Study Abroad Russia
There is a renewed interest in traveling to Russia. The name ‘Russia’ is constantly buzzing around the media and business workers, students, and tourists are aware of this and getting interested. Approximately 1,700 open minded American students study abroad in Russia each year.
Russia is the biggest country in the world, thus it offers something unique for students with the most particular interests. St. Petersburg is the most popular city for students to study abroad in but close behind is Moscow which is the nation’s capital. The third popular city to study in is Vladimir.
It’s dark and lengthy communist past entices history majors and anyone who is attracted to a tragedy. Regardless of a student’s major study, they all learn more about Russia’s history and leave understanding more about its influence on the rest of the Western world and Europe.
Russia is also known for having one of the best educational systems in the world, specifically in engineering and medicine. Students who want to boost their resume or desire a challenge can find a home for themselves at a university in Russia. In addition to its award-winning educational system, foreign students in Russian state only pay 10-20% of educational costs because the rest is subsidized by the Russian government. This has full potential to lead to more money to be spent on recreational Russian activities.
For students who are simply interested in experiencing the one of a kind customs and traditions of the mysterious northern land mass, Russia is a perfect location for study abroad. There are over 160 different ethnicities in Russia. Russian is the official language but other popular languages include Tatar and Ukrainian.
All U.S. travelers must have a valid passport to travel to Russia. Upon your first search for obtaining a student visa for Russia, you may be put under the impression that it is difficult to obtain this visa. It is not impossible to obtain a visa. The application process is very bureaucratic and can be confusing especially if you are unaware of what you need to provide in order to complete the forms correctly. Also, the terms of the visa may differ greatly from other countries student visas.
Often Russian student visas are only valid for three months and can be extended by the local Federal Migration Service (FMS). It is vital to know that Russia typically always requires an exit visa to leave the country. Russian student visas do not include this. If you want to leave the country before the scheduled time agreed to in your contract with Russia you must notify the school visa department in advance. This allows them to file the correct paperwork with the Russian authorities to let you leave. The process can take up to 30 days!
On the contrary with so much to see, why would you want to leave before you have to? Russia is a once and a lifetime opportunity and study abroad students should take full advantage of this privilege to see the largest country in the world.
