This free line-cutting app could save you hours at the airport

Published June 5, 2024 on The Washington Post

What is Mobile Passport? This free app lets you skip the customs line. The Washington Post

A month ago, I flew from Paris back to Baltimore full of despair: My vacation was over, and the trip home seemed to take an eternity.

Then I saw the snaking line for customs and immigration.

What could have sunk me into a deeper woe actually revived me, because I didn’t have to wait in that soul-sucking purgatory. I didn’t have to wait in the shorter but still well-populated Global Entry line, either.

Instead, I headed to a third option that most people miss: the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) line. Thanks to this secret national treasure, I was out of the airport and hailing my Uber in eight minutes. (I timed it.)

You, too, can experience this completely free VIP treatment the next time you fly internationally. Here’s how.

What is Mobile Passport Control?

Return to menu

Think of Mobile Passport Control like a fast pass for international travel. It’s a free service that allows select travelers to access a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) express lane with a smartphone app.

To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, a Canadian B1/B2 citizen visitor or a returning Visa Waiver Program traveler with approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

You can use the app only when returning from an international trip at an MPC-approved site. That includes more than 30 U.S. international airports, 14 pre-clearance locations (among them airports in Abu Dhabi, Aruba and Ireland) and four seaports.

***

This article has been archived by Slow Travel News for your research. The original version from The Washington Post can be found here.