The beautifully picturesque twin-island country of Antigua and Barbuda is attracting more and more foreign students, especially those who want to pursue a higher degree in medicine. Apart from its mind-blowing natural environment and easy lifestyle, the country offers one of the best educational experiences for anyone who is aspiring to become a medical doctor with a world-class degree. If you are a medical aspirant from Bangladesh and considering Antigua and Barbuda for your higher studies, it’s crucial that you know and thoroughly understand the entire visa and entry requirements. Here’s the what’s and how’s on the entire procedure, step-by-step.

Visa Requirements

As a foreigner, you will be required to obtain a visa to travel to Antigua and Barbuda. If you’re a Bangladeshi student, you’ll be needing a few extra documents apart from your regular visa, as you’ll be staying longer than a tourist visa allows, and you’ll be studying there. Hence, you’d have to apply for a student visa. Although the visa application process is pretty simple and straightforward, it requires proper attention and careful preparation.

1. Acceptance Letter From Your Desired University: Before you apply for a student visa, you’ll need to ensure that you have secured admission in a recognized university in Antigua and Barbuda. Arkangel University offers internationally attributed programs for medicine. Their MD degree allows you to work in any country in the world given you have passed the licensing exam of the respective country. To apply for a student visa, you must provide your acceptance letter from the university as a proof of your authenticity as a student.  

2. Fill In The Application Form: Then you’ll have to fill in the visa application form with all the information required. These will be very basic information such as your full name, nationality, age, permanent address, bank information, passport number, etc.  Since there are no embassies or consulates for Antigua and Barbuda in Bangladesh, you’ll have to fill in the application form online. There are 3 ways of doing so:

• The Department of Immigration of Antigua and Barbuda has its own website where you can get all the information about visa services and visa application process. Their website https://immigration.gov.ag/visa-services/visa-application-process/forms-2/ also provides application forms.
• The official EVisa website for Antigua and Barbuda is https://abevisa.com/. It accepts Electronic Entry Visa (EEV) applications and payments online.
• Or, you could directly download a PDF version of the visa application form from https://forms.gov.ag/passport/visa_application_form.pdf, fill it in, and submit it back on their official website. 

3. Provide A Valid Passport: You’ll also need to have a valid passport with at least six months of validity after your visa expires, and at least one blank page. 

4. Provide Necessary Documents: The next thing you’ll need to provide is a recent official passport-sized photograph of yourself. Even though you have provided your bank information in the application form, you’ll still need to provide valid bank statements proving you have sufficient financial support to study abroad, a recent police clearance certificate stating that you have no prior criminal reports, a medical certificate proving your health status, proof of accommodation with information about your residence in Antigua and Barbuda, documentation stating proof of your tuition fee status, and lastly, flight bookings that will show your intended dates of traveling to Antigua and Barbuda. Your visa might take up to 3 months to get approved. It’s advisable to apply at least 3 months prior to the beginning of your academic year there. 

5. Keep these documents at hand upon entry: Once you arrive at Antigua and Barbuda, you’ll be asked to show your valid passport with a student visa, your admission letter (a copy of it will do), documentation of your financial statement, details of accommodation, and proof of a valid health insurance. 

6. Get a Student Permit: After you have provided with all the necessary documents for authentication and granted entry in Antigua and Barbuda, you’d need to acquire a student permit to live and study there as a student. The validity of a student permit is typically one year, and has to be renewed every year. Your institute will guide you through the entire process of obtaining a permit from the Immigration Department. 

Applying for a student visa in Antigua and Barbuda is pretty easy for a Bangladeshi student thanks to their online application process. One of the best things about Arkangel University is that you won’t be requiring any IELTS band scores to study here, as they will themselves conduct a basic English proficiency test prior to your admission. Just make sure to stay updated with the latest immigration policies by checking out their official website for immigration and consulting the admissions office of the university that you’re applying to.