Simon Willison’s Weblog

Y Combinator: Does YC accept applications from founders outside of states? How does it work?

My answer to Y Combinator: Does YC accept applications from founders outside of states? How does it work? on Quora

Yes they do. I’m a YC founder from the UK, and there were a number of other international founders in my batch (including from Spain, Switzerland and Norway, off the top of my head).

You apply like anyone else, then fly to Mountain View for the interview. They’ll contribute to the cost of your flight, but their maximum flight allowance is less than most international flights (unless things have changed since our batch).

If you get in, it’s up to you to sort out visas, accommodation etc. Thankfully there are enough international YC founders around now that there’s plenty of advice on how to sort all of that stuff out.