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Tampa International Airport is rolling out an app to speed up customs check

 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Friday that its Mobile Passport Control app is now available for Tampa International Airport travelers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Friday that its Mobile Passport Control app is now available for Tampa International Airport travelers.
Published Aug. 12, 2016

TAMPA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Friday that its new Mobile Passport Control app can now be used at Tampa International Airport.

Officials say the app will speed up the screening process for American and Canadian travelers coming into the country. Travelers input their personal and travel information, take a photo of themselves and answer declarative questions on their mobile device. Once that is done, passengers receive an encrypted QR code that will act as an electronic receipt that they can show the border agent, who will finalize the inspection.

"The CBP officer is then able to focus on identity verification, admissibility and questioning to determine purpose and intent of travel," according to the agency's website. "This process will ultimately (help) to improve service levels and decrease wait times."

The agency first launched the app two years ago at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — the most traveled airport in the world. Since then, it has added airports in the following markets: Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, Newark, N.J., Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, N.C., San Franscisco, San Jose, Calif., Seattle and Washington, D.C.

The app is available for free download from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. For more information, visit MobilePassport.US.

Contact Alli Knothe at aknothe@tampabay.com. Follow @KnotheA.