How to Apply for Global Entry
Traveling is great, but actually getting to and from another country is another story. Navigating airports, security checks, and long custom lines can be a pain – especially when you’re trying to make a connecting flight.
Luckily, travelers can sign up for global entry to skip customs lines AND get TSA precheck, so no need to unpack everything at security. It’s really a win-win.
4 easy steps to applying for Global Entry
- Go to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection web page to read about program eligibility and fill out your application. It takes about 10 minutes to fill out, you’ll just need your passport.
- Pay your application fee, which is $100. Some travel credit cards, like Capital One, will completely reimburse you for the cost!
- It’ll take a week or two for your application to get accepted. You’ll get an email saying that the status changed on your application.
- From there, you’ll pick a location to get your interview done. The “interview” is 5-10 minutes where you’ll be asked simple questions – it’s really just a double check to make sure you’re not a criminal.
When we were looking for places holding interviews, the pickings were really slim. Living in Indianapolis, the only place drivable with lots of appointment slots was Chicago. Doing a six-hour drive roundtrip for this quick interview was a bummer, but I knew having global entry would be worth it.
Once your interview is done, your global entry card will be mailed to you within about a week. Just like that, you’ve got TSA precheck and global entry. No more waiting in two-hour customs lines for 5 years!
My interview experience in Chicago
By: Lexa
What to bring:
- Passport
- Driver’s license
- Recent utility or rent bill to prove your address
Where the interview is held:
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection building in downtown Chicago. There’s lots of street parking around the building.
Interview process:
My boyfriend and I actually showed up to our appointment two hours early to see if we could knock it out quicker, and it worked. So don’t feel like you’re completely tied to your time. A lot of people were there with similar time slots, so we went in order of who had the earliest appointment.
I was asked 3-5 questions to verify who I was and got my photo taken for my global entry card, and that was it. Super easy!
NOTE: You can also get your interview done while entering back into the U.S. from different countries at select international airports. When you get to customs, there’s a separate line for people applying for global entry. Just make sure your application is already approved.
Global Entry at the Airport
By: Caroline
After hearing about global entry from Lexa, I decided to do my interview at the airport on our way back from Peru. You still have to fill out your application and get conditionally approved prior to arriving at the airport (I’d give yourself a few weeks). You can find out if the airport you’re traveling through offers this option here. I didn’t schedule an appointment in advance since flights change, and arrival can be a bit unpredictable.
When you get to customs, you will get in the regular entry line. Once you get to an agent, let them know you’re conditionally approved and wait to be called by another agent to a separate U.S. Customs & Border Control area. I handed over my passport and waited about 10-15 minutes to be called back into a room. They took my fingerprints and my photo (be ready to have your photo taken for your I.D. card) and asked me a few questions about where I’d traveled over the last few years and why. The “interview” took about 2 minutes, and the agent was super friendly. After that, you just wait a couple of weeks for your fingerprints to be run and an I.D. card to be mailed to you. I had an email later that day letting me know that my status had been changed from conditionally approved to approved.
Lexa grabbed my items from baggage claim while I was waiting, but if you’re traveling solo, they had someone walking around the office asking if you had luggage that needed to be grabbed for you. Overall the process was really easy, so if you don’t have an office located near you, I’d highly recommend coordinating it with your next trip through one of the airports that offers this option.
