Global Entry lasts five years and CBP doesn't reliably notify you when it's ending. Set a reminder for your actual expiration date and get an email inside the 1-year renewal window, while the process is still a quick login instead of a full reapplication.
Done in seconds. No sign-up required.
Renewing on time is admin work. Letting it lapse is starting over.
Global Entry application fee, charged again from scratch if you reapply after expiration
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, fee schedule effective Oct 2024
membership term — long enough that the expiration date falls completely out of memory
CBP Trusted Traveler Programs
grace period to keep using benefits — but only if you submitted the renewal before your expiration date
CBP Global Entry FAQ
Five years is a long time. You apply, you go to the interview, you start using the kiosks at the airport, and then the membership becomes invisible — it just works, which is exactly the problem. There's no monthly bill, no annual login, no statement in your inbox. The expiration date sits on the back of a card you barely look at.
CBP technically sends an email before expiration, but reports across travel communities suggest that email is unreliable. Members regularly say they never received it, or that it arrived in a promotional folder they don't check. Some never see it because the Trusted Traveler Programs profile email is years out of date.
Then there's the eligibility window. You can only renew within the 12 months leading up to expiration. Submit too early and the system rejects it. Wait too late and processing delays can push approval past your expiration date, leaving you in the awkward 24-month grace period for months at a stretch.
A good Global Entry renewal reminder fires inside the renewal window — early enough to absorb processing delays, late enough that the system will accept your application. Aim for about 13 months before your expiration date.
It's printed on the back of your Global Entry card and shown on your TTP dashboard. The full lookup walkthrough is on the check-expiration page.
You become eligible to renew exactly 1 year before expiration. A 13-month lead time keeps you safely inside the window without rushing.
If you don't mark the reminder complete, BoldRemind keeps emailing. The renewal won't quietly drop out of your inbox after one ignored notification.
The 24-month grace period only applies if you submitted on time.
If you miss the renewal deadline without submitting first, you reapply as a new applicant. The fee is non-refundable and isn't waived for past members.
See the 2026 fee details →Enrollment center wait times in major US cities currently run from a few weeks to several months. New applicants are not at the front of the line.
What an expired membership costs →If your renewal isn't approved by your travel date, you'll go through the standard customs line. For frequent flyers that's hours of lost time per trip.
When to renew to avoid this →The renewal eligibility window, the lookup steps, the consequences of expiry — full details below.
CBP says it sends an email reminder before your membership expires, but reports across travel forums and the r/GlobalEntry subreddit are inconsistent — many members never receive one, and the email that does arrive often lands in promotional folders. Don't treat it as a guarantee. Set your own reminder against your expiration date so the renewal window doesn't close while you wait for an email that may not come.
About 13 months before your expiration date. You become eligible to renew exactly 1 year before expiration, so a 13-month lead time gives you a few weeks to log in, gather documents, and submit while still being inside the eligibility window. If you wait until the month before expiration, processing delays can push approval past your expiration date.
Five years from the date your membership was approved, not the date you applied or had your interview. The exact expiration date is printed on the back of your Global Entry card and visible in your TTP dashboard. The $120 application fee covers the full 5-year term.
If you submitted a renewal application before expiration, you can keep using Global Entry benefits for up to 24 months past the expiration date while CBP processes it. If you didn't submit anything before the date passes, that grace period doesn't apply — you have to reapply as a new applicant, pay the full $120 fee again, and likely complete another in-person interview. See the full breakdown on the consequences page.
Most renewals don't. CBP grants conditional approval based on your record, and the renewal completes online without an interview. If something flags during review, you may be asked to come in. The chance is much lower than for a first-time application.
Yes — once your renewal is fully approved, CBP automatically mails a new card to your address on file. Make sure your TTP profile has your current address before you submit. The card itself isn't needed at airports (the kiosks use facial recognition or fingerprint), but it is required at land borders.
Set a free Global Entry renewal reminder. No account, no app. You'll get an email inside the 1-year renewal window and follow-ups until you've submitted.
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