Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

Education Abroad

Passports

Information about applying for or renewing a passport can be found on the Department of State travel website.

Blue US passport sticking out of a suitcase pocketObtaining a Passport

You must have a passport to participate in a study abroad program through PCC. This can mean 1) applying for a passport for the first time, 2) renewing your passport, 3) you have a passport which will be valid 6 months beyond your in-country departure date, or 4) you have an international passport. Apply for or renew your passport.

Processing times for passports are delayed, taking 8-11 weeks (expedited times are listed as 5-7 weeks). If you need your passport immediately, the process is different.

  1. If you are applying for your passport for the first time, you will need to apply in person. This may require making an appointment at a Passport Acceptance Facility. Use the Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page to find a nearby location. Passport Acceptance Facilities include some county and city offices and some post offices. The following city offices process passports. Multnomah County and Beaverton offices are currently booked out 4 weeks (cancellations do sometimes occur). The Lake Oswego Office books out 2 weeks (with new appointments going live midnight two weeks out). Please visit the listed website for updated hours:

    City of Beaverton – Finance Office
    12725 SW Millikan Way
    By appointment only
    (photos NOT offered on site)

    Multnomah County – US Post Office East Portland Station
    1020 SE 7TH AVE. PORTLAND, OR 97214
    By appointment only
    (photos offered on site)

    Washington County Office of Assessment and Taxation
    155 N. First, Hillsboro
    By appointment only
    (photos NOT offered on site)

    Lake Oswego Office – Finance Office
    380 A Avenue, Lake Oswego
    By appointment only
    (photos offered on site)

  2. If you are renewing your passport, you can either make an appointment or submit an application by mail.
  3. If you already have a passport, great! Just make sure that your passport will be valid 6 months beyond your in-country departure date. While this isn’t a strict rule, sometimes countries (the U.S. included) will turn people away at their borders if your passport will expire within 6 months of your departure date from their country.
  4. If you have an international passport, please get in contact with the Education Abroad Office at studyabroad@pcc.edu [opens in new window] or by phone at (971) 722-7117. Make sure you also get in contact with the Office of International Student Services.

For more information on applying for or renewing your passport visit the U.S. Department of State Travel website.

Items Needed to Obtain a Passport

  1. Completed passport application form (DS-11) if applying for the first time. If renewing, use form DS-82.
  2. Two identical passport photos (2 inches by 2 inches) taken within the last six (6) months. Passport photographs must be on special paper and require a special background. (You can obtain passport photos at your local Walgreens and some other places that process photos. Call ahead to make sure their camera is functioning!)
  3. Proof of citizenship: This requirement can be satisfied by an original United States birth certificate with a raised seal, a certified copy of your birth certificate issued by the Vital Statistics Department in the state in which you were born (in Oregon, this is the Oregon Health Authority; for other states, the process is different), a previously issued passport, or a certificate of naturalization. These original documents will be submitted with your application and returned to you when your passport is issued.
  4. Copy of your proof of citizenship (front and back if there is any writing on the back).
  5. Current picture identification, such as a state driver’s license or ID card.
  6. Color copy of your picture identification (front and back).
  7. Please note that according to the Department of State passport webpage, “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. We no longer require medical documentation to change the gender marker on your U.S. passport.”
  8. If you are in a rush, you may need to expedite your passport application process. To expedite the process and receive your passport sooner that the listed times, add $60 to your check or money order and make sure that the word “EXPEDITE” is written on the outside of the envelope (talk to the agent processing your application).