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NEXUS vs Global Entry: the same fee, a different border
Count your crossings from Canada and your trips abroad: the chooser says whether NEXUS or Global Entry fits, and what it costs per trip.
Which one should I get?
Best fit for the way you fly
NEXUS
| Cost per year, after card credits | $24 |
| Per round trip | $6 |
- NEXUS costs the same 120 dollars as Global Entry and adds the dedicated lanes into Canada; members also get the Global Entry kiosks and TSA PreCheck.
- The interview is done by both countries at a NEXUS enrollment center, most of them near the northern border.
| Program | 5 years, you pay | Gives |
|---|---|---|
| TSA PreCheck | $79.75 | faster US security lane |
| Global Entry | $120 | customs kiosks on return + PreCheck |
| NEXUS | $120 | Canada and US lanes + kiosks + PreCheck |
| SENTRI | $120 | Mexico land lanes + PreCheck |
| CLEAR+ | $1,095 | skips the ID check line only |
Fees read on tsa.gov, cbp.gov and CLEAR’s price page. You apply only on the official sites: this page is not TSA, CBP or CLEAR.
Since October 1, 2024, NEXUS and Global Entry cost the same: $120 per adult for five years, after CBP raised NEXUS from $50. Both give TSA PreCheck through the PASS ID, and both let you use the Global Entry kiosks when you fly into the United States. NEXUS adds the other direction: dedicated lanes and eGates when you enter Canada by air, land or boat, and the NEXUS lanes at the northern land border into the United States. In exchange it asks more. Both countries run a risk assessment, the interview is held with US and Canadian officers at a NEXUS enrollment center, and permanent residents need three years of residence. Children under 18 apply free. For anyone who crosses into Canada more than once or twice a year and can reach a NEXUS center, NEXUS gives everything Global Entry gives at the same price; for everyone else, Global Entry and its Enrollment on Arrival are easier to get.
NEXUS: last day to schedule your interview
Schedule the interview by
April 1, 2029
| Rule applied: approved before April 1, 2027: 5 years or April 1, 2029, whichever comes first |
Canada Border Services Agency, interview scheduling deadlines.
Fees and rules read on tsa.gov and cbp.gov by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
What each one opens
| NEXUS | Global Entry | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee, five years | $120 | $120 |
| Children under 18 | free | free with a member parent |
| Who can apply | US and Canadian citizens and permanent residents; Mexican Viajero Confiable members | US citizens and residents, Mexican nationals, partner countries |
| Entering the US by air | Global Entry kiosks | Global Entry kiosks |
| Entering Canada | NEXUS kiosks, eGates and lanes | regular processing |
| US land border | NEXUS lanes (north) | NEXUS and SENTRI lanes with the card |
| TSA PreCheck | yes, with the PASS ID | yes, with the PASS ID |
| Interview | US and Canadian officers, NEXUS center | CBP officer, center or on arrival |
The Global Entry card works in the NEXUS lanes when you drive into the United States from Canada, but CBP warns that it is not valid for entering Canada through those lanes. That one line explains most choices: a Global Entry member who drives to Canada waits with everyone else on the way in, and a NEXUS member does not.
The fee change of 2024
CBP published a final rule and a Federal Register notice on April 2, 2024 that harmonized the three programs from October 1, 2024: NEXUS went from $50 to $120, Global Entry from $100 to $120, and SENTRI from a sum of separate fees to $120. The same rule exempted applicants under 18 when a parent or guardian is a member or applies at the same time. Before the change, NEXUS was the cheapest way to get Global Entry benefits; it no longer is, but it is not dearer either.
Interview: the real difference
Global Entry can be completed on arrival from abroad at the airports CBP lists, with no appointment, or at an enrollment center, and renewals may be done by video. NEXUS needs officers of both countries: CBP's own FAQ notes that anyone who wants to use NEXUS to enter Canada must complete an enrollment interview with the Canada Border Services Agency. NEXUS enrollment centers sit at airports and crossings near the northern border, which is a long trip for travelers who live elsewhere. Applicants approved conditionally now face a deadline to schedule that interview, which the tool below computes.
NEXUS: last day to schedule your interview
Schedule the interview by
April 1, 2029
| Rule applied: approved before April 1, 2027: 5 years or April 1, 2029, whichever comes first |
Canada Border Services Agency, interview scheduling deadlines.
Who should pick which
Pick NEXUS if you live near the northern border or travel to Canada several times a year, by car or by plane, and can reach a NEXUS center for the interview. Pick Global Entry if your trips abroad go elsewhere, if you cross into Canada once a year or less, or if you want to finish the process on your next return flight. A permanent resident must also count residence: NEXUS asks for three years with at least 183 days a year in Canada or the United States. Both programs give PreCheck, so do not buy PreCheck separately; the Known Traveler Number page explains which number goes in your reservations.
Whichever you pick, the PASS ID you receive is your Known Traveler Number for TSA PreCheck at US airports.