How to Apply for Global Entry

BY KATHERINE LAGRAVE AND BLANE BACHELOR

When it comes to simplifying international flights, most savvy jet-setters apply for Global Entry, which provides expedited clearance into a U.S. airport following an international flight. Like TSA PreCheck, Global Entry falls under the government’s Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) umbrella, but—unlike its domestic cousin—it’s the key to sidestepping what can often be monstrous lines coming back into the country, making it a godsend at the tail-end of long-haul flights.

And now that international travel is back in a big way—according to travel booking site Hopper, 34 percent of all 2023 travel bookings so far are international—Global Entry access is handier than ever. And there’s good news if you’ve been putting off your application: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency that runs Global Entry, has worked through most of the backlog it experienced through the pandemic and re-opened enrollment centers that had been temporarily closed, according to Rhonda Lawson, a CBP spokesperson. The agency also has made significant improvements to streamline a final step of enrollment for applicants returning from an international trip, making the process even more convenient (more details below).