INSIDER SECRET: Many credit cards will reimburse your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee, including several that have the annual fee waived for the first year like the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card and the United℠ Explorer Card.
No one likes waiting in airport security lines. Many folks are looking for ways to get through security faster, like with Global Entry, which gets you into the faster TSA PreCheck lines at US airports.
However, you may have to wait months before you can get at interview at the nearest Global Entry center because many staff members have been sent to the US southern border. It may be hard to get an interview, but some enrollment centers accept walk-ins when you are arriving from an international flight.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to get a walk-in interview, where to get it and how to get your Global Entry fee reimbursed.
How to Qualify for a Walk-In Global Entry Interview
Link: How to fill out a Global Entry application
First you must apply for Global Entry and receive conditional approval before scheduling an interview. Before you apply, check if you have a top credit card for Global Entry reimbursement or apply for one of the cards listed below.
With many US Customs and Border Protection agents assigned to the southern border, many locations are scheduling Global Entry interviews months in advance and some don’t even have a single available interview time on the current schedule.
If you can’t secure an interview at a Global Entry Enrollment Center nearest to your home, you can try to schedule an interview at a center farther away or you might be able to get an interview on arrival from an international flight at select locations listed in the story below.
Here is how you qualify for an interview on arrival:
- You must already have received conditional approval
- You must be returning from an international trip
- You’ll need to bring your passport, documents providing evidence of residency: a driver’s license with your current address, mortgage statement, rental payment statement, utility bill and a permanent resident card (if applicable)
When you arrive, follow signs directing you to the Customs and Border Protection officers for your Global Entry interview.
How to Get Your Global Entry Fee Reimbursed
When you apply for or renew Global Entry you pay a $100 fee, but you can be reimbursed if you pay with certain credit cards, like these:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
- IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
- Citi Prestige® Card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
- Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
- United℠ Explorer Card
All of these cards have annual fees, but cards like the United Airlines Explorer and Capital One Venture card have the annual fees waived for the first year. So you can get Global Entry for free if you pay your fee with either card.
The other cards have perks that easily make it worth paying the annual fee because they have benefits above and beyond a Global Entry fee credit. If you want airport lounge access, free checked bags or just a big introductory bonus, you can get those perks (with many of these cards) on top of your Global Entry fee reimbursement.
One great card to consider right now is the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card because it has an all-time-high welcome offer of 125,000 IHG points after spending $3,000 in the first three months of account opening. The card also comes with a free-night certificate every year you renew the card (valid at participating IHG hotels costing up to 40,000 points) and automatic Platinum IHG status as long as you have the card. For all the details read our full IHG credit card review.
Global Entry Enrollment Centers That Accept Walk-Ins
These Global Entry Enrollment Centers accept walk-ins. However, you might have to wait — sometimes only minutes and other times hours — and there is no guarantee you will be seen.
Alaska
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
- On arrival from an international flight
Arizona
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
- 11am – 2pm
California
John Wayne Airport (SNA)
- 12pm – 8pm
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- 6am – 9pm (Tom Bradley Terminal)
- 9am – 5pm (Terminal 2)
- 10am – 6pm (Terminal 4)
- 11am – 7pm (Terminal 7)
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
- 8:30am – 8pm
Oakland International Airport (OAK)
- 12pm – 8pm
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
- 6pm – 2am
San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- 6am – 10pm
San Francisco International Airport
- 6am – 10pm (Terminal G)
- 9am – 1am (Terminal A)
Colorado
Denver International Airport (DIA)
- Monday – Friday 10am – 8pm
Florida
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- 6am – 12am (Airside One)
- 6am – 12am (Airside Two)
Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB)
- 9am – 9pm
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
- 9am – 10pm
Miami International Airport
- 4am – 11pm (North Terminal, Concourse D)
- Open 24 hours (South Terminal, Concourse J)
West Palm Beach, Florida, Enrollment Center
- Only accepted between 3pm to 4pm daily
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
- 10am – 8pm (Terminal One)
- 5am – 12am (Terminal Four)
Georgia
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
- 1pm – 9pm (E Concourse)
- 5am – 9pm (F Concourse)
Hawaii
Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
- 8am – 4pm
Illinois
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
- On arrival from international flights
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- 8:15am – 3:30pm, Monday – Friday
Kentucky
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
- 1pm – 3pm (daily)
- 11pm – 1am (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)
Louisiana
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
- On arrival from an international flight
Maryland
Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)
- 2pm – 11pm
Michigan
Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)
- 9:30am – 7:30pm (McNamara Terminal)
- 10am – 5pm (North Terminal)
Minnesota
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
- On arrival from an international flight (Terminal 1)
- On arrival from an international flight (Terminal 2)
Missouri
Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
- 2pm – 10pm
St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
- 12pm – 10pm
New Jersey
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- 5am – 10pm (Terminal B)
- 12pm – 8pm (Terminal C)
New York
John F. Kennedy International Airport
- 5am – 12am (Terminal 5)
- 6am – 12am (Terminal 7)
- 6am – 11pm (Terminal 8)
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
- Seasonal international flight arrivals with varying times
Nevada
McCarran International Airport (LAS)
- 10am – 7pm
North Carolina
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- 1pm – 9pm
Ohio
John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
- On arrival from international flights
Oregon
Portland International Airport (PDX)
- 9am – 9pm
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- 12pm – 8pm
Texas
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- On arrival from international flights
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- 5am – 8pm
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- 5am – 12am
San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
- 7am – 9pm
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
- 7am – 9pm
Utah
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- 12:30pm – 8:30pm
Virginia
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- 9am – 11pm
Washington
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- 6am – 10pm
Bahamas
Grand Bahamas International Airport
- During processing of international flight arrivals
Bermuda
L.F. Wade International Airport
- 6:30am – 4pm
Canada
Calgary International Airport (YYC)
- 4:30am – 8pm
Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
- 4:30am – 6:30pm
Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YYC)
- 5am – 5pm
Montréal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
- 4:30am – 8pm
Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW)
- 4:30am – 7:30pm
Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG)
- 5am – 6pm
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
- 6am – 8pm
Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
- 6am – 6pm
Bottom Line
Many Global Entry Enrollment Centers accept walk-ins upon arrival from an international flight, though some have special conditions. Bring a book, because you might have to wait.
But if you have a Global Entry center nearby, or are traveling through an airport on the way back to the US from an international trip, it’s worth checking for a walk-in appointment if you’d otherwise have to wait months to schedule an interview.
Let us know about your experience obtaining a Global Entry interview as a walk-in.
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Featured image by Jacob_09/Shutterstock.
Any updates from anybody on Boston Logan International taking walk-ins ?
does logan allow walk ins
Did you find out?
I have another question. If I schedule an appointment for when I travel to the mainland US, can I do a walk in at the Hawaii office? I really wanted to have this done prior to travelling to the mainland, but if that isn’t an option, trying to problem solve next best.
Last I checked, the Honolulu office was still taking walk-ins. Just make sure you meet the requirements (e.g. have already received conditional approval, be returning from an international flight, and have a copy of your passport and residency documents like a mortgage statement, driver’s license, utility bill, etc.)
I just received conditional approval for both my son and I but there are no appointments AT ALL for the next year! We live in Hawaii so going to another location is not an option. Has anyone ever gotten a refund on their application? I feel backed into a corner and $200 is a lot of money to blow off.
I applied for Global Entry in April!
First it was going to take 2-3 weeks for an interview, then 2-3 months. Now in September it’s my understanding it may take up to a year because ICE agents were sent to the southern border. So frustrating!!
Yeah, it’s a bit frustrating. It’s a good reminder for me to renew these type of things as soon as possible to avoid delays like this. Don’t know what I’d do without TSA PreCheck.
I got my conditional approval in early August but there were no appointments available in Baltimore (BWI). I traveled internationally over Labor Day weekend and asked for an interview “upon arrival” when I got back to the US at Fort Lauderdale (FLL) however I was told that there were no officers that day who were authorized to conduct the interview. I’m going to try to a walk-in at BWI next week and I’ll report back to everyone on how it goes!
Yes, would love to know if BWI will accept walk-ins!
Hi Katie,
Yes, according to the CBP’s website, that airport in Maryland does accept walk-ins.
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/enrollment-arrival/locations
Ah, that’s frustrating. Hopefully the second time around goes more smoothly.
I tried to book an interview and was open to any date, the only location in my state was hours away? Can I go to LAX Tom Bradley and try and get a walk in interview? I leave Sept 26th, so it would be great to have it.
Thank you!
Hi Robin!
Yes, Tom Bradley at LAX is one of the locations that accepts walk-ins. To qualify for an interview on arrival, you have to apply for Global Entry and receive conditional approval, have your passport and documents showing residency, as well as be returning from an international trip.
Do you have to be returning to the US on an international flight or can I just walk in “off the street”? I already have conditional approval.
Hi Karen! You have to be returning from an international trip.