Why Is Mobile Passport So Hit Or Miss?

I’m a longtime fan of Mobile Passport Control. The app saved me from a lifetime of extensive customs lines when it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to receive Global Entry. When friends and family are traveling internationally, I consistently advise them to download the free app.

However, in the last year, I’ve been getting mixed messages about whether Mobile Passport is truly available at all the ports of entry that U.S Customs and Border Patrol says it is. In fact, in the last year, I’ve had five frustrating failed attempts to use the app at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

So I decided to investigate whether a Mobile Passport is still a good option for entering the U.S. after an international trip. Here’s what I found out.

What is Mobile Passport Control?

Mobile Passport is a free app-based alternative to waiting in a long customs line. It’s a great option if you’re waiting on Global Entry approval or if you don’t travel enough internationally to warrant Global Entry’s $120 application fee. It’s completely free and available immediately to travelers as soon as you add the CBP MPC app to your mobile phone.

The app allows you to store your passport information. Then, upon arrival at your port of entry, you’ll have to upload a recent photo and fill out a virtual customs form. The standard entry questions include things like, “Have you been to a farm?” and “Do you have any fruits or vegetables?” as well as ones about how much money you’re carrying and if you have anything to declare.

After you hit “submit,” a QR code will appear. You should then be able to head straight to a Mobile Passport line (as long as you’re at a participating airport or port). This process allows you to bypass the regular customs lines and often results in a very short entry process instead of a lengthy queue.

Related: Not enough travelers are using this Global Entry alternative, the federal government says

Mixed messages of Mobile Passport at EWR

Prior to the last nine months, my usual entry to the U.S. was the same for the past few years: As soon as I landed on U.S. soil, I would turn on my cellular service and open up the CBP MPC app. After snapping my photo, answering a series of basic entry questions and submitting my information, I would receive a QR code. Easy. Then I’d proceed to the Mobile Passport line; for a long time in both John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and EWR, this line was the same as the lightly used Diplomats option. I never waited more than three or four minutes.

In the New York area airports, there are signs advising you to download the app to streamline your travel. There are other ceiling-mounted signs pointing the way to an MPC lane. But since last June, I — along with others — haven’t had much luck using the service at EWR. I returned from a trip to Tokyo in June, to Amsterdam in October, to Turks and Caicos in November and to Vienna in December; each time, the staff at EWR told me, “We don’t have Mobile Passport lanes,” before directing me to the general customs line.

When returning from Cancun in January of this year, I asked if they would have Mobile Passport lanes again soon. “Probably not,” the airport employee said.

So I contacted U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s New York Area Field Office to see if EWR had been removed from the program. Their response was: “Mobile Passport Control (MPC) is available, and there is plenty of signage in the terminals.” I can confirm there’s signage.

The program representative also added: “People often get it confused with APC- Automated Passport Control which is no longer available since the introduction of simplified arrival.” I don’t personally see this as the issue, but it definitely illuminates some of the confusion around Mobile Passport and how it’s used.

Positive experiences with Mobile Passport

The good news is that although this seems to be a consistent issue at EWR, the program is working well for many other U.S. entry points.

TPG Lounge members on Facebook shared myriad positive experiences with the program. There were multiple reports of the app working like a charm at JFK, Miami International Airport (MIA), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).

TPG Lounge members also mentioned using Mobile Passport in foreign U.S. Customs preclearance lines in both Aruba and Dublin, cutting wait times from nearly 30 minutes to just five.

Bottom line

When you’re coming home from an international trip and don’t have Global Entry, Mobile Passport is a useful tool to keep in your app library. However, remember, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll be able to use it at all airports, as I recently discovered at EWR. Still, many people continue to have positive experiences using it at airports around the U.S. and at foreign preclearance customs. So it’s always worth a try.

Related reading:

• 8 ways to get free or discounted TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and Clear
• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a first-time or frequent traveler
• Best travel credit cards
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can’t travel without