International travel is about to get a little easier for the more than 12 million members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Global Entry program. Earlier this month, GBP announced the launch of a new mobile app which would allow Global Entry members to complete their arrival processing on their phone instead of waiting in line to use a kiosk. Here’s what to know.
How to use the Global Entry app
The new Global Entry app is currently available to download for free from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. To use the app to go through customs, Global Entry members will be prompted to take a selfie, which will then be instantly compared to other images CBP has of them, using facial biometrics to verify their identity.
Once their new photo is accepted, a receipt will be sent to them through the app. Then, upon arrival at the main customs inspection area in the airport, the traveler can head directly to the CBP officers—without having to do anything at the Global Entry portals—and show them the receipt on the app.
According to CBP’s Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller, the new app “leverages the latest technologies, in order to enhance security while further improving the travel experience for CBP’s trusted travelers.”
Where you can use the Global Entry app
Currently, Global Entry members can use mobile app when arriving at the following seven airports:
- Seattle Tacoma International Airport
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Miami International Airport
- Orlando International Airport
- Washington Dulles International Airport
- Pittsburgh International Airport
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston, Texas)
According to a statement from CBP, the agency “will continue to evaluate and expand the use of the app at airports where Global Entry processing occurs in the future.” However, the statement did not include a timeline for the remainder of the rollout, nor any updates or insights on Global Entry’s notoriously slow enrollment process.
