QCOSTARICA — The requirements to be part of the United States ‘Global Entry’ program, requested in 2023, are finalized and soon will be expediting the arrival of Costa Ricans at U.S. airports, such as Atlanta, Dallas Forth Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, and others, with direct connections to Costa Rica.
Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows expedited entry for pre-approved low-risk travelers arriving in the United States. Members can enter the United States through automatic portals at select airports and via the SENTRI and NEXUS lanes by land and sea.
In August 2023, Manuel Tovar, Minister of the Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (COMEX), explained that the security and interconnection forms establish responsibilities for protecting and handling information, and define a technical framework for the implementation of the program.
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To enroll in Global Entry, applicants must first file an application with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and then submit to an interview and background check (which checks against multiple databases, including more than a simple TSA PreCheck). The application includes employment history and residences for the prior five years.
As of 2025, in addition to U.S. nationals and U.S. lawful permanent residents, citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama and soon Costa Rica, among others, are eligible for Global Entry membership.
“The country has already fulfilled all the necessary requirements and we are only waiting for the North American authorities to give us the corresponding codes to be able to connect the information systems between both countries,” said Arnoldo André, Costa Rica’s Foreign told Noticias Monumental last week.
André explained that following the delivery of the codes that will link the systems, the implementation phase of the program will begin.
Benefits of Global Entry
Costa Rica’s entry into Global Entry represents a significant advance for Costa Rican travelers and will strengthen the bilateral relationship with the US and provides these advantages:
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- Fast entry to the US without the need to wait in lines at immigration.
- Available at airports, land, and sea ports.
- Automated processing at self-service kiosks.
- Reduced wait time at airports.
- Accessible to pre-approved low-risk frequent travelers.
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