How to Use the Global Entry App at a US Airport (Step by Step)
The short version of how to use global entry app at airport arrivals: download the Global Entry app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and after you land at a participating airport, confirm your arrival with a selfie. CBP compares the photo with the photo or photos on file and sends a mobile receipt, which you take to an agent.
Members finish entry processing before leaving the plane and bypass the Global Entry portals to speak with a CBP officer. You need to be a member first, so if you are still waiting on an interview, skip to the section on Enrollment on Arrival below.
Step by step: how to use global entry app at airport after you land
- Activate your card. Do it within 30 days of receiving it. On the GOES website, click Activate Membership Card, then enter your PASSID and the numeric part of the Security Code on the back of the card.
- Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in.
- Land at a participating airport and confirm your arrival in the app with a selfie.
- Wait for the mobile receipt. CBP compares your selfie with the photo or photos on file before it sends one.
- Take the receipt to an agent and leave. You skip the Global Entry portals and the line for a CBP officer.
The Points Guy reports that you do not need the physical card at kiosks, but some airports have asked for it. Carry it anyway.
Where the app works
CBP's May 29, 2024 release said the app worked at 53 international ports of entry in the US, plus all Preclearance locations. Eight airports were added that day:
- Austin–Bergstrom
- Nashville
- Houston International
- Kansas City
- New Orleans Louis Armstrong
- San Antonio
- St. Louis Lambert
- Toledo Express
CBP said it would reach all 77 US international airports by the end of fiscal year 2024. That figure is dated, so check CBP's current airport list before you fly. If your arrival airport is not on it, use the kiosk.
If the app does not work: the kiosk
- Scan your passport or US permanent resident card.
- Press four fingers of one hand on the scanner.
- Take the printed receipt to the officer at the exit control point.
If the receipt has an X across it, take it to the CBP officer in the nearest booth. If the kiosk is out of order, go to the nearest staffed passport control primary line. You get front-of-the-line privileges there. Our Global Entry kiosk questions guide covers the screen prompts.
Customs declarations and exceptions
Global Entry members skip the paper Customs Declaration form 6059B. Some travelers still go to the regular line:
- Anyone carrying more than $10,000 must declare it, and the kiosk sends them to the regular inspection lane.
- If your imports exceed the personal exemption, the kiosk prints a receipt directing you to the regular line.
- Every traveler, members included, can be randomly examined.
Children must be enrolled individually to use the kiosks.
Mobile Passport Control is a different app
Mobile Passport Control (MPC) is a separate, free app for US citizens and Canadian visitors. It needs no pre-approval and runs at 27 US airports and 4 seaports. You build a profile (up to 12 family profiles), take a "New Trip" selfie and get a QR receipt. You still go through an MPC lane with an officer, and the photo must be updated every year.
MPC does not replace Global Entry membership, so it will not get you Global Entry lanes while you wait on an interview.
Waiting on an interview? Two airport options
Enrollment on Arrival lets conditionally approved applicants finish the interview with a CBP agent during admissibility inspection at the airport. You need a US passport (check whether proof-of-residency documents are also required), and your flight must land during interview hours. Our Enrollment on Arrival explainer goes through it.
Enrollment on Departure exists at only two airports, for conditionally approved applicants at the final step:
- IAD: Gate B41, Terminal B, noon to 8 p.m. daily.
- MIA: Concourse J, Level 2, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Detroit Metro: hours and phone numbers
The CBP Michigan page lists these centers. Call before you go, because hours change.
| Center | Address | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTW enrollment center | Evans Terminal, 600 Rogell Drive, Romulus, MI 48226 | (734) 941-7668 | 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Mon–Wed and Fri; 8 a.m.–noon Thu |
| Detroit city center | 2810 West Fort Street, Building B | (313) 964-7868 | 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Mon and Sat; 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Tue–Fri |
The Port Huron center is listed as temporarily closed.
Worked example: the DTW center is open 8 hours on each of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, plus 4 hours on Thursday. That is 36 hours a week, and none on weekends. Aim for a weekday morning, and avoid Thursday afternoon.
For DTW details, open the Detroit Metro Airport page. To see each center's next bookable date, use the Global Entry appointment availability page. It does not show whether a slot is open right now. Availability varies by city, so check nearby locations.
Interview logistics and fees
The interview takes 10 to 15 minutes. Allow at least 30 minutes for delays. Bring a valid passport or permanent resident card plus proof of residency. It ends with fingerprints and a photo. Some renewals may skip the interview. See how long the Global Entry interview takes for more.
The CBP application fee is $120 for Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI, since October 1, 2024. Before that date Global Entry cost $100. Membership lasts 5 years and expires on your birthday in the fifth year. It includes five years of TSA PreCheck. Renew well before expiry. Violating the program terms can lead to enforcement action and loss of membership.
Getting an earlier interview slot
If the next bookable date at your center is months out, GlobalEntryTexts texts you when a Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI interview appointment opens at the enrollment centers you choose. It costs $25, paid once, for 30 days of monitoring, and it is not a subscription. You can watch up to 3 enrollment centers in that window. You book the appointment yourself on ttp.dhs.gov, because GlobalEntryTexts never books for you.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The app is for approved members who have activated their card. Applicants who are conditionally approved can ask about Enrollment on Arrival or, at IAD and MIA, Enrollment on Departure.
No. MPC is a free app for US citizens and Canadian visitors that needs no pre-approval, and you still go through an MPC lane with an officer. The Global Entry app requires membership.
Per CBP's Michigan page, it closes at noon on Thursday. It is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Wednesday and Friday. Call (734) 941-7668 to confirm.
The Points Guy says you do not need it at kiosks, but some airports have asked for it, so carry it. You also need the card details to activate your membership within 30 days of receiving it.