A Global Entry membership is a must for any international traveler to get through immigration fast – and also clear airport security faster with your children, thanks to an included TSA PreCheck membership. But is Global Entry for kids also a must?
If you have Global Entry and plan on doing any international travel as a family, your child will still need their own membership to join you in the customs line, too. Unlike TSA PreCheck, kids cannot simply piggyback on their parents’ Global Entry benefits when returning home from abroad. But there’s good news…
After years of charging another $100 even for newborns to join their parents, Global Entry is now free for children under 18 so long as a parent or guardian has (or is applying for) Global Entry – you’ll just need to apply separately for them. But whether they’re 2 months old, 2 years old, or 12, every traveler needs their own membership to benefit from Global Entry and a quicker trip through customs and immigration.
Here’s everything you need to know about getting Global Entry for children – and why, now more than ever, you might want to consider doing it.
The 411 on Global Entry
Let’s start with the basics. Global Entry is a trusted traveler program that allows you to get through U.S. immigration and customs quickly. It also includes a TSA PreCheck benefit that gets you into a designated lane for security. It’s a genuine two-birds, one-stone program.
Once your membership in the program is approved, it will be good for five years. You’ll be able to renew your Global Entry membership starting one year from your expiration date.
Because this program lets you get through high levels of security quickly, the process for getting approved is a bit more rigorous than what you’ll find with TSA PreCheck. And it can be incredibly time-consuming: While some applicants get conditionally approved within days, others wind up waiting six months or more. Then, you need to find an in-person Global Entry interview to finalize enrollment, which can be the hardest part of all.
It’s also more expensive, now costing $120 after a recent price increase. Compare that to TSA PreCheck, which costs $78 after a recent price cut (and is also good for five years).
Read more: The Complete Guide to Get Global Entry: How to Apply & Interview
Do Kids Need Their Own Global Entry Membership?
Global Entry is not like TSA PreCheck, where children under 18 don’t need their own membership and can simply join you in the PreCheck line.
Regardless of age, everybody using Global Entry will need to have their own membership.
So if you have Global Entry and your children don’t, you will have to go through the normal customs line when returning to the United States – no matter their age. If you have (or are planning to get) Global Entry – and you plan on traveling internationally with your children over the next several years – it’s definitely worth getting them Global Entry, if you ask us.
Applying for Your Child
The process to get Global Entry for your child is the same as it is for adults, but one thing has changed: Global Entry is now free for children under 18.
Yet minors still have to apply and be approved separately in order to use Global Entry.
Your child will also, of course, still need a valid U.S. passport to apply for Global Entry. You’ll need to make them their own Global Online Enrollment System account and fill out an application and pay the fee, if applicable. If you do have to pay the application fee, there are several credit cards that will reimburse you for the full cost of Global Entry.
Once your child is conditionally approved (which shouldn’t take long), you’ll need to schedule an interview to finalize their enrollment.
Scheduling Your Interview
Yes, your child needs to go in for a Global Entry interview, too – just like you and I.
It’s a painless process, mainly to verify that the child matches their passport. Depending on your child’s age, they may or may not have to have their fingerprints scanned – though younger children will not.
Note: If your child does not get their fingerprints scanned, they will get a large X on their customs printout from the Global Entry Kiosk when coming back to the U.S. This just means an agent needs to verify their identity by matching them to their photo on the passport. You will get to go through an expedited line.
Unlike passport applications for minors, both parents do not need to be present at the Global Entry interview: Only one parent needs to bring the child to the appointment.
However, you will need to bring both your child’s passport and your own passport, too.
Each child will need their own Global Entry interview appointment. However, you can try bringing all your children to one appointment and ask if they can do their interviews together, provided they’ve already been conditionally approved. You might be able to get them done at the same time … just don’t rely on it.
See our tips for getting a Global Entry interview faster!
After the Interview
After the Global Entry interview, your child should get instant approval and their membership activated. You should receive a notification email shortly after the interview.
You can get their known traveler number (KTN) right away in their Trusted Traveler account online, which you can plug into their airline accounts as needed. After that, you should also get a membership card within a few days or a week by mail.
Once you’ve received their membership card, follow the attached instructions to activate it. But unless you’re entering the U.S. from Canada or Mexico by land, there’s not much reason to carry around the card for your child – let alone yourself.
Bottom Line
If you have Global Entry or are planning on getting it, it might make sense to get it for the whole family.
Getting kids a Global Entry membership will take a little extra work, especially finding an interview, but it’s worth it. Once your kid (or kids) are signed up for Global Entry, you can all breeze through customs when you come back from your next international family trip. And best of all: While you still have to go through the application process, getting your kids Global Entry is now free.
