Washington— U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service announced today that U.S. Global Entry members will be able to use Australia’s automated border processing system, SmartGate, on a trial basis.

SmartGate performs the customs and immigration checks usually conducted by an Australian Customs and Border Protection officer. It uses state-of-the-art biometric face recognition and ePassport technology to securely and efficiently process passengers. Using SmartGate to self-process may be faster than waiting for an Australian Customs and Border Protection officer, particularly during busy travel periods.

U.S. citizens that are a members of CBP’s Global Entry are eligible to use SmartGate upon arrival in Australia if they travel on a valid U.S. ePassport and are 16 years of age or older. Travelers must meet both criteria to be eligible to use SmartGate.

Additionally, U.S. travelers receiving Global Entry benefits through their NEXUS or SENTRI membership may also participate in this pilot provided they meet the eligibility criteria.

There is no additional enrollment process to participate in SmartGate. CBP has partnered with the Australian Government on this initiative to facilitate the entry of U.S. citizens into Australia. By using SmartGate, eligible travelers are able to bypass Australia’s manual passport control processing queues and self-process using their ePassport.

At no point is this program an entitlement. Passengers are always subject to screening measures.

For more information on CBP’s Global Entry Program, or to enroll please visit CBP.gov or the Global Entry website. (Travel) (Global Entry) For more information on using SmartGate and for information on participating airports in Australia, visit the SmartGate website. (SmartGate)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.