What to bring to the Global Entry interview

Updated October 25, 2026. General information from the official program pages at ttp.cbp.dhs.gov and cbp.gov; rules change, so confirm there.

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The interview is the last step of a Global Entry application. It is brief and mostly administrative: an officer confirms your identity, verifies the documents you listed in your application, takes your photo and fingerprints, and asks a few questions about your travel. Arriving with the right documents is what keeps it short.

Documents to bring

• A valid passport. The one you entered in your application. If you hold more than one, bring every passport you listed.
• Permanent resident card if you are a U.S. lawful permanent resident, or the visa or other immigration document you listed, if applicable.
• Proof of your current address, such as a driver's license showing the address, a utility bill, a lease, or a bank statement. Some offices are strict about this; the office notes on each center page say what they expect.
• Your conditional approval letter or notice from your Trusted Traveler Programs account. Not every office asks for it, but it settles any question about which application you are there for.

Documents must be unexpired. Officers do not conduct the interview without them, and a missed interview means scheduling again from the back of the calendar.

What happens at the appointment

1. Check in at the enrollment center at your scheduled time. Many offices accept only scheduled applicants and no walk-ins.
2. The officer reviews your documents and your application answers.
3. Your photo and fingerprints are taken.
4. The officer explains how to use the program: the kiosks or facial-recognition lanes at arrival, and the Known Traveler Number for TSA PreCheck.

Most interviews take minutes once they begin. Waiting time depends on the office and the day, so build in a margin, especially at airport centers where officers may be pulled away for arriving flights.

Children and family members

Every applicant, including a child, needs their own application and their own interview slot. Family members cannot share one appointment, so book a slot for each person. A parent or legal guardian accompanies a minor.

After the interview

If approved, your membership shows in your Trusted Traveler Programs account and the Global Entry card is mailed to you. The card is for land and sea crossings; at airports you use your passport at the kiosk or lane. Membership runs for five years from your birthday after approval, and you can renew ahead of the expiration date on the official site.

Details for your center

Each enrollment center publishes its own notes: parking, which terminal, whether to bring a printed letter. Those notes are on every center page here, for example JFK Airport or San Francisco Airport, together with the earliest open interview slot at that office. Confirm everything on ttp.cbp.dhs.gov before you travel.