You're probably missing out on this international travel hack that saves time at the airport and costs nothing

28.06.2024 - 21:21 / insider.com / John F.Kennedy / Sean Cudahy

Global Entry isn't the only way international travelers can skip long lines at US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The popular program that allows travelers reentering the US to breeze through customs has a $100 application fee and requires an in-person interview at an airport or government building for approval, according to the CBP website.

"It's a great option for those who frequently travel internationally, but it doesn't make sense for everybody," Sean Cudahy, an aviation reporter at The Points Guy who has Global Entry and has already flown 65,000 miles this year, told Business Insider.

For occasional international travelers, there's a free way to save time at CBP, and no application or interview is required — all you need is your phone.

Mobile Passport Control is an app available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. It allows many travelers to submit their CBP forms electronically and enter a shorter customs line upon arrival in 33 major international US airports, including John F. Kennedy, Phoenix Sky Harbor, and Dallas Fort Worth, according to the CBP website.

"On any given day, you might see a 30-minute line for customs, and most of the people that are standing in that line are eligible for the Mobile Passport Control line, which is sometimes only a couple of people at any given moment." Cudahy, who recently reported on the program, told BI. "It's available to a wide range of travelers."

US citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, Canadians with a B1/B2 visa, and permanent citizens of the 41 countries included in the Visa Waiver Program who have been to the US before can use the app when arriving in the US.

"Nothing is as fast as Global Entry," Cudahy said. "I've been through Global Entry probably a dozen times in the last eight or nine months, and on most of those occasions, it's so fast that my feet barely even stop moving."

While Mobile Passport Control users access a shorter line to talk to CBP officers, Global Entry members don't talk to an officer at all.

"You get off the plane, go right to a kiosk, it recognizes your face, and you're on your way in a matter of seconds," Cudahy said of Global Entry.

Global Entry is also available in twice as many US airports as Mobile Passport Control, and it includes TSA PreCheck access for the duration of the membership.

While it's a more useful perk than Mobile Passport Control, not every international traveler wants to pay $100 and go to the airport for an interview. But they can still avoid long wait times.

Mobile Passport Control has been available since 2014, but not many people use it — especially compared to Global Entry. According to a CBP press release, 4 million travelers used Mobile Passport Control in 2023.

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