Guide to Global Entry walk-in appointments

Quick insights

• Once you receive conditional approval for your Global Entry application, the next step is to schedule an in-person interview.
• If you’re struggling to find an open interview slot at the Enrollment Center in your area, you may want to consider a walk-in appointment.
• Walk-in appointments are available to travelers returning from an international trip through the Enrollment on Arrival program.

When there’s an appointment backlog for Global Entry, you may have other options. Global Entry walk-in appointments might be a more convenient and flexible choice for some applicants. If you’ve got an international trip in the near future, you may be able to complete your Global Entry enrollment at Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) when you arrive from a flight abroad.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how to get a Global Entry walk-in appointment.

Understanding Global Entry

Global Entry is a program designed to facilitate a faster entry into the United States for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. When returning from an international trip, travelers with Global Entry may use automated kiosks instead of standing in line for a passport inspection.

The program entails a detailed and lengthy application process that includes a(n):

• In-person interview
• Background check
• $120 application fee

Once travelers receive conditional approval, they may schedule the Global Entry interview by logging into their Trusted Traveler account. Appointments typically fill up quickly.

If approved, Global Entry membership lasts for five years.

Enrollment on Arrival

Enrollment on Arrival is a program that may allow travelers to get a walk-in appointment with a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officer when they return to the U.S. from international travel. At participating airports, travelers can let the CBP officer know during their admissibility inspection that they’d like to complete their Global Entry in-person interview.

This option allows travelers to bypass a prescheduled interview at an Enrollment Center.

Eligibility for Global Entry walk-in appointments

You’re eligible for the in-person interview once you’ve received conditional approval on your Global Entry application. The only way to secure a Global Entry walk-in appointment is if you’re returning to the U.S. from an international flight.

You have 720 days from the date of your conditional approval to complete the interview process.

Where to find Global Entry walk-in appointments

Several major international airports offer the Enrollment on Arrival program. As of October 2024, these airports may allow you to get a walk-in appointment:

• Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
• Fairbanks International Airport (FAI)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
• Oakland International Airport (OAK)
• Ontario International Airport (OIA)
• Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
• San Diego International Airport (SAN)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT)
• John Wayne Airport – Orange County (SNA)
• Denver International Airport (DIA)
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• Miami International Airport (MIA)
• Orlando International Airport (MCO)
• Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA)
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
• Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
• Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
• Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
• Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)
• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)
• Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
• Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
• St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
• Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
• Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
• John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
• Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
• Portland International Airport (PDX)
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
• Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU)
• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
• San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
• William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
• Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
• General Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee (MKE)

You may even be able to get a walk-in appointment at select international locations. Aruba, Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, The Bahamas and United Arab Emirates have participating airports.

For the most up-to-date information about where to find Global Entry walk-in appointments, visit the Enrollment on Arrival page on the CBP website.

Preparing for your Global Entry walk-in appointment

You’ll need to bring the following documents with you for your Enrollment on Arrival walk-in appointment:

• A valid passport
• Documents to show proof of residency (driver’s license with a current address, utility bill, mortgage payment, etc.)
• A permanent resident card (if applicable)

If you hold multiple valid passports, you’ll need to bring them all the appointment.

How to get the earliest possible Global Entry appointment

If Enrollment on Arrival isn’t an option for you, you still may be able to secure an appointment. Here are some tips that may help you get an interview sooner:

• If there’s a backlog in your area, it may benefit you to begin looking for an appointment as soon as you receive conditional approval.
• It may be worth your time to check for appointment times regularly. Even if an Enrollment Center is booked a year out, it may be possible to get a last-minute appointment if someone cancels.
• There are third-party apps or services that may monitor appointment availability for you. In many cases, you’ll get an alert when an appointment becomes available. You’ll usually need to pay a fee for these services.
• Consider traveling to an Enrollment Center with less of an appointment backlog.
• CBP may host enrollment events in your area. They sometimes host multiday events in different locations to help reduce their appointment backlogs.

Frustrated with the appointment process for Global Entry? You may consider downloading the Mobile Passport Control app. This app may allow you to submit your passport information and customs declaration form in advance of the customs screening, and you may find that it streamlines the entry process.

How to get a reimbursement for your Global Entry fee

Some credit cards reimburse the Global Entry application fee. You typically need to pay for the application fee with your credit card to receive this perk.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® credit card offers a statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee. Cardmembers are eligible for this benefit when they pay the application fee with their Sapphire Reserve card.

In summary

After you get conditional approval on your Global Entry application, the next step is to schedule an in-person interview. Due to the limited availability of prescheduled interviews, some travelers may want to use Enrollment on Arrival. This CBP program may allow you to complete your enrollment when you go through customs after returning to the U.S. from a flight abroad.