How to Apply for Global Entry for Faster U.S. Airport Entry

What does Global Entry give you?

Global Entry is operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. It provides expedited CBP processing when entering the United States from international travel at participating airports and other supported ports of entry.

Global Entry membership also includes TSA PreCheck benefits for eligible members, allowing access to expedited TSA security screening when the benefit appears on the boarding pass.

Membership is generally valid for 5 years.

Who is eligible to apply?

CBP currently allows applications from:

• U.S. citizens;
• U.S. nationals;
• U.S. lawful permanent residents; and
• eligible nationals or citizens of countries participating in CBP Global Entry international arrangements.

Foreign applicants may have additional country-specific requirements, so the current TTP international-arrangement information should be checked before applying.

Can children apply for Global Entry?

Yes. CBP states that there is no minimum age for Global Entry.

An applicant under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian's consent. The parent or legal guardian must also be present at the interview, although that adult does not necessarily have to be a Global Entry member.

Every child needs a separate TTP account and a separate application.

How much does Global Entry cost?

The current Global Entry application fee is $120.

The fee is non-refundable. CBP does not refund it if the application is denied or if the applicant does not complete enrollment.

CBP currently provides a fee exception for qualifying applicants under 18 when a parent or legal guardian is enrolled in the applicable Trusted Traveler Program or has a pending qualifying application.

Apply only through the official Trusted Traveler Programs system

Global Entry applications are submitted online through the Department of Homeland Security's Trusted Traveler Programs system.

Each applicant must create their own TTP account. Do not share an account with a spouse, child or other family member.

The application asks for detailed information that CBP uses during security vetting. Complete it carefully because false or incomplete information can result in denial.

What information should you gather before applying?

CBP's current Global Entry application process requires information about your identity and travel history. Prepare:

• a valid passport;
• citizenship or immigration information;
• current and previous addresses requested by the application;
• employment history;
• international travel history; and
• other identity or status documents requested by TTP.

For Global Entry, CBP specifically requires a valid passport to be included in the application.

What happens during the background review?

After submission, CBP reviews the application and performs a background and security assessment.

Global Entry is a risk-based program. Meeting the basic citizenship or residency requirements does not guarantee approval.

CBP must be satisfied that you are a low-risk traveler.

What can make you ineligible?

CBP lists several circumstances that may prevent participation, including:

• providing false or incomplete information;
• a criminal conviction, pending criminal charge or outstanding warrant, including certain driving-under-the-influence matters;
• violations of customs, immigration or agriculture laws or regulations in any country;
• being the subject of certain ongoing federal, state or local law-enforcement investigations;
• certain firearm-purchase denials identified by CBP;
• being inadmissible to the United States under immigration law, including certain applicants with waivers or parole documentation; or
• otherwise failing to satisfy CBP that you qualify as a low-risk traveler.

A criminal record is not evaluated simply by counting convictions. CBP makes the program-eligibility determination based on the applicant's full circumstances and risk assessment.

How long does conditional approval take?

The official TTP system currently states that approximately 80% of Global Entry applications are approved to proceed to the interview stage within about 2 weeks.

Some applications require additional or manual review and can take 12 months or longer.

CBP also states that most Global Entry applicants without criminal history receive their membership within approximately 4 to 6 months after submitting the application, but this is an estimate rather than a guaranteed deadline.

Conditional approval is not final approval

If your TTP account shows that you are conditionally approved, CBP has completed enough of its preliminary review for you to move to the interview stage.

You are not yet a Global Entry member. Final approval still depends on completion of the interview and CBP's final eligibility determination.

You must complete an interview after conditional approval

A conditionally approved applicant must complete a CBP interview before final enrollment.

The standard option is an appointment at a Global Entry Enrollment Center. Appointment availability can vary considerably by location.

CBP also operates alternatives that can eliminate the need to wait for a conventional enrollment-center appointment, including Enrollment on Arrival and other interview options available to qualifying applicants.

Do not abandon the application after conditional approval

CBP's current Trusted Traveler Programs handbook states that if a conditionally approved applicant has not scheduled the interview or completed it through an authorized interview process within 365 days of the conditional-approval notification, the application is deemed abandoned and automatically cancelled.

Complete the interview as soon as practical rather than assuming conditional approval remains open indefinitely.

What documents should you bring to the interview?

CBP requires conditionally approved applicants to bring:

• a valid passport;
• all current passports if you travel using more than one;
• proof of residence, such as a driver's license with your current address, mortgage statement, rental payment statement or utility bill; and
• a Permanent Resident Card if applicable.

Proof of residence is not required for minors.

If information changed after you filed the application, bring documents supporting the updated information and tell the CBP officer during the interview.

Enrollment on Arrival can replace a scheduled interview

Enrollment on Arrival allows a conditionally approved Global Entry applicant to complete the interview while returning to the United States from international travel at a participating location.

You do not need to schedule a conventional enrollment-center appointment for an eligible Enrollment on Arrival interview.

Bring the same core documents: valid passport, proof of residence and Permanent Resident Card if applicable.

Participating airports and operating arrangements can change, so confirm that your arrival location currently offers Enrollment on Arrival before relying on this option.

Other interview options may be available

CBP has expanded alternatives to traditional enrollment-center interviews. Depending on the applicant and location, options can include authorized arrival, departure, land-border, seaport or remote-interview programs.

Not every option is available to every applicant. The interview choices shown in your TTP account and the current CBP location guidance control.

First-time applicants should not assume that a remote interview will be available merely because some Trusted Traveler Program members qualify for one.

What happens at the CBP interview?

The interview gives a CBP officer an opportunity to verify your identity, documents and application information and to determine whether you satisfy Global Entry's low-risk requirements.

The officer may ask about information provided in the application and any circumstances relevant to eligibility.

Answer accurately and disclose corrections or changes. Trying to conceal information can create a greater eligibility problem than explaining a record truthfully.

When do you become a Global Entry member?

There is no universal guaranteed approval time after the interview. CBP must complete its final eligibility determination.

Check your TTP account for the official status instead of assuming that completing an interview means immediate approval.

Once approved, Global Entry membership is generally valid for 5 years.

Does Global Entry include TSA PreCheck?

Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck benefits for eligible members.

Your Global Entry membership number, also called your PASSID, is used as your Known Traveler Number when making airline reservations.

The TSA PreCheck indicator must appear on the boarding pass to use the expedited TSA security lane. A Global Entry card by itself does not replace that boarding-pass requirement.

Using Global Entry at U.S. airports

Approved members can use Global Entry processing technology at participating U.S. international-arrival locations.

CBP's current guidance states that travelers should have the required travel documentation, such as a passport or U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident Card where applicable.

The physical Global Entry card is not the document used for ordinary Global Entry airport processing.

Do you need the Global Entry card at an airport?

No. CBP states that the physical Global Entry card is primarily intended for qualifying land and sea border use.

Global Entry cards are issued to U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents and Mexican nationals who qualify for them.

The card is not used as the normal credential for Global Entry airport processing, where the required passport or lawful permanent resident documentation applies.

Family members cannot share your Global Entry membership

Global Entry benefits belong to the approved individual.

Every person who wants to use Global Entry expedited processing must have their own approved membership. A spouse, child or other companion cannot use your membership merely by traveling with you.

This is why children who will use Global Entry need their own TTP applications even when a parent is already enrolled.

Common mistakes that can delay or derail the application

• Applying through an unofficial website: submit the application through the official DHS Trusted Traveler Programs system.
• Creating one account for several family members: every applicant needs a separate TTP account.
• Providing incomplete travel, address or employment history: CBP can deny applicants who provide false or incomplete information.
• Assuming the fee is refundable: the $120 application fee is non-refundable.
• Assuming conditional approval equals membership: you must still complete the interview and receive final approval.
• Waiting indefinitely after conditional approval: CBP's handbook provides a 365-day abandonment rule for completing or scheduling the required interview.
• Arriving at the interview without the required documents: bring your valid passport, proof of residence and Permanent Resident Card when applicable.
• Leaving out a second current passport: CBP asks applicants who travel with multiple passports to bring all of them to the interview.
• Assuming a child is covered by a parent's membership: each child needs a separate approved application.
• Assuming Global Entry guarantees expedited processing every time: members remain subject to CBP inspection and program rules.

What happens after approval?

After CBP approves the application, confirm your membership information in your TTP account and use your PASSID as your Known Traveler Number for eligible TSA PreCheck benefits.

Keep your passport, lawful permanent resident information and other TTP profile details current. If CBP requires an in-person update for a particular document or identity change, follow the instructions in the TTP system.

Global Entry remains a trusted-traveler program, so continued participation depends on compliance with customs, immigration and other applicable laws and program rules.