Jump to: TSA PreCheck
Jump to: Global Entry
How to Apply for TSA PreCheck
First of all, what is TSA PreCheck?
By pre-screening passengers and assigning them a low-risk status, TSA PreCheck allows flyers to use a much quicker lane at airport security checkpoints. TSA PreCheck members usually don't have to remove their shoes, belts, light outerwear, or electronics from their hand luggage. The major airlines participate at about 200 airports across the United States, but it's not available to use in other countries. It is an American program.
Step 1: Am I eligible for TSA PreCheck?
If you're also interested in applying for Global Entry (see below), skip down to that section—TSA PreCheck membership is included for free with every Global Entry membership, so you'll only need to apply for Global Entry once to get both.
In order to qualify for TSA PreCheck, you must qualify as a “low-risk traveler.” This means you must be a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent resident. It also means that you can’t have a criminal record for certain offenses like murder, extortion, and espionage. See the specific eligibility requirements on the TSA website to find out more about the crimes that make applicants ineligible.
Warning: Make sure you only apply for TSA PreCheck directly through the Department of Homeland Security at TSA.gov. The Better Business Bureau has issued a scam alert for third-party websites that look similar to the DHS site and claim to assist travelers with the process, only to steal their application fee and personal data.
Step 2: Visit the TSA Application Center.
Once you determine your eligibility, you can make your way to one of about 400 application centers. You can find a center near you on the TSA website and can either schedule an appointment online or call 855/347-8371 or simply walk in. At your enrollment appointment, you’ll provide your basic information like name, birthdate, and address plus fingerprints and a valid form of identification. You can also pre-enroll online to save some time at the application center.
To process your application for the first time, the TSA charges an $85 nonrefundable fee. Membership is valid for 5 years.
(When your membership comes up for renewal, the fee ranges $59 to $70, depending on the method you choose. Usually, members do not have to interview again to obtain a renewal.)
Step 3: Congratulations! TSA PreCheck has accepted your application. Now what?
Most people will hear within a few weeks if their PreCheck application has been accepted. While you are waiting, you can check your application status online. Approved members receive Known Traveler Number (KTN), which you can add to all your flight reservations to ensure your boarding passes include your TSA PreCheck status.
While your TSA PreCheck membership will be valid for 5 years at a time, you'll keep your KTN for future renewals.
Step 4: Booking a flight with TSA PreCheck
Now that you have your Known Traveler Number, the next thing you need to do is book your flight. When making reservations, make sure you’re flying with an airline that honors PreCheck—more than 90 airlines operating in the United States do. You can add your KTN to upcoming flight reservations as well as add it to your standing customer profile with most airlines so that it's automatically applied to every flight you book with that carrier. To avoid headaches, make sure the name on your plane ticket exactly matches the name for your KTN.
After linking your Known Traveler Number to your flight, your boarding pass will be marked with "TSA Pre-Check" to ensure your security inspection will be quick and easy.
For more information on applying for TSA Pre-Check, visit the TSA website at https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/apply.
Global Entry
What is Global Entry?
The Global Entry process is meant to make your entrance back into the U.S. as easy and painless as possible. Global Entry kiosks are located in the immigration halls of international airports in the U.S., and travelers enrolled in Global Entry can check-in using a fast lane to avoid paperwork and long processing and security lines. At these fast-lane kiosks, Global Entry traveler submit fingerprint scans and a customs declaration on a touch screen. The kiosk will then print a receipt the traveler takes directly to the Customs portion of the process, without waiting in the long queue of passengers waiting to have their passports inspected.
In a way, being accepted by Global Entry is like going through inspection once, in an office, and unless you break any Customs rules, you'll remain cleared for 5 years. Best of all, if you are accepted for Global Entry, you're automatically eligible for TSA PreCheck—there's no need to apply for both.
How To Apply for Global Entry
Step 1: Am I eligible?
To apply for Global Entry, you must be a Lawful Permanent Resident or a Citizen of the United States, or a citizen of about 19 countries listed on the official website. You are ineligible for Global Entry if you have ever been convicted of a crime, have violated Customs, are a subject of a federal investigation, or do not satisfy any of the other U.S. Customs and Border Control low-risk requirements. To find out more about eligibility, visit the US Customs and Border Control Website at https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/eligibility.
Warning: Make sure you only apply directly for Global Entry through the Department of Homeland Security at TSA.gov. The Better Business Bureau has issued a scam alert for third-party websites that look similar to the DHS site and claim to assist travelers with the process, only to steal their application fee and personal data.
Step 2: Applying to Global Entry
First, you must create a free Trusted Traveler Program account with the DHS, which you will use to monitor the progress of your application with the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES). Once you have done that, you can begin the application process and pay the $120 non-refundable fee. All of this can be done online.
Some credit cards automatically refund the application fee for Global Entry, so inquire about your own benefits.
Step 3: The Interview
Next, your application will be conditionally approved. That takes anywhere between 2 weeks (for most people) and nearly a year, but the government won't tell you the reason behind any delay.
Once you have that provisional approval, though, you must then take part in a brief face-to-face interview as the final step of your application process. You will receive an email from your GOES account telling you to schedule an interview at one of about 110 enrollment centers—usually, that will be at an airport, and you'll be given a calendar of available slots.
The interview step, too, can sometimes take a long time to schedule. Some airport interview locations can accommodate you quickly, while others have interview backups for many months. Some paid services, which operate independently of the government, monitor wait times at all the the enrollment centers, and they will scan the scheduling system and ping you the second they spot an open appointment so that you can jump on last-minute availability. Read more about those services here.
You can also decide to drop in on an airport enrollment center for your final interview—without an appointment—by using the government's Global Entry on Enrollment program as you return from an international trip at an eligible airport.
When you arrive at the enrollment center for your appointment, you will be interviewed by a U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP) officer. You will have your picture taken and provide your fingerprints (no ink—just a scan), which is a major reason you have to visit in person, plus some biometric details such as your name, birthdate, and address.
For any Global Entry interview, don’t forget to bring your valid passport and a form of I.D. like your driver’s license or permanent resident card. As long as the interview goes smoothly, your application will be officially accepted on the spot and you'll be give your Global Entry number—which will also work for TSA PreCheck, too.
If your fingerprints are already on file with the CBP, such as if you're renewing your Global Entry membership, you may have the option to conduct your interview remotely by video call.
For more information on Global Entry, visit the US Customs and Border Control at its website, https://www.cbp.gov/global-entry/about.
For more on flying internationally, read How to Apply For a Passport or Visa.