All The Airports You Can (And Should) Use Mobile Passport

Life

If you travel internationally frequently (or even just once every few years), then Global Entry can be your best friend. However, if you're an infrequent international traveler then the Mobile Passport app can be exactly what the doctor (or border control in this case) ordered.

Available for iOS and Android (click on those for links to download), the app expedites your paperwork when you're coming into the United States, allowing you to bypass the epically long lines at some of the country's busiest airports. It's not really a "mobile passport" as much as it is a paperwork replacement. You still need your passport with you.

I finally got Global Entry earlier this year, but before I did I used Mobile Passport with some great results. The best example was when I returned from Barbados and had to fly into the Miami airport, which is best described as nothing less than hell. I had an hour-and-a-half layover to get to my connecting flight, and the line to pass in paperwork (those pieces of paper the flight attendants give you when you land) was several hundred confused people long.

Instead of waiting, I downloaded the app, filled out my form standing in the (much shorter) Mobile Passport line, and was through the whole process and waiting for my luggage before it even hit baggage claim.

Mobile Passport is free to use. It's not a replacement for Global Entry (that's still infinitely better), but it can make going through border patrol much better. You're essentially just using the app to input your passport info and then answer those questions you typically would on paper, such as whether or not you have anything to declare, do you have any fruits and vegetables, and have you been close to livestock. You can only complete the process when you're within 4 hours of walking through customs, so it's best to do most of this while your plane is taxiing on the runway or while you're already in line.

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Once you've answered everything, you're given a unique QR code that the agent at the desk can scan. They'll take a look at your passport, verify the information you inputted into the app, and send you on your way. You're saving them the time involved in dealing with that piece of paper, which in turn saves you time. I'd imagine it shaved at least an hour off my customs experience in Miami, in turn making it so I actually caught my connection.
The difference between this and Global Entry is that with Global Entry you skip this line entirely. The "agent" you speak with is a kiosk where you fill out this same info and scan your fingerprints. Global Entry travelers also get to go through a separate line after they pick up their bags, with Mobile Passport you're thrown back in with the masses. Again, this is not a replacement for that Global Entry experience, but it's a step above the alternative.

If you don't have Global Entry (or you're still waiting for an appointment to complete your approval), here's where you can take advantage of Mobile Passport.