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Pre-Arrival

Visa Questions

The page below will help you prepare for arrival, secure housing and health insurance, and be aware of orientation events. For questions about obtaining an I-20, visa, or crossing the border, please refer to the International Student and Scholar (ISSS) tab.

Visa Questions

Student Housing

We highly encourage all new international students to arrive by Tuesday, August 18th, 2026. If you arrive after the start of classes on Monday, August 26th, 2026, you must ensure you have permission from your school and college confirm your arrival date with our office via  and isss@temple.edu. New graduate students may have different arrival dates; please check with your program administrator in your school/college for details. 

On-Campus Housing
  • On-campus housing is managed by the Office of University Housing and Residential Life. We encourage new students to explore options and utilize the virtual tours available on their website. New incoming students can manage their housing selection via the "MyHousing" application on their TUportal homepage. ISA recommends all new students live on-campus. For specific questions or inquiries regarding on-campus housing, please email . 
  • Please refer to the Fall move-in dates and the Fall 2026 On-Campus Housing Guide for new and transfer students more information.
Off-Campus Housing
  • The University Housing & Residential Life office maintains a listing of available off-campus apartments for students to review, accessible at offcampus.temple.edu. If you are looking to live off-campus, this is a great resource to explore options throughout Philadelphia. 
  • We encourage all students seeking to lease an off-campus apartment that is not managed by Temple University to fully read and review the leasing agreement prior to signing. Please note that leases in the U.S. are typically a legal contract and do not allow for early move-outs or subleases. If you have questions about the details of your lease, we advise you to discuss the details with the leasing manager or owner of the property.

Health Insurance & Immunizations

Protect yourself and others throughout the duration of your study in the United States. Temple University requires all international students with F1 or J1 visa status to maintain health insurance that meets certain minimum standards as determined by the United States Department of State.

Minimum Standards
  • A maximum deductible of U.S. $500 per accident or illness
  • Payment of at least 75% of covered expense 
  • Medical benefits of at least $100,000 U.S. per accident or illness
  • Repatriation benefits of at least $25,000 U.S.
  • Medical evacuation benefits of at least $50,000 U.S.

Learn more about Temple University's health insurance plan options and rates. Enroll in Temple's health insurance plan or complete a waiver for health insurance. For more information about student health insurance, please email . 

 

Fall Semester 2026 Welcome Session for New International Students

ISA will host a welcome session for new international students on Thursday, August 20th from 9am-12pm in the Science Education & Research Center (SERC) room 110 for both new undergraduate and graduate students. Attendance is mandatory for new Undergraduate students and highly recommended for new graduate students. Please  check your Temple email for important updates and to RSVP for the session. 

Pre-Arrival Webinar

"Both of the Fall 2026 Pre-Arrival webinars have passed. Please email INTL@temple.edu if you require access to the recordings of the sessions. Please check back for information for Spring 2027 pre-arrival webinars." 

What to Bring

Suggested Items
  • Clothes, athletic wear, underwear, footwear, and socks 
  • Weather appropriate items (e.g. heavy jacket, sweaters, raincoat, etc.)
  • Passport, I-20, and other supporting documentation
  • Cash (USD) for your first few days
  • Driver’s license and any other identifications
  • Medications and/or prescriptions 
  • Electronics & gadgets (e.g. mobile device, SIM card, chargers, adapters, etc.)
  • Nice business casual or semi-formal wear
  • Pictures of friends/loved ones — helps with homesickness! 
  • Cultural clothing or decorations from home
  • Snacks from home

International Tuition Payments

Temple University has partnered with Flywire which provides a fast, convenient and secure way for international students to send funds for tuition payments only. Students can make international payments with real-time currency conversion. This service offers 24-hour support in multiple languages.

Getting to Main Campus

The Philadelphia International Airport is located 13 miles/20.9 kilometers from Temple University. You may also view the Philadelphia International Airport website for more information. To get to Main Campus from the airport, students are encouraged to use airport taxis or ride sharing apps such as Uber or Lyft. If you fly into another airport such as Newark Liberty in New Jersey or JFK International in New York City, we recommend arranging an airport transfer shuttles to Philadelphia ahead of time.