Traveling with kids can be challenging enough as it is—let alone when long lines and jetlag are involved. For families hoping to avoid an airport meltdown at all costs, getting Global Entry for your kids is one of the easiest things parents can do to simplify the process of returning home after an international trip.
Global Entry is one of the Department of Homeland Security’s Trusted Traveler programs, allowing preapproved members to glide through a streamlined customs screening when returning to the US from abroad. But unlike TSA PreCheck, which allows children 12 and under to tag along with parents in the express lane, Global Entry does not allow children—including babies—to join their parents in line. Instead, children under the age of 18 also have to apply and interview for their own Global Entry membership, with their parent’s consent. The good news is that the $120 application fee is waived for children under 18 whose parents already have Global Entry or are applying at the same time.
Getting Global Entry for every member of the family is well worth it, especially since membership includes TSA PreCheck at participating airports. Plus, a handful of travel credit cards will reimburse the application fee. Below, we break down seven things you should know before getting Global Entry for your kids.
This story has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
Enrollment on Arrival is one of the quickest ways to get an appointment
While 80% of applicants are approved within two weeks, the US Customs and Border Protection Agency reports that some applications can take up to 12 months or longer to approve. A good way to speed up the process? Fill out the paperwork online, and once you are conditionally approved, you can schedule an appointment at an enrollment center near you. These appointments can be hard to nab—the quickest way to get a Global Entry interview is through Enrollment on Arrival at the airport. This is only for travelers who are landing in US airports after an international flight (or landing in qualifying international locations, including Aruba, Canada, Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates). Upon landing, follow signs for Global Entry interviews, and simply wait in line right there and then.
Young kids may not have developed fingerprints yet
Young children, especially those under seven years old, might not have well-developed fingerprints—one of the biometric scans required for Global Entry. But that doesn’t mean they won’t get approved. Fingerprint-less travelers still get to go through the Global Entry lane, but they’ll always get an “x” on their form, which means the child and their parents will need to see an agent for approval before exiting. While it’s a slightly annoying additional step, the wait time is still considerably less. If you’re traveling with a baby, you’ll have to go through this process as well.
You can transfer Global Entry after your child’s passport expires
For those 15 and younger, passports only last 5 years (for those 16 and older, it lasts for 10). So if you get Global Entry a few years after you get your child a passport, the passport will expire before Global Entry (which also expires after five years). But don’t worry: Your child’s Global Entry will still work for the full five years. If a passport expires before a member’s Global Entry membership expires, the holder simply needs to renew their passport and enter the new passport number in their Trusted Traveler Program account. Pro tip: Make sure you save the usernames and passwords associated with this account as entering the wrong information too many times can lead to weeks-long periods of being locked out.
Both parents don’t have to be at the interview
While some parents may be concerned that both parents need to be present for the Global Entry interview, especially in cases where one parent has a different last name than the child, “Since Global Entry is attached to your child’s passport—not the parent’s passport—only one parent has to be at the interview,” says Juan Fernandez, the owner of Elli Travel Group, a travel planning agency in Larchmont, New York. In addition to the child’s required documents, he recommends parents also bring their passport and proof of residence to the interview.
Choose Global Entry over TSA PreCheck
People often confuse these two programs, but they are actually quite different: TSA PreCheck streamlines screening through domestic US airports while Global Entry streamlines the process of returning to the US from a foreign country. What many people don’t realize, Fernandez says, is that Global Entry also gives you access to the TSA PreCheck program. But it doesn’t go both ways—if you enroll in TSA PreCheck, you do not get automatic access to the Global Entry program. Another note: having Global Entry means you are eligible for TSA PreCheck, but you could still be subject to random security screenings. “Homeland Security randomly picks people with Known Traveler Numbers—e.g. Global Entry—and forces them to go through the normal security procedures,” says Fernandez. “Chances of this happening are typically 10%.”
Your child will have access to Global Entry immediately
“Global Entry is activated immediately after your interview,” says Fernandez. So if your interview is days before your departure date, don’t worry—you’re covered.
