U.S. To Expedite Entry For European-Originating Travelers

The United States is moving to expedite the entry process for Europe-based travelers by expanding the Global Entry program, which offers expedited customs and entry procedures for travelers who undergo a background check and pay an annual fee. The program, already offered to U.S. citizens, is being made available to travelers from European countries whose governments forge reciprocal entry agreements with the United States. The U.S. last week officially launched the program with the Netherlands, and expects Germany and the United Kingdom to join the fold, pending final agreements and implementation.

The U.S. government said the Netherlands program "is the first for the United States with a nation outside of North America." A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection—the governmental agency that operates U.S. entry and customs programs—said it is in talks to launch a similar program with Germany, while a reciprocal U.S.-U.K. Global Entry offering announced last year is "still in development."

CBP said the program, which automates passport control, is available to travelers who undergo a background check to demonstrate clean criminal, customs and immigration records. When arriving in the United States, Global Entry members are able to bypass lines for customs agents and scan 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.

The program is limited to travelers deemed by the U.S. government as low-risk after undergoing a "vigorous background check." The automated entry process already is available at major airport entry points in the United States including airports in New York, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago and Miami. The U.S. customs agency said it plans to expand the program to 13 additional airports by the end of the year, including those in Newark, San Francisco, Orlando, Boston, Philadelphia and Seattle.

To take advantage of the Global Entry program, Dutch citizens must be members of Privium, a "voluntary, fee-based program" that offers various perks at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The Privium program is available in two tiers—one, for €109, that offers expedited lanes for border passage and security checks, and another for €159 that also provides lounge access, priority parking and business class checkin with 18 carriers at Schiphol.