U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the release of its first mobile app this week. The app, Mobile Passport Control (MPC) will allow eligible travelers to submit their passport information and customs declaration from their smartphones or tablets prior to inspection by CBP. The app was created as part of a pilot program at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJA). Travelers arriving at HJA will be able to use the app starting today. Later this year, MPC will be expanded to more airports and to other smartphone/tablets such as Android smartphones.
The app is intended to expedite the entry process, but it is also part of CBP’s broader resource optimization strategy to transform the way the agency does business. Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated, “We are strongly committed to the facilitation of travel and tourism to the United States, all while maintaining the highest security standards in the world. Mobile Passport Control is an important step and one that we think the traveling public will embrace.”
To use the app, download the Mobile Passport Control App from the Apple App Store prior to arrival. Travelers will need to create a profile with their passport information, complete the “New Trip” section upon arrival in the U.S., and submit the customs declaration form through the app. Travelers will then receive an electronic receipt with an Encrypted Quick Response code. This receipt will expire four hours after being issued. Finally, travelers should bring their passports and smartphones or tablets with the digital bar-coded receipt to a CBP officer upon entry. Additional information, including download instructions, user eligibility, and FAQs, are available on the Travel section of the CBP.gov website and the Airside Mobile website.