Mobile Passport is starting to get a bit more popular but is still one of international travel’s best kept secrets. This post will describe the details of the app and some of the things you should know about using it.
WHAT IS MOBILE PASSPORT?
Mobile Passport is a free app that allows you to digitally enter information needed for US customs. It’s free (calm down) and officially sanctioned by the TSA (calm down again). The best privilege the app offers is the ability to jump in a shorter, faster line when clearing US customs after arriving stateside.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Start by downloading the Mobile Passport app for free on Android or iOS. Open it and answer some of the basic intro questions it asks.
You’ll need to enter the same info you would on the blue and white placard that flight attendants provide. Name, passport number, quick selfie, any items to declare… all that good stuff. You can also enter information for any other traveler in your family.
Yes I need to charge my phone, lay off me.
After entering all the pertinent info, the app generates a barcode. This is what the US Customs officer will scan.
Keep in mind the bar code is only valid for four hours. It makes the most sense to wait to fill this out until the plane has landed. I’ll go into another reason why to wait later on in the post.
Once you have the digital declaration form filled out, you are ready to breeze through US Customs. Find the line dedicated to “Mobile Passport Control” that should show the same logo as the app. That’s the one with the police-looking guy shooting an airplane out of his face.
Show the officer your barcode and your passport. They may have some additional questions for you, but the entire process is way shorter than the inquisition-esque experience you get if you go the “normal” route.
WHY USE IT?
- It’s free, unless you really want the fancypants version that stores your data for later use
- It gets you in a faster line so you can get out of the airport faster
- This is more minor, but I never have a pen to fill out those paper declaration forms on the plane. This eliminates pen anxiety.
WHICH IS BETTER, MOBILE PASSPORT OR GLOBAL ENTRY?
This is a common question when you search for either of these on Google. There is some debate as to which of these two services is preferable.
I say it doesn’t hurt to have both.
It’s an easy thing for me to say since my beloved Chase Sapphire Reserve reimburses me for the Global Entry fee. So, both are “free” for me, so that’s not the issue. Global Entry does require an in-person interview for approval, so that is a hindrance that you won’t run into with Mobile Passport.
To me, the incremental benefit of Global Entry is that it has built-in TSA Pre-Check. Mobile Passport does not. So although there is more work to get your official Global Entry card, I’ve found it more than worth that effort to not have to whip my nasty feet out and fumble around with electronics in my carry-on as I meander through airport security.
In my mind, having both is beneficial since you then have options for which line to jump into when clearing customs when you come home. Global Entry will have its own special line and process, much like Mobile Passport. You maximize your chances of getting in the shortest line between the Mobile Passport, Global Entry, and the regular (this will never be the shortest… ever) line.
I will say that more often than not, Mrs. Meticulous and I find the Mobile Passport line to be the shortest and fastest. It seemed counter-intuitive (see above mentioned bureaucratic hoops to jump through to get Global Entry). However, when you’re coming off a 10+ hour international flight AFTER a wonderful vacation, what matters is getting through customs as fast as humanly possible. A luxury of choice for jumping in the shortest line is refreshing when you’ve landed and are jet lagged after a soul-crushing amount of time on an airplane.
METICULOUS TIPS FOR MOBILE PASSPORT
Mobile Passport does have a paid version that I’ve never touched. The free one is just fine. The membership to Mobile Passport Plus is only $14.99 annually but I don’t see the value. If you pay for Plus you can store info for multiple passports to make your next uses a few seconds faster. And it has a document scanner….oooooOOOOooo. Now you don’t have to ENTER your passport info, like a peasant. Not worth it in my opinion.
The one annoying thing about Mobile Passport (that almost makes me eat my unkind words from the last paragraph) is that you need to enter everything at the last possible moment. If you try to get ahead of the game and enter your passport and flight info while on your flight, in airplane mode, the app eventually resets itself and you have to start over once you land. It’s a frustrating aspect that has happened to me more than once. So now, I wait until the plane is on the ground and fill out my info in the app while everyone is obnoxiously crowding the aisles to get off.
In addition to that, as I mentioned earlier, the generated barcode only lasts for four hours. Anything more than that and you’ll want to consult your doctor*.
It should be noted: you do need your info completely filled out to be able to jump in the Mobile Passport line. There’s usually a customs official making sure you actually have the app and it completed before you’re allowed to get in the line.
WRAPPING UP
Mobile Passport is free and worth the extra app on your phone for when you travel internationally. Have some foresight: waiting in the standard customs line when you’re coming home depressed and tired is the closest thing to hell. Save yourself the soul-ache and spend a few minutes filling out your passport and flight info on the app to zip through the process once you arrive home after your international travels.
*Terrible joke aside, the lesson here is to wait until you land to fire up the app.
