A Blog about Education Abroad

Category: Semester Exchange Postings

Blog Postings by Returning Stellenbosch University Students

  • Berta at Makerere University, Uganda

    Berta at Makerere University, Uganda

    Berta doing field work in Uganda. Here she describes her experience in point form.

    Pre-departure:

    • Visa application

    Visa fees (Single entry = $50; Multiple entry = $100).

    I advise to choose multiple entry, because the country is surrounded by Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo that are very possible to visit.  For instance, from Kampala to Nairobi (Kenya) it is 660 km.

    Time for processing: 5 working days, because it is issued in Pretoria.

    Requirements: Visa application form, passport (valid for at least 6 months from the proposed date of entry), 1 passport size photo, letter of invitation

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  • Mpho at the University of Helsinki

    Mpho at the University of Helsinki

    Pre-departure:

    I was so nervous about my trip to Helsinki, mostly because I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew was that the culture would be entirely different from my own but, all the postulating in the world could not really prepare you for the real thing. My residence permit application was a breeze, but a bit more expensive than your regular visa so I was so thankful for my Erasmus grant. I booked an appointment at the embassy in Pretoria and I received an email that same afternoon confirming the success of my application. I then went back 2 weeks later to pick up my permit. They were so timely and efficient.

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  • Rapi at the University of Göttingen

    Rapi at the University of Göttingen

    Pre-departure:

    This is possibly one of the most exciting things to happen to me. However, given that it is the pre-departure phase – nothing seems to have sunk in as yet. I am not nervous or anxious; the idea of me leaving the country and living in a foreign land, being immersed in a different culture for an entire semester does not yet seem real. For the past several months, my mind has been occupied by the actual application process, spending time with my family and friends before I leave, my visa application, sorting through a pile of emails to ensure that my accommodation is finalised and that I have someone to pick me up from the airport (or in my case, from the bus station since I am heading to a small town without an airport), running from Home Affairs to the PGIO office and ending up at the German Consulate. I think the most draining part of everything is just the waiting in between the different application procedures, hoping that they do not reject anything and that you are able to complete the process timeously and successfully.

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