Global Entry costs about $40 more than TSA PreCheck over five years and includes it — but that’s not the detail that actually matters for most of our clients. Global Entry is also open to citizens of Colombia, Panama, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, which means a citizenship you got for tax or residency reasons can double as your fast lane through US customs, even without a US passport.
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Table of Contents
What Is TSA PreCheck?
TSA PreCheck is a Transportation Security Administration program that lets approved travelers use a dedicated security lane at US airports — keeping shoes, belts, and light jackets on, and leaving laptops and 3-1-1 liquids in the bag. It only applies to the security checkpoint on domestic and outbound flights from US airports. It does nothing for you when you land back in the US from abroad; that’s Global Entry’s job.
Enrollment is genuinely quick: a short online application, then a roughly 10-minute in-person appointment for fingerprints and ID verification at one of over 1,300 locations run by three TSA-authorized providers — IDEMIA, CLEAR, and Telos. Most applicants are approved within days.
What Is Global Entry?
Global Entry is run by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), not TSA. It’s built for the opposite end of the trip: re-entering the United States. Instead of standing in the regular customs line after an international flight, Global Entry members answer a few questions at a kiosk or on the mobile app and walk straight through — often skipping the line entirely.
Every Global Entry membership includes TSA PreCheck automatically, so you’re not choosing between the two so much as deciding whether the extra ~$40 and slower approval process is worth the international re-entry benefit on top.
Cost and How Long Enrollment Takes
The fee gap is smaller than most comparisons make it sound, but the approval-time gap is real and worth planning around:
| TSA PreCheck | Global Entry | |
|---|---|---|
| New enrollment fee | $76.75–$85 (varies by provider) | $120 flat |
| Renewal fee | As low as $70 online | $120 |
| Validity | 5 years | 5 years |
| In-person step | ~10-minute biometrics appointment | Interview (or Enrollment on Arrival/Departure) |
| Typical approval time | Days after the appointment | 2 weeks – 12 months for the background check |
| Covers domestic security lines | Yes | Yes — TSA PreCheck is bundled in |
| Covers US re-entry / customs | No | Yes — expedited kiosk, no line |
One thing that trips people up: Global Entry’s background check has a wide range — typically about two weeks, but CBP itself says it can run up to twelve months in some cases. Applicants routinely assume the faster end of that range and get caught out when it doesn’t clear in time. If you’re applying specifically for an upcoming trip, apply as early as you possibly can, not as a last-minute pre-departure task. Source: CBP Global Entry program page.
A lesser-known shortcut: CBP’s “Enrollment on Arrival” and “Enrollment on Departure” options let some conditionally-approved applicants complete the required interview at the airport on an upcoming trip, instead of booking a separate appointment at an enrollment center months in advance. Ask about it when you get your conditional approval notice.
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Who Can Actually Apply
This is the part most comparison articles skip, and it’s the one that matters most for our clients: TSA PreCheck and Global Entry don’t have the same citizenship rules.
| Program | Who can apply |
|---|---|
| TSA PreCheck | US citizens, US nationals, and lawful permanent residents only |
| Global Entry | US citizens/LPRs, plus citizens of Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the UK (some of these need an extra home-country vetting step first) |
Standalone TSA PreCheck is closed to anyone who isn’t a US citizen, US national, or green card holder — full stop. Global Entry is more open specifically because CBP has bilateral agreements with certain governments. Clients who get Colombian citizenship by descent or Mexican citizenship by descent through us almost never think to ask about this until we bring it up: that new citizenship, on its own, can qualify you for Global Entry (and the PreCheck benefit riding along with it) even if you never touch a US application. Source: CBP Global Entry eligibility requirements.
Two of the partner countries add an extra step before you can even start the CBP application: UK citizens need to clear the UK Home Office first, and Swiss citizens need Swiss Federal Police clearance. The Latin American partner countries — Colombia, Panama, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina — don’t have that extra layer; you apply directly through CBP’s Trusted Traveler Programs system.
Which One Should You Get?
If you only ever fly domestically inside the United States and have no international trips planned, TSA PreCheck alone is cheaper and faster to get. For almost everyone else — and that’s most of the people reading an article on an expat and digital-nomad site — Global Entry is the better buy for roughly $40 more over five years, because it includes PreCheck and adds the one benefit PreCheck can’t touch: skipping the customs line every time you fly back into the US.
If you’re not a US citizen or green card holder but hold citizenship in one of the partner countries, Global Entry is your only path to either benefit — TSA PreCheck alone isn’t available to you at all.
Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS
Global Entry only covers airports. If you regularly drive across the US–Mexico border, Global Entry does nothing for you at the vehicle lanes — that’s SENTRI, a separate CBP program for land crossings. For US–Canada trips by land or air, NEXUS is the equivalent. All three run through the same CBP background-check system, so holding one can make it easier to add another later. Source: TSA PreCheck program page.
For a wider view of how citizenship and passport choice affect border-crossing speed generally, see our Latin America passport index.
Ready to take the next step? Book a consultation call — we’ll map out the right path for your situation.
FAQ
Does Global Entry include TSA PreCheck?
Yes. Every Global Entry member automatically gets TSA PreCheck — you don’t apply for both separately, and you don’t pay for both. It’s one $120 fee for five years of both benefits.
Can I get TSA PreCheck if I’m not a US citizen?
Only if you’re a US national or lawful permanent resident (green card holder). Standalone TSA PreCheck is not open to other foreign citizens — Global Entry is the workaround for eligible nationalities, since it includes PreCheck.
Which is faster to get approved, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry?
TSA PreCheck. After your in-person appointment, approval typically lands within days. Global Entry’s background check alone can take anywhere from two weeks to twelve months, so apply well ahead of any trip where you’re counting on the benefit.
Do I still need SENTRI or NEXUS if I have Global Entry?
Global Entry only covers airports. If you cross the US–Mexico land border regularly, you still need SENTRI; for US–Canada land or air crossings, NEXUS is the equivalent. Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS use the same background-check system, so holding one can speed up applying for another.
Will my credit card cover the application fee?
Many premium travel credit cards reimburse the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee once every four to five years as a card benefit. Check your specific card’s benefits guide before paying out of pocket.
I got citizenship through MLL in a country other than the US — can I still get Global Entry?
If it’s one of the Global Entry partner countries — Colombia, Panama, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina are the ones we work in most — yes, you can apply on that citizenship alone, with no US citizenship or green card required.
Related: US Trusted Traveler Programs · How to Get SENTRI · Colombia Citizenship by Descent · Mexico Citizenship by Descent · Latin America Passport Index
