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To travel outside of your home country, you must have a passport.  A passport provides official identification while traveling as well as proof of citizenship. It will be checked upon leaving and entering almost every country you visit.  You will need a passport to enter a country AND to return to the United States.
 
Special note: Beginning January 8, 2007, US citizens flying or sailing into the US from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must possess a valid US passport. (Other forms of identification such as voter's cards, birth certificates or driver’s licenses will no longer suffice.) From January 1, 2008, the same requirement is extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel. For ALL other countries you need a passport to enter the country AND to return to the United States

Passport applications for United States citizens can be obtained at any authorized passport application acceptance facility. Visit http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/ for a list of locations. The application and directions can be downloaded from the Department of State website.   If you are not a United States citizen, please contact the Embassy of your country to find out the process to obtain a passport.   

If you already have a passport, check 1) that it is valid for six months past the last day of your program abroad; 2) that you have signed it; and 3) that you have one open page for every country you plan to visit.

A visa is official permission to visit a country and is granted by that country. Some countries require a student or long-term stay visa; some countries do not. To learn about the visa requirements for your host country and any countries you might visit while abroad go to the website of Embassy of the host country.  You can find a list of Embassies and their websites at:  http://www.embassy.org/

In many cases getting a visa is a cultural experience in itself.  Office of Education Abroad will assist you in every way possible, but please keep in mind that ultimately you are responsible for making sure that you get the proper information from the respective consulates of the countries you plan to visit. 

For NON-U.S. Passport Holders or those with Green Cards
Special visa regulations apply depending on your home country and the passport or travel documents that you will be traveling under. Please look into this as soon as you decide to go overseas.
           
U.S. citizens definitely must have student visas for programs in the following countries:  Argentina; Brazil; Chile; China; France; Italy; Japan; Spain; Russia (for any length of time), and some other countries when your program is over six weeks in length.

The ISIC is recognized in over 90 countries as proof of your status as a student.  You can purchase the ISIC card online at http://www.myisic.com/, or through Traveleaders (the FIU travel agency located in GC).

The ISIC offers benefits such as low airfares and student discounts for everything from museums to hotels to public transportation.  This card is not required, but may be useful.  In addition to the benefits mentioned, the ISIC carries limited travel insurance that can be useful in the case of a cancelled flight or lost luggage.  If you purchase the ISIC, please submit a copy to Office of Education Abroad.