Passport Information
Passports are required for all international travel. If you plan to travel or study abroad in the future, apply for your passport now! Apply at least six months before planned travel.
Due to limited availability for urgent travel appointments, there is no guarantee you can receive in-person service at a passport agency or center.
Passport Fee Calculator
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Passport Book or Card?
Most students will need to obtain a Passport Book, rather than the Card. The Passport Card is the wallet-size travel document that can only be used to re-enter the United States at land border-crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. The card provides a less expensive, smaller, and convenient alternative to the passport book for those who travel frequently to these destinations by land or by sea. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.
Local Acceptance Sites for Routine Service
- WWU Testing Center
- Bellingham Post Office, 315 Prospect Street. Passports are accepted between 10am - 2pm, Tuesday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. You must call (360) 752-9822 for an appointment.
Passport Photos
You need to submit a passport photo with your application. Options in Bellingham to obtain a passport photo:
WWU Testing Center, 333 32nd Street, 360-650-3080
Copy Source, 1122 N. State St., 360-738-1280
Walgreens, 125 S. Samish Way, 360-392-2936
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Local Acceptance Site for Expedited Service
Do you need to rush your passport? Learn more about the service you should select based on when and why you are traveling internationally.
Seattle Passport Agency, Fifth and Yesler Building, 300 5th Avenue, Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98104. Passports are accepted between 8am - 3pm Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Automated Appointment Number: 1-877-487-2778 (recorded information available 24 hours/7 days).
Selecting your Gender Marker
- Effective January 2025, the US Department of State will no longer issue US passports with the X gender marker and now require that all new US passports match the traveler’s “biological sex at birth.”
- The State Department indicated in this update that the US passport of travelers that already have an X gender marker will remain valid until it expires.
- Travelers who are presenting a gender identity that may not match the sex indicated on their new passport may be unsafe depending on their destination country, and are invited to consult an advisor in the Education Abroad office to brainstorm options that maximize student safety.