Travelers looking to complete their Global Entry interview at the airport now have a new option, thanks to a program just launched by Customs and Border Protection.
The agency, which runs Global Entry, debuted the first-ever “Enrollment on Departure” option at Washington, DC’s Dulles airport on Monday. The program allows travelers who are conditionally approved for Global Entry to complete their interview process at the airport before boarding an international flight.
Here’s how it works: Travelers with conditional approval (granted via an online application form) can visit the Enrollment on Departure office inside Dulles airport’s B Concourse, located across from gate B41, no appointment needed. Travelers will need to show a travel document, like a passport, and a physical document proving their residence (a driver’s license, mortgage statement, rental payment statement, utility bill, or other document that shows a current address are all acceptable, but this step isn’t required for minors). Also required is an airline ticket that will prove travelers are boarding an international flight. Passengers on domestic flights are not eligible to participate in the program.
The Enrollment on Departure office will be open and staffed with CBP officers everyday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Travelers should “allow ample time to complete this interview process before their international flight departs,” CBP says.
For now, Enrollment on Departure is only available at the Dulles International Airport in Washington DC. There are currently no set plans to expand the program, as officials want to first observe how the program runs before introducing it to additional airports.
Even still, the new interview option will be a boon for the millions of Americans who board international flights departing from the nation’s capital each year. Global Entry interviews have historically been difficult to schedule—with appointments sometimes taking weeks to arrange. Previously, the only ways to complete the interview requirement were to schedule an interview at a Global Entry enrollment center or to participate in the Enrollment on Arrival program. Enrollment on Arrival works the same way as the new departure option, but passengers complete the interview at an eligible US airport after arriving back in the country from an international flight.
Although the application process can sometimes be a headache, Global Entry is worth applying to for travelers who book international trips every year. The program allows travelers expedited processing through airport Customs and Immigration when returning to the US from an international flight and can sometimes help members bypass snaking lines. Membership costs $100 for five years, but there are many travel credit cards that will cover the fee with a statement credit.
If you’re not passing through Dulles on your international travels, the most convenient option for completing the interview requirement remains Enrollment on Arrival, which is available at more than 50 major US airports. The program is also available for arriving US travelers at 14 international airports, including in Aruba, Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, The Bahamas, and the United Arab Emirates.
