How easy is it to apply for Global Entry?

Step 1: UK background check for Global Entry

The UK background check takes about five minutes. There are nine sections online, most with just a couple of questions. In addition to your passport and identity details, you’ll be asked:

• Whether you have a criminal record
• If you’ve ever been restricted on travel to or from the UK
• If you’ve broken UK customs law or regulations

You also have to pay the £42 fee. Fortunately the Government takes Amex!

I submitted my background check on a Friday evening and was surprised to find that I had passed it when I woke the next morning, even though the official guidance is that it can take up to ten days.

If you are successful you are given a nine-digit check code so that you can register for the next stage with the US authorities. It is impossibly to proceed with the process without this code.

Step 2: US customs check for Global Entry

The US customs check is slightly more involved but should still only take around 15 minutes if you’ve got all the details you need. You’ll be asked:

• Your employment history for the past five years
• Your address history for the past five years
• All the countries you’ve visited in the past five years
• Your citizenship status and how many passports you have, as well as your driving licence

For your address and employment history you need to give an uninterrupted history. I was able to enter ‘student’ for part of the time.

I was prepared for a full-on deep dive but the travel history is surprisingly basic – I was only asked which countries I had travelled to. I didn’t need to give specific dates for travel, unlike for my student visa application a few years back.

You’ll be charged a $100 fee when you submit your application and you’ll find out if you’ve passed within two weeks.