Updated November 4, 2026

Global Entry card: when you need it, how to activate it, and how to replace a lost card

You do not need your physical Global Entry card to use Global Entry kiosks or Touchless Portals at airports, where only your passport or green card is accepted. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requires the physical card only for expedited entry into the United States through SENTRI and NEXUS land lanes, and accepts it at sea ports of entry and as a REAL ID at TSA checkpoints.

Eligible members receive the card at no extra cost as part of the $120 five-year Global Entry membership. You must activate it in your Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) account within 30 days of receipt, and replacing a lost or stolen card online costs $25.

What to show at airports vs. land borders vs. sea ports

Most confusion around the Global Entry card comes from bringing it to the wrong checkpoint. Airport kiosks and Touchless Portals do not read or accept the physical Global Entry card. Land border lanes entering the United States require it.

Use this table to check which document you actually need in your hand for each trip.

What is the Global Entry card and who gets one?

The Global Entry card is a physical credential with an embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) chip issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP began issuing RFID-enabled Global Entry cards on July 12, 2011, at no extra cost beyond the standard $120 five-year Global Entry membership fee.

Not every Global Entry member gets a card in the mail. CBP issues physical Global Entry cards only to members in three groups:

• U.S. citizens
• U.S. lawful permanent residents (green card holders)
• Mexican nationals (who do not already hold a SENTRI card)

Why partner-country citizens do not receive a card

Citizens of other Global Entry partner countries (such as the United Kingdom, India, Germany, South Korea, and Japan) do not receive a physical Global Entry card. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Trusted Traveler Programs FAQ notes that foreign nationals outside the eligible groups above are not issued cards because they only use Global Entry at airports, where processing technology relies on facial biometrics and passports rather than a card.

If you are preparing for your first application or enrollment appointment, see our guide to what happens in the Global Entry interview and our full overview of Global Entry eligibility and benefits.

When you need your Global Entry card (and when you don't)

If you only fly internationally and domestically, you can leave your Global Entry card at home and still use every air benefit of your membership. If you cross into the United States by land or sea, or need a federally accepted ID at a TSA checkpoint, the card earns a spot in your wallet.

Airports and Touchless Portals. You never need a Global Entry card to clear customs at an airport. At U.S. and Preclearance airports equipped with Global Entry Touchless Portals, two automated cameras take your photo and match it biometrically without paper receipts. You only scan a document if the screen says "Insert Travel Document," and the only documents accepted at standard Global Entry kiosks are a valid passport or a machine-readable U.S. permanent resident card (Form I-551). Only NEXUS cards work at Global Entry kiosks, and solely at Canadian Preclearance airports.

Land borders: NEXUS, SENTRI, and Ready Lanes. Your activated Global Entry card is required for expedited entry into the United States in both NEXUS lanes (from Canada) and SENTRI lanes (from Mexico), as well as Ready Lanes at U.S. land ports of entry. Two strict rules apply at land borders:

• Direction of travel matters: Your Global Entry card works only when entering the United States. It is not valid for entering Canada through NEXUS lanes or kiosks. For two-way border access, read our comparison of NEXUS vs. Global Entry.
• Every passenger needs a membership: Global Entry benefits are specific to the member. Your spouse, children, or co-travelers cannot ride or walk through a Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI lane with you unless each person has their own membership.
• Driving in a SENTRI lane requires vehicle inspection: You can walk across in a SENTRI pedestrian lane or drive into the U.S. in a NEXUS lane with just your activated card. However, to drive a car in a SENTRI lane at the southern border, you must register the vehicle with CBP and pass a 7-point vehicle inspection at a SENTRI enrollment center. Vehicle registration is free if included on your initial Global Entry application, or costs $42 if added later.

Using your Global Entry card for TSA PreCheck, PASSID, and REAL ID

A common airport mistake is handing a Global Entry card to a TSA officer expecting to be waved into the TSA PreCheck line. DHS states that you cannot access the TSA PreCheck lane by showing a Trusted Traveler card.

Instead, two separate rules govern how your card works at domestic security:

1. Getting TSA PreCheck on your boarding pass. To use the PreCheck lane, you must type your membership number (called your PASSID) into the "Known Traveler Number" (KTN) field of your airline reservation so the TSA PreCheck indicator prints on your boarding pass. You can find your PASSID in two places: logged into your TTP Dashboard toward the top of the page, or printed on the back of your Global Entry card in the top-left corner.

2. Showing ID at the TSA podium (REAL ID). Beginning May 7, 2025, TSA requires domestic air travelers to show a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or another acceptable federal ID. DHS lists the Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI cards alongside passports as accepted REAL ID-compliant identification at TSA security checkpoints. Even if your state driver's license is not REAL ID-compliant, you can hand the TSA officer your Global Entry card as your photo ID.

How long the card takes to arrive and how to activate it

Once you finish your interview at an Enrollment Center or through Enrollment on Arrival, CBP typically approves your application within 1 to 2 business days. Your TSA PreCheck and airport Global Entry benefits work right away using your PASSID and passport, before the physical card reaches your mailbox.

How long shipping takes. CBP and DHS pages give slightly different delivery windows: the CBP Global Entry FAQ states new members receive their card 2 to 4 weeks after approval, while the DHS TTP portal FAQ states the card may arrive in as little as 8 to 10 business days but can take up to 6 to 8 weeks. The card is mailed in a plain white envelope to the mailing address on your application and cannot be forwarded by the postal service. If you do not have a U.S. mailing address, CBP sends it to the U.S. point of contact or Global Entry Enrollment Center you designated.

Do you have to activate the card? DHS notes that if you have Global Entry, you only need to activate your card if you plan to travel by land into the United States from Canada or Mexico. However, CBP's Global Entry FAQ warns that you must activate the card within 30 days of receipt or you will be unable to use it in NEXUS or SENTRI lanes. Activating it the day you open the envelope takes two minutes and prevents problems on a future road trip.

Follow these steps to activate your Global Entry card online:

• Go to the Trusted Traveler Programs website (ttp.dhs.gov) and click Log In.
• Sign in through Login.gov using your email, password, and two-factor security code.
• On your TTP Dashboard homepage, scroll to the Program Membership(s) section.
• Click the "Activate Membership Card" button and follow the onscreen prompts to complete activation.
• What if 8 weeks pass and your card never arrives? Log into your TTP Dashboard, select the "Card Never Received" option, and follow the prompts to verify your biographic details and mailing address. The system will generate a replacement card application.

How to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged Global Entry card

Because you do not need the physical card at airports, losing your Global Entry card does not stop you from using Global Entry kiosks or TSA PreCheck on flights. You only need to pay for a replacement if you want the physical card for SENTRI or NEXUS land lanes, sea ports, or as a backup REAL ID.

Here is how CBP and DHS handle lost, stolen, and damaged cards:

• Lost or stolen card ($25 fee): Log into your TTP account at ttp.dhs.gov, select "Manage Membership," and click "Request for Global Entry Card." You will pay a non-refundable $25 replacement fee by credit card or U.S. bank transfer.
• Immediate deactivation of your old card: As soon as you submit a replacement request, your original Global Entry card is permanently deactivated. If you find the old card in a drawer later, it will no longer work at border lanes.
• Damaged or malfunctioning card ($0 at an Enrollment Center vs. $25 online): DHS and CBP pages state two options for damaged cards. The DHS TTP FAQ states there is no fee ("DAMAGED: No Fee") if your card does not work properly and you visit an Enrollment Center for a replacement. If you order a replacement online through your TTP account instead, CBP charges the standard $25 replacement fee.
• Don't see the "Replace Card" button on your Dashboard? If you enrolled years ago (such as under the old GOES system) and did not link your PASSID when setting up your TTP profile, the replace and renew buttons will be hidden. Click "Edit Profile" under Update Your Info on the right side of your Dashboard, enter your PASSID, and the membership actions will appear.

Name changes, new passports, and cards after renewal

Your 5-year Global Entry membership is tied to your date of birth, not to your passport's expiration date. When you renew a passport, change your legal name, or renew your membership, here is how to keep your account and card working:

Updating an expired passport or driver's license (no name change). If you get a new passport with the same name, your Global Entry membership stays valid, but you cannot use airport portals or land crossings until CBP has the new passport number. Log into the TTP website or the CBP Trusted Traveler Mobile App, click "Update Documents" on the right side of the Dashboard, and enter your new passport or driver's license details. (Note: the "Update Documents" button is hidden while you have a pending application on your account.)

Updating your name after marriage, divorce, or a legal change. You cannot type a name change into the TTP portal yourself. CBP and DHS guidance gives two ways to update your name and request an updated card. The CBP Global Entry FAQ instructs you to visit a Global Entry Enrollment Center in person with your new passport or supporting legal documents. No appointment is required for document updates, though scheduled interviews have priority. Alternatively, the DHS TTP FAQ allows you to submit an online inquiry at help.cbp.gov under "Trusted Traveler Programs" and "Change my name due to marriage/divorce/legal" with a color image of your new passport's photo page attached.

Changing your address. You can update your mailing address online by clicking "Update Mail-to Address" on the right side of your TTP Dashboard. To update your physical residential address (where you live), DHS states you must visit the nearest Enrollment Center in person without an appointment.

Renewing your Global Entry membership. You can apply to renew your membership starting 1 year before it expires. If you submit your renewal application before your expiration date, CBP extends your Global Entry benefits for up to 24 months while your renewal is processed, and a new interview may not be required. Because airport Global Entry portals do not require a physical card, you can continue using airport Global Entry portals with your passport or permanent resident card without waiting for a card, and when a new card is issued after approval you activate it in your TTP Dashboard using the "Activate Membership Card" button before using SENTRI or NEXUS land lanes. For a full walkthrough of the timeline and fee, read our guide to Global Entry renewal.

5-minute checklist for new Global Entry cardholders

Built from CBP and DHS Trusted Traveler rules, this five-step checklist makes sure your membership works on your next flight and road trip:

• Copy your PASSID into every airline profile: Do not wait for the mail. Add your PASSID to the Known Traveler Number field of your airline profiles as soon as your TTP Dashboard shows "Approved."
• Watch for a plain white envelope (8 business days to 8 weeks): CBP mails the card to the mailing address on your application, and the post office cannot forward it.
• Click "Activate Membership Card" within 30 days: Log into ttp.dhs.gov, go to Program Membership(s), and activate the card before crossing from Canada or Mexico by land.
• Keep the card out of airport Global Entry kiosks: Use the Touchless Portal or scan your passport or green card on international air arrivals. Only pull out the Global Entry card if you need a REAL ID at a domestic TSA checkpoint.
• Register your car before using a SENTRI driving lane: Driving from Mexico in a SENTRI lane requires registering your vehicle in TTP ($42 after your initial application) and passing a 7-point CBP vehicle inspection.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Canada Border Services Agency, the U.S. Department of State or any government agency.