Published: 30 July 2026

This page is part of our Airport Travel Hub, which brings together all our guides to making your journey through the airport easier.

Mobile Passport Control (MPC): Skip the US Passport Control Queue

Arriving in the US can sometimes mean spending longer at passport control than waiting at the luggage carousel. Fortunately, there is a free app that many visitors from the UK & Europe can use to hugely reduce their waiting time at immigration.

The free MPC (Mobile Passport Control) App allows visitors to skip the regular passport control queues at most US airports by submitting much of the required immigration and customs information before they reach the US border.

I have used the MPC App several times when arriving at the likes of Chicago, Orlando, New York JFK and Boston, and it is one of our most recommended apps due to the significant time saving on arrival in the US.

Quick Summary

💰 Cost: Free
🛃 Works at: Over 30 US airports plus other pre-clearance locations (inc Dublin)
🇬🇧 UK tourists eligible? Yes, if you’re a returning visitor to the US on an ESTA
👪 Family members: Up to 12 per submission

How does MPC App work?

Before you travel to the US

Download the MPC App onto your smart phone
Create a profile (requires: Name, Date of Birth, Passport Information)
If needed, add additional family members (up to 12 people)

On landing in the US (do this immediately on landing if you can)

Open the MPC App, select your mode of entry (Airplane for most people arriving from Europe) and your arrival airport (or other port of entry)
If you are travelling with others, select the relevant family members who are with you. Everyone will then be on the one submission form.
Complete questions around the purpose of visit (business or pleasure) and the customs declaration and submit your information to US Customs & Border Protection
Each person in the travel group then has to take a selfie on the phone
When complete you will be given a QR code

On arrival in the Passport Control area

Follow the signs for the dedicated MPC queue
When there is a Customs & Border Protection officer available, all of the group can approach the desk at the same time
The officer will ask for all the passports of your travel group and will scan the QR code
The officer will also take a quick photograph of each visitor
Providing there are no issues, you should be through in under a minute

At which Airports can I use the MPC App?

It can be used at over 30 airports in the US and some other locations (including Dublin & Shannon). Click here for the current list.

Who can use the MPC App?

U.S. Citizens
Lawful Permanent Residents
Canadian B1/B2
Returning Visa Waiver Program Applicants

The key word here is returning. If you have not visited the United States before, you will need to do various fingerprint scans and other checks so officially you are not able to use the MPC App. However, there are reports of CBP officers processing MPC users with people in their group who are not previous visitors to the US – just be aware that you might get sent to the back of the main queue…

Most UK visitors will be visiting the US as part of the Visa Waiver Program with an ESTA. You must have an approved ESTA to travel – if you do not, the airline will not let you board the plane. If you cannot get an ESTA, you need have a US Visa and cannot use the MPC App.

How much time will I save with the MPC App?

Every airport is different, but at busy times the standard immigration queues can easily exceed an hour.

During my recent visits, I have never waited more than a few minutes to reach a CBP officer using Mobile Passport Control, even when the standard queues were much longer. At Boston Logan there was no queue at all, allowing me to leave passport control almost immediately.

Anything else to be aware of?

Declarations should be done within 4 hours of landing at a US airport
You will need mobile data or wi-fi to send the information via the app
You need an e-passport (also known as a biometric passport). Pretty much all UK Passports issued since September 2006 are biometric but if you are unsure, look for the gold rectangular symbol on the front cover.

My experience

I have used the MPC App at Chicago, Orlando, New York JFK and Boston in the last couple of years and have had a positive experience every time.

My recommendation would be to take the required arrival selfie while waiting to leave the plane so you can walk straight to the passport control area.

I have never had to wait longer than a couple of minutes to see a CBP Officer, even at busy arrival times at Chicago and Orlando where there were a lot of people in the standard queues.

When at the desk, it has never taken longer than 20 seconds for the officer to process my entry and let me into the country.

Alternatives to MPC

Global Entry

If you are a UK passport holder and regular visitor to the US, you can apply for Global Entry which will save even more time on arrival. This currently costs £42 for a UK background check followed by $120 for a US customs check. Global Entry also requires a physical interview at an enrolment centre (mainly in the US but you can do this at Shannon or Dublin) or can be done on arrival at certain international terminals in the US (Enrollment on Arrival). The US embassy in London does occasionally offer Enrollment Events although appointments have to be booked in advance and availability does disappear very quickly.

Fly from Dublin or Shannon

You could fly the to the US directly from Dublin or Shannon airports. They both have US pre-clearance so you do all the US entry requirements at the airport before you leave Ireland and then on landing, you can walk straight out of the terminal building, as if you were on a domestic flight.

Our Take: Is Mobile Passport Control Worth Using?

Absolutely. If you’re eligible, there’s very little reason not to use Mobile Passport Control.

The MPC app is free, it only takes a few minutes to set up before your first trip, and can dramatically reduce the amount of time you spend waiting at US passport control. My own experience has been consistently positive, with waits of only a few minutes at some of the busiest airports in the country.

While Global Entry remains the fastest option for frequent visitors, MPC offers many of the same time-saving benefits without the application fee, interview or background checks.

If you are a returning visitor travelling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, downloading the MPC app before you fly is one of the simplest travel hacks you can make. Even if it only saves you 20 or 30 minutes on arrival, that’s more time starting your holiday—and less time standing in line after a long flight.

Mobile Passport Control (MPC): Skip the US Passport Control Queue

Quick Summary