Your Guide to the Mobile Passport App

The Mobile Passport app is an efficient way for you to display your travel information to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities when you return to the United States from a trip abroad. With this digital method, you can enter the same information you are responsible for reporting to Customs authority on paper. To use this app, you must enter your US passport information and answer five questions about your recent trip out of the country.

You may want to use this Mobile Passport control app to help you save time when you disembark from the airplane or cruise ship. However, there are various reasons why this application is helpful to travelers. The following sections explain some of the reasons why you may want to use this app, as well as some of the passport requirements you need to meet when you use this method.

Should I bring my real US passport when I use the Mobile Passport app?

It is important that international travelers know the Mobile Passport app does not take the place of traditional passports. For this reason, individuals need to be sure they have the physical copies of their US passport with them when they travel. Citizens who attempt to enter the United States without valid passports will encounter difficulty. Even if travelers correctly memorize their passport information, they need to show these documents to Customs and Border Protection agents to enter the United States.

Which Mobile Passport airports accept this form of ID?

Not all U.S. airports and ports of entry are equipped to process Mobile Passport submissions. Therefore, you need to confirm whether your entry location accepts these documents beforehand. All seaports are equipped with a Mobile Passport scanner to handle these requests are located in Florida. These include the:

  • Miami Seaport.
  • Port Everglades.
  • Port of Palm Beach.

Depending on where you fly into the United States, you may be able to use your passport app. The following cities are equipped to process mobile information from travelers:

  • East: Baltimore, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, New York, Newark, Orlando, Tampa, Washington, D.C., West Palm Beach
  • West: Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle
  • Central: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Raleigh

Advantages of Using the Mobile Passport App

There are various advantages for travelers who want to use the Mobile Passport application when they travel abroad. The enrollment perks are outlined below:

  • Speed. When travelers return to the United States, they must pass through lines at Customs and declare any items they are returning with. This Mobile Passport control option can help give individuals access to shorter lines and wait times.
  • Efficiency. Weaving through immigration lines can seem tedious. With the Mobile Passport app, however, individuals can more efficiently navigate this process and move from one space to another.
  • Convenience. It can be difficult for travelers to keep track of their boarding passes, miscellaneous tickets and immigration information. With this app, passengers have one fewer items to keep track of as they navigate the airport or seaport.
  • Stress-relieving. When travelers use this application, they have more time to sit with their forms and consider their responses. This allows individuals to be under less pressure when they enter their information.