Mobile Passport Control App: This Year Update

The most experienced travelers will tell you that a mobile phone passport control app is one of the best ways that get you through U.S. immigration and customs faster. It enables eligible travelers to speed up the customs process when landing back in the US after international travel.

It’s free, it’s easy to use on your mobile. No queuing up for passport control inspection and reduced overall wait time.

So let’s learn how that magic mobile passport control app works and what you need to know before using it.

Where to download the CBP Mobile Passport Control App?

MPC app by the US Customs and Border Protection can be found and downloaded from App Stores to use upon arrival at MPC-approved sites.

If you’re in a hurry at the airport, download the App from the Apple App Store for IOS or Google Play for Android devices below. It’s amazing as it is free to download and to use. Just follow the steps for registration with the intuitive user interface.

What is a mobile passport control app?

Mobile Passport Control App or Mobile Passport (MPC) is a mobile application launched by CBP in 2014, which lets eligible travelers use a dedicated, and often the quickest customs line once they are at the U.S. airport or cruise port (see the list of specified ports below). It allows travelers, say coming back from an international trip through Hawaii, to submit their travel document, photo, and customs declaration information securely, without fees and without pre-approval.

Coming back from an international trip, all you need is to set up an app using Wi-Fi, fill in a standard form, and make a declaration, for instance, for restricted food or large purchases all in one program. Then, show the QR code to the TSA officer. It’s as easy as that.

The App is a super helpful and effective substitution for a paper customs declaration form and the Passport Control Kiosk. The app is honed to streamline the entry process into the States with less congestion and efficient processing. Now, lawful permanent residents (LPR) are eligible for MPC as well.

Mobile passport control app for family travel

If you’re coming from overseas as a family of one household, you can make a group submission by uploading all the member’s passport data and photos from one mobile device.

New MPC App Experience

In order to make the most of the MPC app experience, ensure you operate with the latest version of the app. You can upgrade the program using your Apple App Store or Google Play.

How to use the Mobile Passport Control App?

Follow the simple steps to get the job done in a few minutes with the help of your mobile device.

1. Download the App and sign in.
2. Upload a photo: you can take a selfie right on the spot or use a special app to get a perfect result. There is no big need, but you can also drop by a store for a Walmart passport photo or by a pharmacy for a proper picture.
3. Type in/scan your passport details.
4. Create your PIN code.
5. The app creates a QR code within a minute.
6. Show the QR code to an immigration officer inside the airport.
7. The CBP officer may ask a few questions about your trip.

Key points for Mobile Passport Control

These are the major points to keep in mind when you plan to use the mobile passport control MPC app:

1. Global Entry travelers can also use Mobile Passport Control with a choice to use a shorter, less busy line.
2. No TSA PreCheck.
3. No application process or interview appointment.
4. U.S. citizens and Canadians (B1 or B2 visa status) are eligible.
5. It is not a replacement for a passport/passport card.
6. It is not a trusted traveler program.

At what airports and ports can you use the mobile passport app?

At the moment, the following 33 airports and 4 cruise ports accept mobile passports from US travelers in the United States with Mobile Passport lines. You can always check the up-to-date lists here https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobile-passport-control as the number of sites continuously growing.

Airports for Mobile Passport Control App

• Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Dulles International Airport (IAD)
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
• Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
• Houston William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
• Las Vegas Harry Ried International Airport (LAS)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Miami International Airport (MIA)
• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• Oakland International Airport (OAK)
• Orlando International Airport (MCO)
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
• Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
• Portland International Airport (PDX)
• Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
• San Diego International Airport (SAN)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• San Jose International Airport (SJC)
• San Juan Airport (SJU)
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Cruise ports for Mobile Passport

• Port Everglades Cruise Port (USPEF), Fort Lauderdale
• Miami Seaport (USMIA), Miami
• Port of Palm Beach (USPBC), West Palm Beach
• Port of San Juan (PRSJU), San Juan

Also note that such big-scale airports are not on the list yet: Detroit, Michigan, and Charlotte, North Carolina, while Las Vegas has been recently added.

Is the Mobile Passport App secure?

Privacy protection firewalls keep your data safe in the free mobile passport app. You can easily opt out of storing your data in the App after each trip. QR codes that you get after submitting the form to the GBP are valid for 4 hours and can be used only for arrival in the United States.