Visas & travel documents
Do I need a visa for Summit?
You’ll need a valid passport for your Summit trip. For U.S. citizens, our short stays in Prague, Paris, Barcelona, and Athens do not require a visa; London and Brazil each have an online application. Requirements depend on your passport, and we’re here to help with program details and supporting documents.
Summit Prague + Europe & Summit Barcelona + Europe
Europe on a U.S. passport
Prague, Paris, Barcelona, and Athens are in the Schengen Area. U.S. citizens can visit for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Summit’s Europe sessions fit within that short-stay window.
The allowance covers the Schengen Area as a whole. Moving from France to Spain does not restart it. Include any other Schengen travel before or after Summit when counting your days; time in London is outside that allowance.
Official Schengen entry requirementsBefore your Europe trip
The EU is preparing an online travel authorisation called ETIAS for visitors who do not need a visa, including U.S. citizens. Applications are not open as of September 29, 2026, so there’s nothing to apply for yet. When planning your trip, check the official website to see whether it applies to your travel dates.
Check the official ETIAS websiteGetting ready for London
If your session includes London, U.S. citizens generally need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which you apply for online. It gives you permission to travel to the UK as a visitor and is not a student visa.
- Apply through GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app with the passport you will travel on. The current fee is £20.
- Decisions usually arrive within a day. Allow at least 3 working days and receive approval before traveling.
- An ETA normally lasts 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
Summit Brazil
Your Brazil visa, handled online
U.S. citizens need a visitor visa (VIVIS) for Brazil. This is the category used for tourism and short study visits of up to 90 days, rather than a long-term student visa. U.S. passport holders can apply online through VFS Global, Brazil’s authorized eVisa provider, without a routine consulate appointment.
- Complete the online application. Select United States as your nationality and enter your passport and travel details. Use your actual Summit program dates and activities when completing the form.
- Upload your documents and pay. Have a recent photo and a color copy of your passport’s information page ready, plus any additional documents requested. The current eVisa fee is US$80.90.
- Print your approved eVisa. It arrives by email as a PDF. Bring a printed copy with your passport for boarding and arrival, and save a digital copy.
Give yourself time, and we’ll help with the details
VFS lists processing of up to 10 business days after a complete, verified application reaches the consulate. It recommends applying two months before travel, leaving room for document corrections or additional review. If the application asks for program information, we can help you put it together.
Requirements by passport
Whether you travel on a U.S., Canadian, Mexican, or another passport, we can help with your Summit itinerary and program documents. Entry requirements depend on your citizenship and destination, rather than where you attend college.
Use the official destination links to check requirements for your citizenship and study plans.
What to have ready
- Your passport. Apply or renew early if you need to. For U.S. passport holders entering the Schengen Area, it must have been issued within the previous 10 years and remain valid for at least 3 months after your planned departure from the Schengen Area. Use the same passport for your travel-authorisation applications and your trip.
- Your itinerary and program documents. Keep your return or onward travel, accommodation details, and Summit participation information accessible for arrival. We can help with the program dates, route, and participation documents.
- Plans for any extra travel. Include independent trips and connections where you pass through another country’s border control when checking entry requirements.
Next step
Questions about getting ready? Talk with us.
Tell us your program, session, and what your application asks for. We’ll help with Summit’s dates, itinerary, and participation information so you can keep planning your trip.
Information reviewed September 28, 2026; ETIAS updated September 29, 2026. This is general travel information, not legal or immigration advice. Requirements, fees, and processing times can change. Students are responsible for researching current rules for their citizenship, study activities, transit points, and travel dates through official government sources. Approval and processing times are not guaranteed; border authorities make the final entry decision.