CBP Launches Biometric Global Entry Arrivals
Philadelphia International Airport is the first airport to use cameras with facial comparison technology in place of user-operated kiosks for Global Entry members.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Air Travel
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection deployed its updated Global Entry arrival processing experience at Philadelphia International Airport on October 13, 2026. The new process uses cameras with biometric facial comparison to verify members' identities and membership status as they enter the Global Entry processing area.
Why it matters
The change replaces the previous process, in which members answered customs declaration questions at a kiosk upon arrival, with a camera-based verification step. CBP expects to expand the experience to as many as 38 airport terminals at 30 high-volume airports, which would affect travelers well beyond Philadelphia.
The updated process went live at Philadelphia International Airport on October 13, 2026, replacing the kiosk-based customs declaration step. CBP plans to expand the process to as many as 38 terminals at 30 high-volume airports, though the timeline for that expansion was not specified.
The players
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
CBP is the federal agency within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for border security and customs enforcement, and it administers the Global Entry trusted traveler program.
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major international gateway operated by the City of Philadelphia and serves as the first site for the updated Global Entry process.
The details
Under the updated process, cameras with biometric facial comparison technology verify each Global Entry member's identity and membership status as they enter the Global Entry processing area. Previously, members answered customs declaration questions at a user-operated kiosk upon arrival, a step the new process replaces.
Timeline
October 13, 2026: The updated Global Entry arrival process became operational at Philadelphia International Airport.
November 5, 2026: CBP deployed the updated process at Philadelphia International Airport.
Roadmap
The updated process builds on the Global Entry trusted traveler program, which lets pre-vetted travelers skip standard arrival lines. Moving from kiosk-based declarations to biometric verification marks a change in how that program handles arrivals at U.S. airports.
Global Entry members arriving at Philadelphia International Airport will now be verified by camera rather than by answering questions at a kiosk. Travelers flying into the other airports named for the planned expansion should check for updates as the rollout progresses.
The takeaway
Members should expect a camera-based identity check instead of a kiosk declaration on arrival at participating terminals. Travelers at airports slated for expansion can prepare by confirming their Global Entry membership status is current.
Further reading
For more on how airports are changing arrival procedures, see Air Travel coverage for Philadelphia.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CAPA - Centre for Aviation.
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