What is Global Entry? And Do You Need It?
Have you ever stood in an endless line at customs after a transcontinental flight and wondered, is there a better way!? Well, I just might have the answer to your problems.
Enter: Global Entry. Global entry is a special program that you can apply for, and once you have completed the process and are accepted, your customs experience will be much, much easier. Basically, you are given a card that allows you to be fast tracked through customs.
The Process
Make a trusted traveler account. EACH PERSON applying needs an account — so if you are applying for your child, they need their own account.
Complete the application. You will need to pay the 100 dollar application fee. Your application will then be reviewed and conditionally approved.
Schedule your interview and then go to it! My experience is that these interviews are pretty low key.
Note: Please, please, PLEASE bring your passport to your interview, along with your other form of identification. Many of the interviews book out months in advance, and there were multiple people that had forgotten their passport the day I interviewed, so they had to reschedule. For this kind of stuff — passports, drivers licenses, etc — my rule of thumb is to always bring more documentation than you think you might need.
Caveats
Okay so here is the thing: if you travel internationally with your kids, and want to use your global entry, your kids need it too. Unlike TSA precheck, where kids are automatically allowed into the TSA precheck line if their family members are in it, global entry does not allow children without global entry through. Every single family member needs their own global entry, which isn’t the end of the world but it can add up in terms of expenses. However, if you travel internationally a lot, I think it’s totally worth it! If you go out of the country once a year, maybe it’s not necessary.
Happy traveling!