Global Entry and NEXUS Photos: What Happens at the Interview

Global Entry is a biometric program, so CBP collects your photo and fingerprints itself. You fill in the application online through the Trusted Traveler Programs website and pay the fee, but nowhere in that process do you upload a picture.

The photo is taken by a CBP officer at your interview, at the same time as your fingerprints. CBP uses this image to confirm who you are when you use Global Entry kiosks and lanes on arrival in the US. Because the photo has to be captured by CBP equipment under an officer's supervision, a photo from a pharmacy, a studio or an app cannot be used.

That is why PhotoForPass does not sell a 'Global Entry photo'. If you see one advertised, it is a generic 2 x 2 photo that CBP will not ask for. The same applies to NEXUS, which is covered further down this page.

The interview is short, and the photo is one of the last steps. Here is how the process runs from application to card, based on CBP's Global Entry pages.

1. Apply and pay online. Each person submits an individual application and pays the $120 fee at the same time.
2. Wait for the background check. CBP says most applications are reviewed within 2 weeks, but some take up to 12 months or longer.
3. Get conditional approval and schedule the interview. In-person interviews are required for first-time enrollment.
4. Attend the interview. The officer reviews your documents, asks a few questions, then takes your photo and fingerprints.
5. Start using your benefits once you are approved.

Enrollment on Arrival

If you have conditional approval, you can skip the appointment and complete the interview when you land from an international trip at a participating airport. Follow the signs to the Enrollment on Arrival booth in the CBP inspection area. Your photo and fingerprints are captured there instead of at an enrollment center.

You have no control over the camera or the background, but you can control how you show up. The photo may stay on your CBP file for years, and it can be reused for a remote renewal later.

• Wear everyday clothes. A solid color that is not white usually photographs best against a light backdrop.
• Plan to remove hats and sunglasses. The officer decides about glasses and head coverings, so follow their directions.
• Keep your face clear. Pull hair away from your eyes and face.
• Arrive on time with your documents ready. Officers keep interviews short, and missing documents can mean rescheduling.

Our what to wear for a passport photo guide covers colors and accessories if you want more detail. The same tips work for any official ID photo.

CBP checks your documents before it takes your photo, so bring everything on the list. These are the items CBP lists for Enrollment on Arrival and remote interviews, and they are the safe set for any Global Entry interview.

If your passport is close to expiring, renew it before the interview where you can. Your membership is linked to your passport details, and bringing all current passports lets CBP add them to your file.

Both programs cost $120 for adults and run for 5 years. The fee is paid with the application, it does not depend on where you interview, and there is nothing extra to pay for the photo.

Children under 18 pay $0 for Global Entry when a parent or legal guardian is an enrolled member or is applying, for applications received on or after October 1, 2024. For NEXUS, applicants under 18 pay nothing if a parent or legal guardian is also approved in a Trusted Traveler Program.

When you renew, CBP may not need a new photo at all. Its Remote Interview Pilot lets eligible renewing members finish the interview by video, using the photo already on file.

To qualify, you must have a conditionally approved renewal, be at least 18, have previously given fingerprints to CBP, and have a photo on file that was taken within the past 10 years and after you turned 14. The interview runs on Zoom from a computer, tablet or phone and takes about 15 minutes. You still need your passport, proof of residency and green card if you have one. If your photo is too old or you were under 14 when it was taken, plan for an in-person interview and a new photo.

NEXUS, the joint US and Canada program, also has no photo upload. CBP and CBSA officers take your face photo and fingerprints at the NEXUS interview, including when you use Enrollment on Arrival.

NEXUS costs $120 per adult, is non-refundable and lasts 5 years. Book the interview through your TTP account, and bring the same kind of identity and residency documents you would bring for Global Entry, plus any documents CBSA asks for.

Global Entry starts with a valid passport, and that is the document where you do supply a photo. If your U.S. passport has expired or is about to, renew it first.

PhotoForPass makes U.S. passport photos and files for online passport renewal from your phone, built to meet State Department requirements. Checks run in your browser before you pay, a digital photo is $16.95, and a digital photo plus a 4 x 6 print sheet is $18.95, with a 14-day money-back guarantee. These photos are for your passport application, not for Global Entry itself.