Global Entry Renewal Experience & Application Timeframe
Global Entry is one of my favorite things ever! Mobile Passport has certainly made it easy for people returning to the United States, but I think the Global Entry program is still overall easier plus I love that it gives me TSA Precheck almost 100% of the time. (It isn’t guaranteed but I have only not received Precheck once across hundreds of flights.)
Global Entry costs $100 for a 5 year period. Once it is within 12 months of your renewal date you can fill out the application to renew your Global Entry membership. This renewal process used to be quite fast, however with budget cuts and reallocations of personnel to the border (or so that is what I am told) it has taken quite awhile lately.
Paying for Global Entry Renewal (Or Not Paying!)
To renew my Global Entry I paid the $100 renewal fee with my American Express Platinum card. Many premium cards offer a credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, so make sure to check if that is a benefit of one of your cards. I have used this benefit often for my entire family and even some friends. Global Entry for everyone!
I applied for my Global Entry renewal on May 16, 2019 and American Express issued the credit to my account on May 19, 2019. Nothing like the cost of “free”!
Global Entry Renewal Timeframe
As you can see above, I paid for an applied for Global Entry renewal on May 16, 2019 some 10 months before my Global Entry expiration date. While I was hoping for a quick renewal, unfortunately it took some time. So how long does it take for a Global Entry Renewal to get processed? The answer is 4+ months.
Here is the timeline of my Global Entry renewal application:
- Applied: May 16, 2019
- Approved: September 25, 2019
As you can see it took 4 months and 9 days for my Global Entry renewal application to get processed and approved. I am glad I applied so far in advance. Don’t wait until you are up on your renewal date!
Do You Need an Interview for Global Entry Renewal?
When you initially get Global Entry you need to go in-person for an interview. This largely works out to be a formality for them to check your id plus get fingerprints, but it is something that every Global Entry applicant must go through. When renewing Global Entry you may or may not be asked for a second interview.
Thankfully in my case an interview is not needed. This is what my Global Entry looks like when I login now after my renewal application has been successfully processed.
As you can see it shows my interview has already been successfully completed. It also shows my membership is now good for an additional 5 years! I have had a few friends who did require an interview for a Global Entry renewal, but they weren’t given a specific reason. I would be prepared for an interview, but it seems most people don’t require one.
Bottom Line
While it is taking quite a long time to renew Global Entry, the good news is there are several ways to avoid having to pay for the service, plus you have an entire year before expiration to apply. I highly recommend applying for Global Entry renewal far ahead of time to avoid any lapses due to the backlog.
Have you applied for Global Entry renewal lately? How long did it take for your Global Entry renewal application to get processed? Let us know in the comments below!
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Applied Nov, 2019, still waiting. The GE folks are very inefficient!
I was approved 3 days ago. It took 8 days for my approval.
Wow that is awesome! They are all over the place.
There was an article about this subject in the LA Times several days ago. If you applied for your renewal before the expiration, the CBP is granting a grace period from six months to one year beyond the expiration date.
https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2019-09-24/global-entry-not-received-what-to-do
Applied for renewal on May 15th.
Received conditional approval on Sept. 25th
Interview same day, photo and fingerprints needed… approved!
I applied in May with no word and haven’t checked in a couple weeks. Do they notify you?
Still nothing. I’ll be at 5 months next week.
I just applied for my renewal on 9/10 and received my approval on 9/17.
Been waiting for a month. Guess still 3 months to go! On the other hand, my friend just applied new GOE several days ago and was approved already! wonder if new applicants have higher priority…
I saw a post from Ariana where she got her Global Entry as she was returning to this country. I wonder if one could get their global entry renewed like that.
Very informative. I’d be interested to see a follow-up post (or maybe coverage on a future podcast segment) discussing logistical strategies, if any, you (or Marc or Joe) might have for dealing with GE on the family scale (such as arranging interviews, and renewals…e.g is it better to apply at the same time or space things out? Is there a better/less busy time to apply through the year? Experiences going through GE together as a family, etc.)
I’m currently trying to work through a CC sign-up strategy to get the GE credits for my family of 4 (one card already in hand, 3 more sign ups to go), so that we might apply in early 2020.
You may renew Global Entry up to a year before the expiration date. Renewal adds five years to your current expiration date. Because it can take 4 months or more, be sure to renew early. If your Global Entry fee is a credit card perk, no worries, early renewals are covered.
Applied for renewal on May 17th and I’m still waiting. This gives me some hope, though.
That is great information to know. I renewed about 3 months ago and I am still waiting for approval.