back if it has a pop of color.
Customs
Once you’ve grabbed your bag, you’ll need to pass by a customs officer before leaving the terminal. They will take the customs form from you and make sure it’s filled out. Like the passport control officer, they may ask you some questions about the information you provided, but most of the time they won’t. Once you hand off this form, you’re done! From here, you’ll find your ride from the airport and start your adventure abroad!
Throughout this process, don’t ever be afraid to ask for help from anyone. It may look like your fellow passengers aren’t friendly, but most people simply go on autopilot during this process and may just be zoned out. Everyone knows how confusing airports can be and are usually more than happy to try and help you!
Is there anything we missed? Comment your own advice below!
So you’re going abroad, huh? Maybe you’ve decided to spend the semester in Belgium, or teach in Costa Rica. You’re probably planning all of the trips you’re going to take and daydreaming about the food you want to try. But there’s something in the back of your mind, something you are dreading. You’re putting it off because nothing brings you down quite like logistics and paperwork. That’s right, we’re talking about visas.
If this is your first time traveling, or you’ve just never dealt with a visa before, the concept of obtaining one might seem daunting. That’s why we’re going to share with you five things you need to keep in mind when applying for a visa.
What is a Visa?
A visa is proof that you are allowed to enter, visit, and/or live in a specific country. It’s typically just a stamp given at customs or a sticker to be placed in your passport.
Know what you need.
The type of visa you must get will likely vary based on how long you plan to stay in your chosen country and what you plan to do while you are there. There are different visas for those planning on just traveling vs. those planning to work or study while abroad.
It’s important to note that depending on the country, the category might change. For example, in some countries like Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, student visas are called “residency permits.” The residency permit will still allow you to enter, visit, and live in that country.
Visa requirements are different for each country.
Do your research months prior to departure to find out what the visa requirements are for your destination country. Go to your host country’s government website and read up on visa requirements. Then, obtain the country’s visa application and fill it ut properly. You may be required to complete an interview at the country’s consulate in some cases. Determine if this is necessary and set up an appointment.
Documents
You will need a valid passport in order to get a visa. Make sure your passport will not expire while abroad (or six months after returning to your host country). But a passport is not all you need. Gather any other required documents, like a social security card, proof of citizenship, and passport photos. You may also need to include payment, generally in the form of a check or money to order.
Start the process early, but not too early.
The earlier you start on your visa, the easier and less stressful the process will be. Calculate how far in advance you need to apply. However, many visas are only valid for a year, so if you apply too early, the visa will expire while abroad.
But don’t worry about doing this all alone. Greenheart Travel will help walk you through the visa process and make sure you are set to go!
