Consulate General, Edinburgh

Passports

Click here for information on passport issuance affecting minors.

The Edinburgh Consulate provides routine services only to persons residing in Scotland. Residents of England and Wales must apply for services at the Embassy in London.

The U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh is pleased to assist you in applying for a U.S. passport. Standard passport processing time is approximately one month, though delays may be experienced during the summer months. Please plan ahead to ensure your passport will be valid for travel. If you must travel within the next 10 working days, you should consider applying for an emergency passport. Emergency passports can be applied for at U.S. Embassy London or at U.S. Consulate Edinburgh. Contact the U.S. Consulate by phone or email to discuss processing in Edinburgh. Click here for information on making an emergency passport appointment in London.

The Consulate accepts passport applications on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on a walk-in basis. We do not currently maintain an appointment system; however, if you have a disability or illness, we will gladly set up an appointment to see you outside of the walk-in hours. Note that public restrooms are not available in the U.S. Consulate. The nearest public restrooms are located at the corner of London Road and Easter Road.

After reviewing this page, click on the link to the left for the service you require.

All applicants are required to bring a Special Delivery prepaid envelope addressed to yourself. These silver-colored envelopes are available at any Royal Mail facility. Only one envelope per family is required.  [View an example of a Special Delivery envelope]

The fee for a U.S. passport is:

These fees are payable at the time of application. The Consulate cannot accept cash or personal checks. We can only accept payment by credit/debit card or International Money Order. Credit/debit cards accepted are Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and Diner’s Club. MAESTRO IS NOT ACCEPTED. Please be aware that International Money Orders take a few days to obtain.

The photographs MUST be 2 x 2 inches in size (not including border). The image size (which is the bottom of the chin to the top of the head) must be no less than 1 inch and no more than 1 and 3/8 inches and must allow at least ½ inch from the top of the head to the top of the photograph. Photographs may be untrimmed.

A full set of guidelines [PDF] is available.

Provided the photos comply with the specifications for U.S. passports, you may have any photographer take them. It is advisable to contact the photographer in advance to confirm that they are able to provide U.S. passport photos and to obtain the price. The Consulate cannot recommend any specific photographer, or assume any responsibility for their efficiency, integrity, or reliability. Fees and the service provided are solely between you and the photographer selected. If you wish to have your photos taken in Edinburgh prior to attending the Consulate, the following is a list of photographers who are familiar with U.S. passport photo requirements and have provided acceptable photos in the past.

A & M Photographics 27 Elm Row Edinburgh EH7 4AH 0131-557-8186 Clear Photography-- by appointment only 11a Mill Lane Edinburgh EH6 6TJ 0131-467-9956 Photo Express 7 Melville Terrace Edinburgh EH9 1ND Tel: 0131-667-2164 Snappy Snaps 36 Queensferry Street Edinburgh EH2 4QS Tel: 0131 225-5554 www.snappysnaps.co.uk

Prior to forwarding a question to the Consulate, we ask that you visit our FAQs and Related Links, as well as the U.S. Embassy London website london.usembassy.gov which provides a Ready Reference and A-Z indexes for both General Information and American Citizen Information. Answers to numerous enquiries will be found in these locations or will be answered by our auto-response. The U.S. Consulate Edinburgh enquiries email address is Edinburgh-Info@state.gov and is intended to serve persons residing in Scotland or Americans traveling to Scotland in the near future. We respond to emails as soon as possible however if you have an urgent matter, contact the Consulate directly at [44] (0)131 556-8315.

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