Arrival Information for Exchange Students

All exchange students starting a Fall 2021 program must arrive in time to attend required new exchange student sessions. These dates will be announced soon.

Your IdentiKey serves as your secure entry point for online services and information you'll need now and later as a CU Boulder student. Activating your IdentiKey will give you immediate access to the scholarship application once you confirm your intent to enroll. You will need your IdentiKey for the mandatory Online Experience as well.

Activate Your IdentiKey

Note: It typically takes three to five business days after you activate your IdentiKey before you can access these services.

All CU Boulder faculty, staff and students receive a CU Boulder email account. We will use this account to communicate with you, so please use your IdentiKey to log in and start using it daily.

Off-Campus Housing

Please review the Off-Campus Housing & Neighborhood Relations website for helpful information including the Ralphie’s List rental database, Boulder neighborhood map, and the Off-Campus Living Orientation.

Our campus has a culture of off campus living for the majority of students who have not recently graduated from high school. We share this with you because we have a very robust off campus community that surrounds our entire 2 mile campus and an office dedicated to supporting CU students as they seek off campus housing. We encourage you to reach out to Off Campus Housing and Neighborhood Relations to understand the off campus options and resources available to you.

Please review the Exchange Student Enrollment and Billing Handout for information about registering for classes at CU Boulder. Students in J1 status MUST be enrolled in in person courses.

Please keep in mind that we cannot guarantee that you will get into a specific class while at CU, so this is why you must discuss alternative classes with your home institution advisors before you arrive.

Please review the international student pre-arrival information on our website along with the Exchange Student Checklist and Pre-Arrival Orientation Packet.

All students attending CU Boulder are required to have health insurance every semester of their program.

Students may elect coverage through an individual health insurance plan, through a family member or employer, or the university’s Student Gold Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).
Exchange students are exempt from the requirement to submit proof of insurance and/or waiving insurance with Health Services.
- You are required to submit proof of insurance coverage to ISSS along with the other required information and documents after arriving in the U.S. You will receive more information regarding this in July 2021.

Health Insurance Requirement New Student Immunizations & Requirements

Your Buff OneCard serves as your campus identification. Please submit your Buff OneCard photo. Depending on your student status and choices, it may also:

Have your meal plan loaded on it
Allow you to pay for laundry and printing
Give you access to your residence hall and room
Allow you to gain entry to the Rec Center and sporting events

Upload Your Buff OneCard Photo

New international students at CU Boulder must complete the Immigration Check-In form, which available through your MyISSS portal and is to completed only after arriving in the U.S.

Please review our Immigration Check-In webpage for additional information regarding this process.

The required International Exchange student orientation will take place the week before classes start.

Fall Welcome

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Arrival Information for Exchange Students