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

Passport Services Online

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

US Passport on a world map next to a camera, compass, and notebook.

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

You can select the gender marker you would like printed on your U.S. passport. The gender you select does not need to match the gender on your supporting documentation such as a birth certificate, previous passport, or state ID. Medical documentation no longer required to change the gender marker on your U.S. passport.

At this time, you can select male (M), female (F), or unspecified or another gender identity (X) as your gender marker if you are applying for a U.S. passport book and selecting routine service. You can apply in-person at a passport acceptance facility or renew by mail. 

Beginning in late 2023, you will be able to select X as a marker if you are requesting expedited or urgent travel service. You will also be able to request (X) for the following documents:

  • Passport cards
  • Emergency passports printed at embassies and consulates 
  • Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBAs)

Note: You may use the Form Filler or download the PDF version of your passport form if you are requesting a passport with an X gender marker. 

See Selecting your Gender Marker for more information.