U.S., Germany To Develop Trusted Traveler Reciprocity

German officials have agreed to develop a reciprocal trusted traveler program with the United States to ease entry processes for qualified travelers from either country.

The two nations last week agreed to develop a process so U.S. members of the Global Entry program can use Germany's Automated and Biometrics-Supported Border Controls program and vice versa. Both similarly rely on biometric data to allow vetted travelers to speed through customs and entry processes.

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the two nations have yet to determine the timeline for finalizing the agreement and implementing reciprocal trusted traveler benefits.

Though the Global Entry program largely is limited to U.S. citizens, DHS has made efforts to expand the program to citizens of other countries through reciprocal agreements with other governments. So far, the Netherlands is the only other nation that has implemented reciprocal benefits, linking Global Entry with its Privium program. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which administers the program, also expects the United Kingdom and other nations to join the fold, pending final agreements and implementation.

CBP said Global Entry, which now is available at 20 major U.S. airports, reduces average entry wait times by 70 percent, and three-quarters of members undergo entry screening in less than five minutes. DHS claims more than 42,000 members in the program.

When arriving in the United States, members can bypass lines for customs agents and scan their passports through an automated kiosk, where a photo is taken, declaration questions are fielded and the traveler is asked to submit fingerprints to be matched against those on file. CBP said the kiosk then prints a receipt, which the traveler must present to a CBP officer upon leaving the customs area.