How to Apply for Global Entry: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Determine Your Eligibility

Before anything else, make sure you're eligible. Global Entry is open to:

- U.S. citizens and U.S. lawful permanent residents.
- Citizens of certain other countries under reciprocal agreements.

However, remember that factors like previous violations of customs regulations or certain criminal convictions could make you ineligible.

2. Create a Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) Account

Head over to the Trusted Traveler Programs website and create an account. This is where you will do everything related to your Global Entry account.

3. Complete the Application

Once logged in:

A. Opt for the Global Entry program.

B. Carefully fill out the application, providing essential details including passport data, travel history, and employment.

C. Ensure accuracy before submission.

4. Pay the Application Fee

The Global Entry application carries a non-refundable fee covering five years of membership, paid in your TTP account at submission. Check the current amount on CBP's site before you file — it has been increased in recent years, and most guides still quote the old figure. Some travel credit cards reimburse it as a statement credit, so it is worth checking your card's benefits first.

5. Await Conditional Approval

After submitting, CBP will review your application. This review can span several weeks.

Once conditionally approved, you'll receive a notice in your TTP account indicating the next steps.

6. Sign up for Global Entry Spotter

Given the popularity of Global Entry, securing an interview slot can be a challenge. At some centers the next opening is months out, while others clear within days. This is where the Global Entry Spotter comes in handy. It's an alert system that notifies you when a new interview appointment opens up.

Email Alerts: These are free and will give you a heads-up when there's an opening.

SMS Alerts: For just $25, you get 31 days of instant SMS alerts. Given the urgency with which slots are booked, we strongly recommend the SMS option for quicker, more direct notifications.

7. Schedule and Attend the In-Person Interview

Once you receive an alert about an available slot, immediately book your appointment at the nearest Global Entry Enrollment Center (often situated at major U.S. airports).

Bring along:

- Valid passport and another form of identification like a driver's license.
- Conditional approval letter printout.
- Applicable visa or residency documents based on your nationality.

8. The Interview Experience

Expect the interview to last around 15-20 minutes. A CBP officer will:

- Confirm your documents.
- Capture your fingerprints.
- Pose questions related to your travel history and your interest in Global Entry.

9. Achieve Final Approval and Get Your Card

Upon successful completion of the interview:

- Instructions on how to operate the Global Entry kiosks will be shared.
- Your official Global Entry card will be mailed to you in a few weeks. Remember, for U.S. travelers, the card is mainly needed for land border crossings since kiosks identify you through fingerprints and your passport.

Why applications sit in “pending review” for months

Most applications move to conditional approval in a few weeks. A minority go quiet for months, and there is rarely any explanation in the account. Common reasons CBP takes longer: a name, address or employer that does not match its records; time spent living abroad; a prior customs violation, however minor; or simply a backlog at the office handling your file.

There is no way to pay for a faster review, and reapplying does not help — it puts you at the back of the queue. What has worked for people is asking directly. CBP runs a contact form that accepts an application status check, and one of our co-founders had a renewal approved 24 hours after submitting one, following months of silence. The exact dropdown options he used are in his write-up.

What conditional approval actually means

Conditional approval is not the finish line. It means CBP has cleared the background checks and now needs to see you in person. Your application stays open, unfinished, until that interview happens — and you generally have a limited window to complete it before the conditional approval lapses.

This is where most of the delay in getting Global Entry now lives. The paperwork is predictable; the interview is the bottleneck. Appointments are released in unpredictable batches and are taken within minutes, which is why refreshing the scheduler by hand rarely works. Our guide to scheduling your Global Entry interview walks through booking, rescheduling and Enrollment on Arrival. You can also see how each enrollment center is currently performing, or let us watch them for you.

Already have Global Entry?

Renewing is a different process with its own timing rules, and filing before your expiry date protects your benefits while it is pending. We cover it separately in how to renew Global Entry.

Conclusion

The path to Global Entry may have a few steps, but the benefits, particularly for those who often travel, are invaluable. With a successful application, you'll be on your way to more seamless international trips. Here's to swift and easy journeys!

The step that catches people out is the interview, not the paperwork. Waits vary enormously by center — some have something open within days, others average months out — and the only way to know which you are dealing with is to look. We publish current figures for every enrollment center, updated daily, on our wait times page.