Automated Passport Control
What is Automated Passport Control (APC)? Find out how you can use APC to skip the queues at US Customs and Border control.
Automated Passport Control
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Passengers & Class
1 Adult, Economy/Coach
What is Automated Passport Control?
Automated Passport Control (APC) is a US Customs and Border Protection process that speeds up the passport check and border control process for those travelling to and from the US. Passengers who are eligible to use Automated Passport Control will have access to self-service kiosks, which through an automated process, will perform the necessary checks for border control.
Who is eligible for automated passport control?
All US and Canadian residents are eligible to use APC, as well as international travellers that have been accepted Visa Waiver Program. Automated Passport Control can only be used at certain airports with APC self-serve kiosks.
What's the process of using automated passport control?
Automated Passport Control eliminates the process of filling out a physical Customs declaration form by allowing eligible passengers to use the APC self-service kiosks. The self-service kiosks will ask passengers to scan their passport and answer a few questions relating to their personal information and flight info to verify the person.
Once all questions have been answered, the kiosk will print out a receipt which passengers must present to a Customs and Border Protection Officer. The officer will check the receipt, complete the inspection and determine whether the passenger is permitted to enter the US.
Do I have to sign-up to use automated passport control?
No, there's sign-up and memberships are not required to use Automated Passport Control. As long as you're a US or Canadian citizen, or you're on the Visa Waiver Program, you'll be able to use APC.
If you are an eligible U.S. or Canadian traveller, you can download the Mobile Passport app from either the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, depending on what is compatible with your device.
Travellers will be prompted to use their passport information to create a profile, including name, date of birth, gender, and country of citizenship.
Upon arrival in the U.S. travellers will then need to complete the “New Trip” section, simply by selecting their arrival airport and airline, uploading a self-photo, and answering a series of CBP inspection-related questions. Effectively, the traveller is completing a number of administrative tasks, speeding up the passport control inspection with the CBP officer!
Once submitted, the traveller will then receive an electronic receipt and Encrypted Quick Response (QR) code.
Travellers will just need to bring their passport and mobile device, with their digital bar-coded receipt, to a CBP officer finalise their inspection for entry into the United States.
Which airports is automated passport control available at?
Automated Passport Control is available in more than 40 US airports. Here is a full list of the airports that currently have APC kiosks:
- Aruba Queen Beatrix International Airport
- Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
- Abu Dhabi International Airport
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
- Boston Logan International Airport
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- Chicago Midway International Airport
- Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
- Denver International Airport
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
- Dublin International Airport
- Edmonton International Airport
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport
- Honolulu International Airport
- Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport
- Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Miami International Airport
- Mineta San Jose International Airport
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
- Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
- Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport
- New York JFK International Airport
- Newark Liberty International Airport
- Oakland International Airport
- Orlando International Airport
- Philadelphia International Airport
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- Pittsburgh International Airport
- Portland International Airport
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport
- Reno International Airport
- Salt Lake City International Airport
- San Diego International Airport
- San Francisco International Airport
- Seattle Sea-Tac Airport
- Tampa International Airport
- Toronto Pearson International Airport
- Vancouver International Airport
- Washington Dulles International Airport
- William P. Hobby International Airport
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FAQs
Who can use Automated Passport Control?
Automated Passport Control is available to US citizens and permanent residents, Canadian citizens, as well as international passengers on the Visa Waiver Program and passengers with a B1/B2 or D visa.
Is Automated Passport Control free to use?
Yes, much like Mobile Passport Control, Automated Passport Control is completely free to use and doesn't require any membership or sign-up.
Is it safe to use Automated Passport Control?
Automated Passport Control is extremely safe to use. Automated Passport Control doesn't store or share any personal details to anyone outside US Customer and Border Control. All details that are transferred are done via secure encryption protocols
Can more than one person use the same APC kiosk at the same time?
If two people are residing from the exact same address and have flown on the same flight, they'll be able to use the same kiosk and their details will be processed together.
What languages are available on the APC kiosk?
The Automated Passport Control kiosks are available to use in English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, Dutch, Chinese and Japanese.
Is Automated Passport Control quicker?
Yes, Automated Passport Control saves a great deal of time! By using Automated Passport Control, you won't have to fill out a Customs declaration form. Plus, all the details that the CBP Officer ordinarily enters is automatically processed or can be quickly entered at the APC self-service kiosks.