U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has installed automated passport-control kiosks at its facility at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), making it the first dedicated general aviation (GA) airport in the country to be so equipped.

Like those found at larger commercially served international arrivals airports, the kiosks expedite entry into the U.S. through an automated process that eliminates the need for U.S. citizens to handwrite a customs declaration form and allows them to declare their citizenship, present documents, among other parts of the administrative process. Users will scan their passports and fingerprints, answer a few questions, and take a photo. The kiosks are also available to Canadians and travelers from visa waiver program countries. 

The kiosk will then issue a receipt, which passengers will give to a CBP officer as they submit their luggage for inspection upon check out. There is no charge to use the kiosks, but visa waiver program travelers must have electronic system for travel authorizations (ESTA) approval and must have previously visited the U.S. after 2008 to use them.

FXE, which handles nearly 170,000 operations a year, was also the first GA airport to introduce the Global Entry kiosk, which allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to expedite U.S. entry.