Mobile Passport Control or Global Entry? — What Works at Your Airport
Your arrival airport and who you are → whether Mobile Passport Control or Global Entry works for you there, what each costs and which line to take.
Use Mobile Passport Control — free at John F. Kennedy (JFK)No application and no background check: scan your passport in CBP's MPC app, then submit your photo and answers up to 4 hours before you land and take the MPC line. Global Entry also works here: $120 for 5 years, with TSA PreCheck included — in CBP's words, the perfect program for frequent international or business travelers.
Mobile Passport ControlWorks for you here
- Free; no enrollment application and no background check.
- Submit in the app up to 4 hours before you land; up to 12 people on one submission.
- You still talk to a CBP officer and show your passport.
- TSA PreCheck not included (CBP: $85 or less for 5 years).
Global EntryOpen to you — apply first
- $120 for 5 years, TSA PreCheck included.
- An application, a background check and an in-person interview the first time.
- Not always required to talk with a CBP officer.
- This airport has a Global Entry enrollment center.
How long the regular line is here, by hour: Customs Wait Times at JFK.
CBP's own pages on Mobile Passport Control and Global Entry, and its lists of their airports, read on 24 September 2026 and later. MPC does not replace your passport or an ESTA: check CBP's page before you travel.
Mobile Passport Control (MPC) is CBP’s free app line for US citizens, green card holders, Canadian visitors and returning ESTA travelers; Global Entry costs $120 for 5 years and adds TSA PreCheck. Which one you can use depends on your airport: CBP’s MPC list names 39 US airports, its Global Entry list 62. Pick yours to see which line to take.
How to use it
Pick the airport where you land in the US — or, flying from Canada, Ireland, the Bahamas, Aruba, Bermuda or Abu Dhabi, the Preclearance airport you leave from — and who you are. A visitor also picks the passport’s country, which decides whether Global Entry is open to them. Tick “I already have Global Entry” if you do. The answer says which line to take there, why the other one does not fit, and links CBP’s own record of the regular line’s wait at that airport. The link under the answer keeps your choices.
MPC and Global Entry, side by side
CBP’s own comparison, from its Mobile Passport Control page (read 10 October 2026).
| Mobile Passport Control | Global Entry | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $120 for 5-year membership |
| Application | No enrollment application | Enrollment application required |
| Background check | No background check | Background check |
| Talk to an officer | Must talk to a CBP Officer in Customs | Not always required to talk with a CBP Officer in Customs |
| TSA PreCheck | Not included; costs $85 or less for a 5-year membership | Included with GE membership |
| Who | U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 citizen visitors and returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with approved ESTA | U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and citizens of 22 countries |
Global Entry is open to the citizens of: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bahrain, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, India, Japan, Jordan, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom — CBP’s list, in its order. Airports with Global Entry but no Mobile Passport Control: Austin-Bergstrom (AUS), Burlington (BTV), Charleston (CHS), Chicago Midway (MDW), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG), Guam (GUM), Hartford – Bradley (BDL), Indianapolis (IND), John Wayne (SNA), Lambert – St. Louis (STL), Milwaukee – General Mitchell (MKE), Nashville (BNA), New Orleans (MSY), New York – Stewart (SWF), Ontario (ONT), Orlando-Melbourne (MLB), Orlando-Sanford (SFB), Providence – T.F. Green (PVD), Raleigh-Durham (RDU), Saipan (SPN), San Antonio (SAT), South Bend (SBN), Southwest Florida (RSW), St. Pete-Clearwater (PIE), Toledo Express (TOL).
Worked examples
A US citizen landing at New York JFK. Use Mobile Passport Control — free at John F. Kennedy (JFK). Global Entry also works at JFK, at $120 for 5 years with TSA PreCheck.
A US citizen landing at Austin. Not MPC — but Global Entry is open to you at Austin-Bergstrom (AUS): Austin is on CBP’s Global Entry list but not its MPC list.
A British visitor’s first Visa Waiver Program trip, landing at Miami. Not MPC — but Global Entry is open to you at Miami (MIA): MPC is for returning ESTA travelers; British citizens may apply for Global Entry.
The same visitor on a later trip. Use Mobile Passport Control — free at Miami (MIA).
A US citizen with Global Entry flying home from Dublin. Use your Global Entry at Dublin (DUB) — Dublin is a Preclearance airport, so the check happens before you board.
Common mistakes
- Using MPC on a first ESTA trip. CBP’s words are “returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with approved ESTA”.
- Forgetting the passport. MPC does not replace your passport or any required travel documents, such as ESTA for Visa Waiver Program travelers.
- Submitting too early. Your MPC submission is active for 4 hours: send it on the plane or after you land.
- Being diverted. If your flight is diverted to an airport that does not utilize MPC processing, you will not be able to use MPC as planned.
Before you land
New to flying abroad? Read our international travel tips for first-timers, what to do after losing a passport abroad, the Caribbean islands you can visit without a passport and our long-flight survival guide. The Customs Wait Times tool shows how long the regular line is by hour, TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry compares the two programs, and the Layover Time Checker times a connection after customs.
FAQ
Mobile Passport Control vs Global Entry: which is better?
MPC is free and needs no application, but you still talk to a CBP officer; Global Entry costs $120 for 5 years, needs an application, a background check and an interview, and includes TSA PreCheck. CBP calls Global Entry “the perfect program for frequent international or business travelers” and suggests MPC with TSA PreCheck for those who fly abroad less often.
Which airports have Mobile Passport Control?
CBP’s list names 39 US airports and 15 Preclearance airports abroad — from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago O’Hare and JFK to Dublin, Toronto and Abu Dhabi. Austin, San Antonio, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham have Global Entry but no MPC. Pick an airport above to check.
How does Mobile Passport Control work?
Download CBP’s MPC app and scan your passport. Up to 4 hours before landing, take a self-photo and answer a few questions; groups of up to 12 go on one submission. In the arrivals hall, take the MPC line and show your passport to the officer.
Who is eligible for Mobile Passport Control?
Available to U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 citizen visitors and returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with approved ESTA — CBP’s words. A first visit under the Visa Waiver Program, or a visitor on another visa, uses the regular line.
Can green card holders use Mobile Passport Control?
Yes: US lawful permanent residents may use MPC, and may apply for Global Entry.
Is Global Entry worth it if I have MPC?
If you fly abroad often: Global Entry adds TSA PreCheck (which on its own costs $85 or less for five years) and works at airports without MPC, such as Austin and San Antonio. If you fly abroad once or twice a year, CBP itself suggests MPC with TSA PreCheck.