If you like to travel, Global Entry is a must-have. While the in-person interview requirement and appointment scheduling can pose challenges, the advantages are undeniable. Global Entry will save you so much time in airports; once you have it, you will wonder how you ever traveled without it.
What is Global Entry?
Global Entry is a program managed by the United States Customs and Border Patrol. It allows approved travelers to skip the regular customs and immigration line when they re-enter the U.S. from an international trip. A side bonus: GE membership also comes with TSA PreCheck, allowing you to access expedited security lines for both domestic and international flights.
Requirements:
- Application, background check, and an in-person interview.
- The application fee was $100, but as of October 2024, it will be $120. Good news for families, though! With the price increase comes another change—kids will now be free!
- Membership must be renewed every five years.
- Children must have their own membership; they can’t share a parent’s membership.
How to apply
- Complete an application through the Trusted Travelers Programs (TTP) website
- Pay the $120 application fee (this is nonrefundable). Many credit cards include a $120 reimbursement for Global Entry. All you need to do is pay the fee using one of these cards, and you will soon see a statement credit reimbursing you for the $120.
- Once you apply, they will run a background check. When complete, you will receive an email informing you that you are conditionally approved and eligible to book an in-person interview.
- Scheduling interviews can be tricky. I suggest grabbing whatever appointment is available and then diligently monitoring the website (by diligently, I mean constantly checking and obsessively refreshing your screen throughout the day) till a better appointment time comes up.
My favorite cards that include a Global Entry credit:
- Capital One Venture X
- American Express Platinum
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Capital One Venture Rewards
What to expect in the interview
My interview was speedy – less than 10 minutes. The agent asked me why I wanted Global Entry and then asked me to list the recent countries I had visited. They then took my picture, scanned my fingerprints, and I was out of there!
You have Global Entry, now what?
Yay! Now that you have Global Entry, you can cruise through airports like a pro. You’ll soon receive a physical Global Entry card by mail. This card contains your nine-digit PASSID Global Entry number in the upper left corner on the back. Airlines will call this your “Known Traveler Number.” Be sure to save this number in all of your airline loyalty accounts. You must attach it to all your flight bookings to have TSA PreCheck printed on your boarding pass.
Using TSA PreCheck
Once you’ve linked your Known Traveler Number to your airline accounts, your boarding passes should automatically feature “TSA-PreCheck.” This is the golden ticket to cruising past the standard security lines and instead accessing the expedited TSA PreCheck lines.
TSA PreCheck privileges
- No need to remove shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts, or light jackets.
- Expedited security screening. Most travelers get through security in 5 minutes or less.
Using Global Entry
When you land in a U.S. airport from an international flight, all passengers will bottleneck into the customs and immigration lines. Look for the signs indicating “Global Entry” and bypass all those lines. Most airports use kiosks where you will either scan your fingerprint, take your picture, scan your passport, or some combo of the three. Then a ticket will print out, which you hand to a border patrol agent, and Voila! Welcome home.
The added benefit of SENTRI
One unsung perk of GE membership is the included benefit of SENTRI and NEXUS. The physical Global Entry card you received in the mail has radio frequency identification, enabling their use at SENTRI and NEXUS expedited travel lanes entering the U.S.
SENTRI = The Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection. These are special expedited lanes at the US-Mexico Border. You can only use these lanes if you and EVERYONE in your car have their physical GE card on them. Having this has saved me literally hours of wait time when crossing back into San Diego from a weekend in Mexico.
NEXUS = This is the same as SENTRI, except it is used at the US-Canada border crossing.
Remember to include your vehicle in your Global Entry registration if you plan on driving across the US-Mexico border. This is covered in the initial $120 application fee, saving you from additional costs (alternatively, if you decide to add a vehicle after your initial application, you must pay a $42 fee). You’ll also need to schedule a vehicle inspection with Border Patrol. We did ours at the border on one of our return drives home from a weekend in Mexico.
Conclusion
For travel enthusiasts, Global Entry is a game changer. Despite the initial time investment, the benefits it offers for smoother travel experiences are invaluable.
