Miami International Airport has become the second airport in the US to offer Mobile Passport Control (MPC), which allows travellers to complete their customs declaration using their smartphone or tablet, instead of filling out a paper form.
MPC, which is the result of a partnership between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), ACI-North America and Airside Mobile, was launched in August 2014 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The MPC app complements the 36 Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks that are already in place at Miami International Airport. Another 44 kiosks will be installed this year.
US citizens with a valid US passport and Canadian citizens with a valid Canadian passport and B1 or B2 visa status can use the Mobile Passport app. After downloading it, they are prompted to create a profile using their passport information and the app can then be used to answer standard customs declaration questions, submit their information electronically upon landing and take advantage of dedicated lanes for Mobile Passport users.
“MIA lobbied hard to be one of the very first US airports to offer Mobile Passport to our passengers, and our partners at CBP and ACI-NA are to be commended for partnering in this effort,” said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. González. “MIA is the perfect fit for Mobile Passport: we are America’s second-busiest port of entry, handling more than 20 million international passengers each year, and our organisation is wholeheartedly committed to bringing the latest travel technology to our airport.”
ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke added: “Since its debut last summer, Mobile Passport has transformed the Customs clearance process for eligible travellers arriving in the United States. Mobile Passport has proved to be an outstanding example of the kind of innovation that occurs when industry and government work together to achieve cost-effective solutions. We are very pleased to announce that Miami International Airport is the next gateway to accommodate this technology, and we look forward to additional airports coming online throughout 2015.”
