Studying abroad is a lot of fun, but it doesn’t always start out that way. Before you can start enjoying life in another country and take in another culture, you have to go through preparation. Since it’s not as simple as boarding a plane and starting your adventure, the following steps on how to prepare to study abroad can be helpful guidelines.

1. Figure Out Documentation

Documentation is one of the most important parts of having to prepare to study abroad. The necessary documents you’ll require are your passport and your visa. If you don’t already have a passport, this is the first thing you will need to tackle during the preparation for studying abroad. It’s also important to apply for a new passport if the one you currently have is about to expire or doesn’t have enough blank pages.

After this, the next thing you need to do is apply for a visa. Unless you’re an EU citizen going to another EU country to study abroad, you’ll need a visa to enter the country. The visa process for studying abroad can be complicated and can take a while, so it’s best to apply well in advance. 

For some countries, a visa may take as long as six months to obtain. Check out the country’s visa requirements through the embassy or consulate near you or on the embassy’s website and ensure you have taken care of all the requirements before submitting your application.

2. Exchange Currency Beforehand

When studying abroad, you’ll need to ensure you have at least a small amount of the local currency available to make necessary purchases. Exchanging currency at the airport is possible, but you won’t get favorable rates. Additionally, your first few days in a new country will be busy, and you may not have time to go to a bank and get your money exchanged. Prepare to study abroad by taking care of this before you step foot on the plane.

3. Inform Your Bank About the Move

When talking about how to prepare to study abroad, we must mention informing your bank about the move. Studying abroad requires funds, and if you don’t let your bank know about your travel plans beforehand, they may deem your account activity fraudulent. If they block your debit or credit cards, you won’t be able to make purchases and may face difficulties getting the issue resolved. It’s best to prepare by letting your bank know about this before leaving the country. This way, you’ll have access to your accounts at all times.

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