India Trusted Traveler Program: FTI-TTP vs Global Entry

India's trusted traveler program is the Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Travellers Program (FTI-TTP). It is free, processing takes about 30 days, and it gets registered Indian nationals and OCI cardholders through e-gates at Indian airports. Global Entry is a separate US CBP program: it costs $120 for 5 years, and Indian citizens face an extra Indian background check that the BLS International page says "may take several months" before the US interview. That makes this India trusted traveler program question a two-clock problem, covered below.

Is the India trusted traveler program the same as Global Entry?

No. FTI-TTP is India's free program for Indian airports, and Global Entry is the US CBP program for US arrivals.

FTI-TTP and Global Entry side by side

The Government of India announced FTI-TTP on June 21, 2024 (Fragomen). Here is how it compares with Global Entry for an Indian citizen living in the US. Each program covers a different border, so they do different jobs.

Global Entry's strength is the US side. If you live in the US and fly home through US airports, FTI-TTP does nothing for that re-entry line, and Global Entry does. FTI-TTP's strengths are the price and the two-way coverage at Indian airports. The two programs complement each other.

Sources: Fragomen and Indian Eagle for FTI-TTP; the Consulate General of India in Atlanta and BLS International for the background check. Full source list is at the bottom.

Who can enroll in FTI-TTP

Only Indian nationals and OCI cardholders, for now. A US citizen without an OCI card cannot enroll. Your passport needs at least 6 months of validity when you apply (Indian Eagle).

How to apply for FTI-TTP

1. Register at ftittp.mha.gov.in with email and mobile OTP verification.
2. Upload a photo (JPEG, 10 KB to 1 MB), the front and last pages of your passport, proof of address, and your OCI card if you have one.
3. Wait about 30 days for processing.
4. Schedule biometrics (fingerprints and a facial image) at an FRRO office or at one of the 31 designated airports.

Some readers on travel sites report friction for applicants abroad: the OTP may work only with Indian mobile numbers, the form may reject non-Indian addresses, and there may be an age cap around 70. These are unverified reader reports. Check the official portal before you plan around them.

Which airports have FTI-TTP lanes

It launched at 8 airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi and Ahmedabad. A September 12, 2025 update added Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Kozhikode and Amritsar. The plan is 21 airports in total, with Navi Mumbai and Jewar planned. Delhi T3 has 8 e-gates, 4 for departures and 4 for arrivals.

Global Entry for Indian citizens: the extra step

CBP opened Global Entry to Indian citizens on July 3, 2017, making India the 11th eligible country (CBP). That release lists a $100 fee, which is out of date. The fee is now $120.

The Indian step, as the Consulate General of India in Atlanta describes it for US residents:

1. Submit your CBP application and pay the $120 fee.
2. File the Global Entry Program (GEP) background check on the Global Passport Seva portal.
3. Submit the physical application, with the fee, at the VFS Global center.

The Passport Seva and VFS fee is set by the consulate, so read its page for the current amount. For comparison, the Toronto jurisdiction charges CAD 59 plus a CAD 1.70 BLS fee, CAD 60.70 in total. BLS International Toronto gives a minimum of 3 to 5 working days, but says clearance from authorities in India "may take several months." Nobody can tell you where in that range your case will land.

Worked example: an H-1B holder in Atlanta

Say an Indian citizen on an H-1B lives in Atlanta. The sequence:

1. Day 0: Apply on ttp.dhs.gov and pay $120.
2. Same week: File the GEP background check on Passport Seva and submit the paper application at VFS.
3. Wait for Indian clearance: possibly several months.
4. CBP review: see how long Global Entry takes from application to approval for what CBP's own stages look like.
5. Interview: check the next bookable date for Atlanta on /global-entry-wait-times or /global-entry-appointment-availability.

The availability page shows each center's next bookable date. It does not tell you whether a slot is open right now.

The table uses assumed figures for illustration. The clearance times are guesses inside "several months," and the 60-day interview wait is a placeholder. Replace it with the date you see on the live pages for Atlanta.

Add CBP's own review time to every row. The fixed cost is $120 plus the consulate's Passport Seva and VFS fee.

Lining up both programs with one trip to India

The GEP background check is filed from the US through Passport Seva and VFS, so it needs no trip. FTI-TTP biometrics are done in India. The sources do not say whether being in India speeds up the clearance, so don't plan on it. A workable order:

1. File the CBP application and the GEP background check first, because that clock is the longest and least predictable.
2. About 45 days before your flight, register for FTI-TTP so the roughly 30-day processing is done before you land. Check that your passport has at least 6 months of validity.
3. Book your biometrics at an FRRO office or one of the designated airports for a day early in the trip.
4. Keep your return date flexible if the US interview date arrives while you are away.

Visa details for non-citizens

Indian citizens who are Global Entry members but not US citizens or green card holders need a valid passport and visa, and must keep their visa details updated with CBP. Confirm the current requirements on CBP's site before your interview.

Getting an earlier interview once clearance arrives

Sometimes the Indian clearance lands and the next listed interview date is months away. Earlier dates can come up through cancellations. 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 you can watch up to 3 enrollment centers in that window. You book the appointment yourself on ttp.dhs.gov, and nobody can promise you a slot. If you want to see the options first, you can compare Global Entry alert services.