Living in Richmond

The City of Richmond is a comfortable and welcoming place to live. The Office of International Education has compiled an apartment listing to assist visitors in their search for housing. We also have general housing information to assist visitors with practical information related to housing, such as housing deposits, furniture rental, car rental, utilities and banking. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has an Off-Campus Housing website that can be accessed by non-VCU students by establishing a guest account.

The University of Richmond is located in a residential area of the city, so transportation to and from wherever you live is a critical issue to consider, especially if you will not be using an automobile to get around. Although there is public bus transportation, only one bus line runs directly to campus (this takes no more than 30 minutes to get to campus). If you live on other bus lines, where you would need to change to the bus that goes to campus, it would take at least an hour's transport time.

Schools

If you are planning to bring school-age children with you, you have the option of enrolling them in Richmond area public schools for free. To inquire about the school for your area, call (804) 780-7811 or visit the website for Richmond public schools or Henrico county public schools. For information about school bus routes, call (804) 321-0850.

Driving

You may drive with your home country's driver's license for no more than six months. If your home country driver's license is not written in English, obtain an international driver's license to use with your home country driver's license. Contact the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles for information about driver's licenses.

CarMax and CarsDirect, among many other companies, sell used cars. There are also a number of car rental companies in the area.