Global Entry, TSA PreCheck and Mobile Passport compared

The order matters. Start with the programme that matches your travel pattern, then build the timeline backwards from your next international trip, because the interview slot is the bottleneck, not the form.

Step 1: decide which programme. Use the table above. If you are unsure, ask whether you will re-enter the US more than twice in the next five years. If yes, Global Entry. If no, PreCheck.

Step 2: create the account and file the application. Both Global Entry and PreCheck run through official government portals; third-party sites that charge extra for the same form exist, so check the domain before you enter card details.

Step 3: pay and wait for conditional approval. This can take days or months. You cannot speed it up by calling; the queue is the queue.

Step 4: book the interview. Global Entry interviews happen at enrolment centres, and some airports offer interview-on-arrival after an international flight. PreCheck enrolment is often handled by an approved provider with walk-in or appointment slots. Slots at big-city centres fill first; regional centres are often quicker.

Step 5: bring the right documents. A passport, and for permanent residents a permanent resident card. Names must match your travel documents exactly. If you have changed your name, bring the paperwork that links the old and new names.

Step 6: activate and use it. Global Entry issues a known traveller number; enter it in your airline booking so PreCheck appears on your boarding pass. PreCheck only prints on the boarding pass if the airline has your number and the airport participates.

Step 7: renew before it lapses. Both programmes run five years. Renewal can often be done online, but leaving it to the last week of a trip is how people end up in the standard line.

The headline fees are modest; the real cost is the interview trip and the waiting. Budget for a half-day off work plus travel to an enrolment centre if you do not live near one, and check whether your credit card or loyalty programme reimburses the application fee, which several US cards do.

Mobile Passport is free, which is why it is the sensible fallback when a trip is too close for an interview. It will not get you through the security checkpoint any faster, and it does not work at every airport, so treat it as a bonus lane rather than a plan.

For a family, multiply the application fees by the number of travellers. Children need their own applications for both Global Entry and PreCheck, which changes the maths: a family of four on Global Entry is a few hundred dollars, not one fee.

Global Entry is not open to everyone. Eligibility is limited to US citizens, US lawful permanent residents and citizens of a set of partner countries; the partner list changes, so check the official CBP page rather than a blog post from three years ago. If you are not eligible, PreCheck may still be available to you depending on your status, and Mobile Passport may cover your arrival.

A criminal record, certain immigration violations or an unresolved customs issue can lead to rejection or revocation. Answer the application questions honestly; a denial is not appealable in the way people expect, and a false answer is worse than a slow one.

Mobile Passport depends on airport participation and on the app being available for your device and document type. It also does not replace a visa, an ESTA or any entry requirement. If your ESTA is not approved, a faster queue will not help.

PreCheck is not guaranteed on every flight. Airlines and airports participate on their own terms, and the PreCheck lane can be closed at short notice. Random additional screening still happens, even for members.

Finally, none of these programmes help you leave a country faster, skip a visa interview, or clear immigration anywhere other than the United States. For arrivals in other countries, look at that country's own registered traveller scheme.

Two weeks out, log in and confirm your membership is active and your known traveller number is saved in the airline booking. Print or screenshot the number. At check-in, check the boarding pass for the PreCheck indicator before you reach security; if it is missing, ask the airline desk, not the security officer.

For arrival, decide in advance whether you are using Global Entry kiosks or Mobile Passport, and check that your arrival airport supports the one you picked. Keep your passport and, if you have one, your permanent resident card in the same pocket every time.

If you are travelling with a group, remember that each person needs their own membership. One member in a party of four does not move the whole group into the fast lane.

And keep the basics in order regardless of lane: a valid passport, the right visa or ESTA, and travel insurance that covers the trip you are actually taking.