Let this be a thing of the past with the new Global Entry program. Photo by The Guth Family on Flickr

Nothing is worse than getting off a long international flight, and then spending an hour or more waiting in lines at a busy customs check in point. Now frequent travelers everywhere can rejoice: The US Customs and Border Protection agency has just announced an expansion of their Global Entry program. This program allows international travelers to bypass the customs line when they land at select US airports and enter the country via an electronic kiosk.

Applying for the program costs $100 for 5 years. The application can be found here. (I’ll be applying as soon as I get done writing this post.) You can qualify for the program if you:

• Are over 14 years of age;
• Are a citizen or permanent resident of the USA or “certain other countries”;
• Have a machine-readable passport.
• Have never been convicted of a criminal offense in any country, especially for customs, agriculture or terrorism-related offenses;
• Pass the in-person interview conducted by a CBP agent at one of the participating airports.

Should you fail to qualify, your application fee is not returned.

Once you do qualify, you can go to one of the special kiosks where it scans your passport and fingerprints, then answer some questions on the touch-screen. When complete, the machine spits out a receipt that replaces your Customs Declaration Form which you can use to exit the airport and get on with life.

Airports currently served are: ATL, BOS, DFW, DTW, EWR, FLL, HNL, IAD, IAH, JFK, LAS, LAX, MCO, MIA, ORD, PHL, SEA, SFB, SFO, SJU.

Global Entry Program via Today in the Sky