WASHINGTON: Travelers from Germany will be able to join the Global Entry program for trusted travelers, Customs and Border Protection announced here the other day.
The move represents another expansion of the program for U.S. and foreign travelers from specific countries, according to a statement from Todd Owen, assistant commissioner for field operations, that will be published Tuesday in the Federal Register.
Participants pay a fee to join Global Entry and provide extra information about themselves in exchange for faster entry at U.S. ports.
Global Entry began in February 2012 for U.S. travelers, and was initially open to citizens of Mexico and the Netherlands.
By August 2013, the program was enlarged for citizens of South Korea who participated in that country’s Smart Entry System, and for a limited number of citizens of Qatar, the United Kingdom and Germany.
The program was opened to all citizens of Panama in January 2015 and of the United Kingdom in December.
Expanding Global Entry is part of an effort to push security screening beyond U.S. borders for international travelers. Another part of the strategy is called “Preclearance,” which allows travelers to clear Customs at airports in Canada, Ireland, the Caribbean and Abu Dhabi before getting on a plane.
Global Entry is popular among international travelers in the U.S., with 2.5 million members and 70,000 applicants per month. Through September 2015, travelers have passed through Global Entry kiosks more than 17 million times at 46 U.S. locations and 13 Preclearance airports abroad.
The advantage to Global Entry is that participants avoid long Customs lines when arriving from abroad since they can simply answer questions and have their fingerprints checked at an airport kiosk.
To join, participants must pay a fee and provide biographical details, a travel history and fingerprints for a government background check. A face-to-face interview is required.
German federal police will vet travelers for Global Entry eligibility before applications are passed along to U.S. Customs. Applicants could be rejected for criminal offenses or immigration violations, for example.
Once enrolled, participants are also eligible for expedited domestic screening under the Transportation Security Administration’s Pre-check program. The $100 fee gains membership in Global Entry for five years.
