Below are answers to the most common questions about the SEA Visitor Pass Program.
Return to the SEA Visitor Pass Program page, or apply for a Visitor Pass right away by selecting the button.
SEA Visitor Pass Program Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SEA Visitor Pass Program?
This program allows members of the general public who are not flying that day to visit Sea-Tac International Airport (SEA) and enjoy the amenities on the post-security side of the airport.
The SEA Visitor Pass program is intended for personal use and to enable approved visitors to spend time with friends and family or shop and dine at the airport. Any commercial or business use or any other uses not specifically listed here are expressly forbidden and could result in revocation of your approval to participate.
The reasons to get a Pass, for example, include:
- Spend more time at the gate or a restaurant with family or friends
- Surprise your arriving service member at their gate (for domestic arrivals)
- Bring your family to watch planes come and go
- Participate in the Celebrations at SEA events
- Have a great meal in a restaurant or bar
- Pick up a gift at the airport’s boutiques
- Attend a live music performance
How does the program work?
Step 1: Apply Online
Complete the request form online. You can apply the day of your visit or up to seven days in advance.
- Type in your full legal name (exactly as it appears on your passport or driver’s license), your date of birth, and your gender.
- 100 visitors a day are admitted through SEA Visitor Pass. If you are not able to select a date in the registration, that means that means program capacity is full for that date. Please try again for another day.
- You will receive an email verifying that your request has been received
Your application will be reviewed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
Step 2: Get TSA Approval
- Please read the privacy statement on this page about how your personal information is handled
- If applying in advance, you will receive an email with your approval status after midnight on the day of your visit.
- If applying for same-day entrance, you will receive an email with your approval status within 15 minutes.
Step 3: Display your SEA Visitor Pass
If you are approved for entry, the email will contain a QR code that is required for entry. Bring this QR code in print or digital format to the airport with your TSA-approved ID.
- This pass and one form of TSA-approved ID are required for entrance to security
- Every person entering the airport must display their own QR code at security
- Do not come to the airport if you have not received approval in email with a QR code
Step 4: Go through Security at Checkpoint 3
- On the day of your visit, bring your QR code and your TSA-approved ID to Checkpoint 3.
- Access for SEA Visitor pass participants is only available at Checkpoint 3. Map it using the SEA Airport App
- Entry hours for SEA Visitor Pass are 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days a week. You may stay in the airport until 10:00 p.m.
Step 5: Have fun!
- Eat, shop, visit, and make moments that matter.
Step 6: Tell us what you think
- Watch your email for a link to an online survey
- Share your SEA Visitor Pass moment on social media and tag #SEAVisitorPass.
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Additional Information
Program Details:
- This program allows entrance to the post-security side of the airport between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. seven days a week. The last entrance is at 9:00 p.m. Airport services are generally limited after 10 p.m., so the SEA Visitor Pass Program ends at that time.
- Peak airport times are mornings, weekends, and Sunday evenings. At these times, SEA recommends arriving at least two hours before you want to be post-security.
- SEA Visitor Pass access is approved only for personal use; commercial or professional use is expressly forbidden and will result in revocation of program access.
- This program is limited to 200 visitor passes per day. Access is granted on a first-come, first-served basis and is subject to TSA approval.
- If the daily quota has already been met, you will not be able to request entrance for that date. We hope you will try again another day.
Security Details:
- You will be subject to the same security regulations as passengers boarding an aircraft. Please review the list of items prohibited by TSA.
- Please review the TSA rules for bringing liquids through checkpoints
- You must present your QR Code and TSA-approved ID at security
- This program does not provide expedited security and trusted traveler programs like TSA Pre✓® and CLEAR are not honored.
- Visitors may enter only at Checkpoint 3. (Please see map below for location of Checkpoint 3)
How long will the SEA Visitor Pass Program last?
This is a permanent program with no expected end date. However, SEA reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel the program or modify program rules at any time without prior notice.
When can I apply for a visit?
- You can apply the same day you want to enter, or up to seven days in advance.
- If applying in advance, you will receive an email with your approval status after midnight on the day of your visit.
- If applying for same day entrance, you will receive an email with your approval status within 30 minutes.
- If approved, bring the QR code in your email and your TSA approved ID to the airport between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
- Do not come to the airport unless you have received approval and a QR code via email.
Can I apply for SEA Visitor Pass on the same day I want to visit?
- Yes, you can apply on the same day you want to visit if program quotas have not been reached.
- For same day applications, watch your email for notification and a QR code (if you are approved) within 30 minutes of applying.
- Bring this QR code and your TSA approved ID to the airport between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
- Do not come to the airport unless you have received approval and a QR code.
What hours may I enter the airport on a SEA Visitor Pass?
- This program allows access to the post-security side of the airport to visitors who are not flying between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. seven days a week.
- The last entrance is at 9:00 p.m. Many of the airport services and restaurants close at 10:00 p.m. so program access terminates at that time.
- Be sure to allow enough time to get through the security lines. At peak travel times, we recommend two or more hours before you want to be post-security.
- Under SEA Visitor Pass, you can enter and exit the airport at any time during your registered day and program operating hours, subject to the four-hour limit which begins upon your first passage through security screening. However, if you depart the post-security area you will have to reenter through security checkpoints, so please plan accordingly.
What forms of identification are accepted?
Any valid form of identification accepted by TSA can be used for SEA Visitor Pass, including licenses from other states and U.S. and international passports.
Starting October 1, 2020, all travelers and SEA Visitor Pass guests will need REAL ID compliant identification.
Where do I sign up for SEA Visitor Pass?
Please apply online up to seven days in advance. You can apply the same day that you want to visit if the daily quota has not already been met.
Why couldn't I select a specific date using the online tool?
If you can NOT select a specific date up to seven days before your visit, it means that the quota of visitors for that day has already been met.
We hope that you will come for a visit on a different day. Just complete a new application up to seven days before your visit.
Where do I go when I get to the airport on my approved day?
On the day of your approved visit:
- Bring your QR code and your TSA-approved ID to Checkpoint 3.
- Access for SEA Visitor pass participants is only available at Checkpoint 3. Map it using the SEA Airport App or view the map below.
- Entry hours for SEA Visitor Pass are 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days a week. You may stay in the airport until 10:00 p.m.
Where can I park? Is parking provided?
Parking is not provided free of charge. However, participants may pay to park in the SEA Airport onsite parking garage that offers more than 12,000 spaces of the closest airport parking, or you may park off site at one of the many parking options available in the area.
We encourage participants to also consider other easy and convenient alternatives to driving, such as the bus or Link light rail. Learn more.
Can minors use SEA Visitor Pass?
Yes, minors are eligible to participate. Every person participating in the SEA Visitor Pass program must complete a separate online registration and bring their own QR code.
- Visitors over the age of 15 who have a TSA-approved photo ID must complete registration online and bring the same photo ID that was used for registration to the airport with them.
- Parents or guardians of minors without a photo ID must complete registration online.
- Every adult must bring their own QR code along with the QR codes for any minors they are supervising.
- Minors under the age of 18 must remain under escort at all times by an approved adult SEA Visitor Pass participant.
- One adult SEA Visitor Pass participant can accompany up to five minor participants.
How do we apply for a family or group?
Every non-traveling visitor must complete the online registration form and be approved for entrance, regardless of age. Minors without valid photo IDs must apply and be accompanied by an adult who has also been approved for SEA Visitor Pass entry.
Can I use SEA Visitor Pass with CLEAR® or TSA Pre✓®?
No, SEA Visitor Pass cannot be used with either of these special access programs. It is not an expedited entry program, and all participating visitors must use the security line at Checkpoint 3.
What about accessibility and wheelchair assistance?
At Sea-Tac Airport we strive to make your travel experience as easy, safe, and comfortable as possible. Whether you are visiting Seattle, passing through, or accompanying someone else in their travels, our staff and facilities are here to assist. The airport is fully equipped with special access facilities to provide all travelers — as well as meeters, greeters and airport employees — with a safe, convenient means of getting around.
Learn more about accessibility at Sea-Tac Airport.
How will you use my personal information?
In order to receive a gate pass from the Airport to access the Sterile Area, all Authorized Individuals and any minors, meaning an individual under 18 years of age who is entering with such individual, will be required to provide certain personal information that triggers the need for an important Privacy Act Statement. All individuals should carefully read the Privacy Act Statement below and consider the implications of providing their personal information.
PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT
AUTHORITY: 49 U.S.C. § 114(f). PRINCIPAL PURPOSE(S): This information is collected by airport operators or their representatives in order to conduct checks of TSA’s Secure Flight watch lists on individuals who wish to access the Sterile Area at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) which is located beyond the screening checkpoint. TSA may receive this information from airport operators or their representatives in order to resolve suspected or actual matches to this database.
ROUTINE USE(S): TSA may share this information with aircraft and airport operators, foreign air carriers, or appropriate Federal, State, or other agency regarding individuals who pose or are suspected of posing a risk to transportation or national security, or for other routine uses identified in TSA systems of records, DHS/TSA 019 Secure Flight Records. DISCLOSURE: Voluntary; failure to furnish the requested information will result in your inability to access facilities located in the airport beyond the screening checkpoint.
Individuals are also reminded that should they have any questions or comments regarding this process or the effect of the check referenced in the Privacy Act Statement, they may contact TSA’s Contact Center at (866) 289-9673 or at TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov. Participants may also contact a TSA representative at the screening checkpoint.
How will I know if my visit is approved?
- If applying in advance, you will receive an email with your approval status after midnight on the day of your visit.
- If applying for same day entrance, you will receive an email with your approval status within 30 minutes.
- If you are approved, bring the QR code included in the approval email and a form of TSA-approved ID to Security Checkpoint 3 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Can I meet passengers arriving on an international flight?
You can meet passengers arriving from domestic destinations in the United States at their gates if you are approved for SEA Visitor Pass access.
This program does not apply to most passengers arriving directly from destinations outside the United States, because they must clear U.S. Customs at their first point of entry in the U.S. The area where international passengers go through Customs is secure and only accessible to international travelers.
- You can meet passengers arriving from most international destinations outside security at baggage claims 7 and 8, so you do not need to request a SEA Visitor Pass.
- If Seattle is the first U.S. point of entry for a passenger, they will need to clear U.S. Customs here. If they are connecting to another U.S. city, you can meet them at the gate of their departing flight if they already have their tickets for the connecting flight.
- If passengers are arriving from Dublin or the Canadian cities of Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver, you can meet them at their arrival gate because they have already been cleared for entry to the United States.
Can I leave the airport and come back later in the day?
Yes, SEA Visitor Pass allows exit and re-entry only on the day of your approved visit. However, you must enter security at Checkpoint 3 each time by 9 p.m. If you return on a different day, you will have to complete another request for entry through the online registration and be approved for entry.
How can I tell if all visitor spaces have been filled on a specific date?
If you cannot select an entry date on the online registration form, visitor quotas for that day have been reached. Please register for another date.
May non-U.S. citizens participate in the program?
Yes, you may participate. Please submit your registration to the SEA Visitor Pass program, wait for approval for entry, provide the QR code you were emailed, and a form of TSA-approved ID at security checkpoint 3 on the day you are permitted to enter.
Should I request a SEA Visitor Pass to meet an unaccompanied minor?
No, arrangements for picking up an unaccompanied minor from a flight should be coordinated directly with the airline.
Where is arrival gate D20?
Several flights at SEA park away from the gate and bring passengers to the terminal by shuttle bus. If you are meeting a passenger at Gate D20, you can meet them on the escalator landing leading down to the D Concourse terminal train station near Gate D2.
Learn more about ground boarding.
What if I have questions not answered in these FAQs?
Please contact Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s Customer Care team by email at aviationcustomerservices@portseattle.org
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