You step off a long international flight. You are tired, your phone is low on battery, and you just want to get home. Then you turn the corner and see the standard line at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). On a busy day, that line is long.
Mobile Passport Control (MPC) gives eligible travelers another option. It is a free CBP app. You enter your passport details and answer the customs questions on your phone instead of filling out a paper form, and you get a separate lane that is often much shorter. No application. No interview. It works the day you download it. What it does not do is skip the officer. You still hand over your passport and answer a few questions.
The program has been around since 2014, yet many travelers have never used it. Plenty of people walk right past the Mobile Passport Control signs without knowing what they are. This guide covers who can use it, every location on CBP’s current list, how to use it step-by-step, and when Global Entry or the standard line is the better call.
Quick Reality Check
Four facts decide whether Mobile Passport Control (MPC) works for your trip:
- You have to qualify. U.S. citizens, green card holders, Canadian B1 or B2 visitors, and returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with an approved ESTA can use it. Everyone else uses the standard line.
- Your arrival airport has to be on the list. CBP lists 63 locations as of October 2026.
- You submit after you land. Build your profile at home, but tap submit when you arrive. Your receipt is good for 4 hours.
- One submission covers a group. Up to 12 people from the same household can go in one submission.
What Is Mobile Passport Control
Mobile Passport Control (MPC) is the official CBP app that replaces the paper customs form. You enter your passport details once, answer CBP’s inspection questions on your phone, and get a digital receipt with a QR code when you submit. You show that receipt and your physical passport to an officer in the MPC lane. The app is free on iPhone and Android.
MPC does not replace your passport. It is also not a visa, a travel authorization, or an approval to enter the country. The customs officer still finishes the inspection and makes the call.
Who Can Use The Mobile Passport Control App
You do not need a background check or an interview. You need a smartphone, a connection to submit, and your physical passport (or your permanent resident card if you are a green card holder).
Who Qualifies
CBP lets four groups use MPC:
- U.S. citizens
- U.S. lawful permanent residents (green card holders)
- Canadian citizens visiting on B1 or B2 status
- Returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with an approved ESTA (the app asks you to confirm you have visited the United States before)
Canadian visitors also give the purpose of their trip in the app.
Who Cannot Use It
Most other foreign visa holders cannot use MPC. If that is you, skip the app and use the standard line.
Where You Can Use Mobile Passport Control
CBP lists 63 MPC locations as of October 2026: 37 U.S. airports, 15 pre-clearance locations, 4 seaports, 4 land border crossings, and 3 departure locations in the U.S. Virgin Islands. CBP adds sites often, so check its page before you fly.
Travel Nerd Tip
Being on the list does not promise a staffed lane at every hour. Some airports close the MPC lane when traffic is light, and MPC users join the standard line. If you cannot find the Mobile Passport Control signs, ask an officer.
U.S. Airports
| City | Code | Airport |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | ANC | Ted Stevens Anchorage International |
| Atlanta | ATL | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International |
| Baltimore | BWI | Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall |
| Boston | BOS | Boston Logan International |
| Charlotte | CLT | Charlotte Douglas International |
| Chicago | ORD | Chicago O’Hare International |
| Cleveland | CLE | Cleveland Hopkins International |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | DFW | Dallas/Fort Worth International |
| Denver | DEN | Denver International |
| Detroit | DTW | Detroit Metropolitan |
| Fairbanks | FAI | Fairbanks International |
| Fort Lauderdale | FLL | Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International |
| Honolulu | HNL | Daniel K. Inouye International |
| Houston | IAH | George Bush Intercontinental |
| Houston | HOU | William P. Hobby |
| Kansas City | MCI | Kansas City International |
| Las Vegas | LAS | Harry Reid International |
| Los Angeles | LAX | Los Angeles International |
| Miami | MIA | Miami International |
| Minneapolis-Saint Paul | MSP | Minneapolis-Saint Paul International |
| New York | JFK | John F. Kennedy International |
| Newark | EWR | Newark Liberty International |
| Oakland | OAK | Oakland International |
| Orlando | MCO | Orlando International |
| Philadelphia | PHL | Philadelphia International |
| Phoenix | PHX | Phoenix Sky Harbor International |
| Pittsburgh | PIT | Pittsburgh International |
| Portland | PDX | Portland International |
| Sacramento | SMF | Sacramento International |
| Salt Lake City | SLC | Salt Lake City International |
| San Diego | SAN | San Diego International |
| San Francisco | SFO | San Francisco International |
| San Jose | SJC | San Jose International |
| San Juan | SJU | San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International |
| Seattle | SEA | Seattle-Tacoma International |
| Tampa | TPA | Tampa International |
| Washington, D.C. | IAD | Washington Dulles International |
Pre-Clearance Locations
| City | Code | Airport |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | AUH | Zayed International |
| Aruba | AUA | Queen Beatrix International |
| Bermuda | BDA | L.F. Wade International |
| Calgary | YYC | Calgary International |
| Dublin | DUB | Dublin Airport |
| Edmonton | YEG | Edmonton International |
| Halifax | YHZ | Halifax Stanfield International |
| Montreal | YUL | Montréal-Trudeau International |
| Nassau | NAS | Lynden Pindling International |
| Ottawa | YOW | Ottawa International |
| Shannon | SNN | Shannon Airport |
| Toronto | YYZ | Toronto Pearson International |
| Toronto | YTZ | Billy Bishop Toronto City |
| Vancouver | YVR | Vancouver International |
| Winnipeg | YWG | Winnipeg James A. Richardson International |
How MPC Works at Pre-Clearance Airports
Pre-clearance means you clear U.S. inspection at a foreign airport before you board. Mobile Passport Control works there too, and the order of steps changes. You submit at the airport, take a selfie for everyone in your group, join the MPC queue, and show your passport (or green card) to the officer. When you land in the United States, you skip passport control and head to your connection or the exit.
Seaports, Land Crossings, And Other Locations
Not every MPC location is an airport. CBP also offers the app at four seaports, four land border crossings, three U.S. Virgin Islands departure sites, and select general aviation facilities.
- Seaports. Four seaports offer MPC: Miami, Palm Beach, Port Everglades, and San Juan.
- Land Border Crossings. MPC went live on April 20, 2026 for eligible pedestrians at four Washington State crossings: Blaine Peace Arch, Blaine Pacific Highway, Lynden-Aldergrove, and Sumas. The app can also handle a provisional I-94 there.
- U.S. Virgin Islands Departure Sites. Three departure locations offer MPC: Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas (STT), the St. Thomas General Aviation facility (TIST), and Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix (STX).
- General Aviation Facilities. CBP turned on MPC at select general aviation facilities on September 28, 2026. NBAA reports nearly 40 airports. If you fly privately, check CBP’s page for the current list, because the tables above cover commercial airports.
How To Use The Mobile Passport Control App
The whole process takes a few minutes once your profile is set up. Most of the work happens at home. Below is a clear step-by-step guide so you know exactly how to use it on your next international trip.
Step 1: Download The Official App
Get it from the Apple App Store or Google Play while you are connected to Wi-Fi. Do the setup before you leave. You can build profiles and trips without a signal, but you need a connection to submit. You do not want to learn the app in a crowded jet bridge.
Step 2: Create Your Profile
Enter your name, date of birth, gender, citizenship, and passport details. You can scan the passport with your phone camera or type it in. Your profile stays on your phone for future trips. Add a profile for each person traveling with you. One submission can include up to 12 people, and they need to be from the same household. The app also lets you save custom groups, so you can pick your whole family in one tap.
Step 3: Build Your Trip
Pick how you are arriving (air, sea, land, or pre-clearance), your arrival airport, and your terminal if the app asks. Add the people in your group. Then answer CBP’s inspection questions and certify that your answers are true. These replace the paper customs form, and the certification carries the same weight.
If you fly the same route often, the app lets you save a favorite trip. You still take new photos and confirm your declarations every time.
Step 4: Submit After You Land
Do not submit in the air. CBP says to submit when you arrive. Once you land, connect to Wi-Fi or mobile data, tap Submit Now, and take a clear photo of each person in your group. CBP sends back a receipt with a QR code. Your receipt is good for 4 hours, and the app sends a reminder before it expires.
Step 5: Follow The MPC Signs
Head to immigration and follow the Mobile Passport Control signs. It is a separate lane from both the standard line and the Global Entry kiosks. Hand over your passport and show your receipt. If you are in a group, one person steps up first. The officer pulls up the whole group from that person’s photo, and may take another photo to confirm. The officer then finishes the inspection and may ask a few more questions.
Mobile Passport Control Vs Global Entry
Both programs get you through U.S. customs faster. They work very differently. Many travelers use MPC as the free option and Global Entry as the paid one.
| Mobile Passport Control | Global Entry | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $120 for five years |
| Setup | Download the app | Online application, background check, and in-person interview |
| Time to start | Same day | Weeks to months |
| Where it works | The 63 locations above | More than 75 airports in the U.S. and at pre-clearance sites |
| How you clear | Separate lane, with an officer who reviews your receipt | Kiosk or facial recognition, usually with no officer conversation |
| TSA PreCheck | No | Yes, included |
| Families | One submission for up to 12 people from the same household | Each person needs a membership, but the fee is waived for kids under 18 if a parent is a member or applying |
| Verdict | Best free option for occasional international travelers and families | Best for frequent international travelers |
Do not treat Mobile Passport Control as a Global Entry replacement. Treat it as a backup. Between February 22 and March 11, 2026, a federal government shutdown paused Global Entry arrival processing. MPC kept running.
Travel Nerd Tip
Check your wallet before you pay the $120 Global Entry fee. Many premium travel cards reimburse it as a statement credit, but you usually have to charge the fee to that card. Read your card’s benefits page first, because the terms and the credit amount vary by issuer.
Which Line Should You Use
| Your situation | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One or two international trips a year, no Global Entry | MPC | Free, and it works today |
| Traveling with kids from the same household | MPC | One submission covers everyone |
| You have Global Entry | Global Entry kiosk, with MPC as backup | The kiosks are usually faster when they are running |
| You are waiting on Global Entry approval | MPC | No wait to start |
| Your airport is not on CBP’s list | Standard line | MPC is not offered there |
| Visa Waiver traveler without an approved ESTA, or another visa type | Standard line | You do not qualify |
| Dead phone, no signal, or the app is down | Standard line | You cannot submit without a connection |
Because you submit after landing, you can look at both lines first if you have Global Entry. Then pick the shorter one.
Final Thoughts
International travel is one of the best things you can do, and a long customs line can take the shine off it fast. Mobile Passport Control (MPC) is a free CBP app that cuts the paper form and sends you to a separate lane. One submission can cover up to 12 people from the same household, so families move through together.
It costs nothing. There is no fee, no background check, and no interview. You need a valid passport, a smartphone, and a few minutes at home before you fly. That makes it a good fit for families juggling kids and luggage, and just as useful for a solo traveler coming back from a quick trip.
It is not magic, and it is not for everyone. Three things matter most:
- MPC moves your paperwork, not the officer. You still talk to someone. The main benefit is a separate lane and no paper form.
- Check eligibility and the airport list before you count on it. Visa Waiver travelers need an approved ESTA, and your arrival airport has to be on CBP’s list.
- Keep it on your phone even if you have Global Entry. Lines change by airport and hour. With both options on hand, you pick the shorter one, and when the kiosks are down or backed up, MPC is your free backup.
Set it up once at home. After that, it is a short step every time you land.
