TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry: Which One to Get (2026)

Here's the short version: if you only ever fly domestically within the US, get TSA PreCheck. If you take even one international trip a year, and if you qualify for it on the basis of your passport, get Global Entry instead - it includes PreCheck and costs about forty dollars more across five years. Everything below is the detail behind that answer, sourced from the TSA and CBP's own pages, plus the part the American blogs never cover: what happens if the passport in your hand is British or Irish.

Quick answer: Global Entry ($120, five years) includes full TSA PreCheck and speeds up your arrival into the US. PreCheck alone ($85 or less, five years) only speeds up departure security. Any international flying makes Global Entry the obvious buy. However, Global Entry is only available to passports of certain countries.

What Each One Actually Does

The two programs solve different queues, and that's the whole comparison.

TSA PreCheck works on departure: dedicated security lanes at US airports where your shoes, belt and light jacket stay on, and your laptop and liquids stay in the bag. The TSA says about 99% of PreCheck passengers wait less than 10 minutes. Children 17 and under come through the lane free with an enrolled adult.

Global Entry works on arrival: expedited immigration processing when you land in the US from abroad, at kiosks (or increasingly, just a camera) instead of the main hall queue - and it works at land borders too. And because Global Entry membership includes PreCheck, you get the departure benefit thrown in.

	TSA PreCheck	Global Entry
Speeds up	Security on departure	Immigration on arrival, plus all PreCheck benefits
Cost	$76.75 to $85 for 5 years	$120 for 5 years
Enrolment	Online start, 10-minute in-person finish	Background check + in-person interview
Who can apply directly	US citizens and permanent residents	US citizens/residents + about 20 partner countries

What They Cost

PreCheck pricing depends on which of the three authorised enrolment providers you use for the identical product: $76.75 through IDEMIA, $79.95 through CLEAR, or $85 through Telos. Renewals run cheaper, from $58.75 online. There's no reason to pay the higher figure if a cheaper provider has a location near you - it's the same Known Traveler Number either way.

Global Entry is a flat $120 for five years, non-refundable, with minors free when a parent is enrolled. Spread over five years, the difference between the cheapest PreCheck and Global Entry works out at under $9 a year - for that you're adding the entire arrivals benefit. That's why the flight-pattern rule beats any price comparison.

Which One Should You Get?

Fly only within the US? PreCheck, at the cheapest provider price you can find. Fly internationally at all - even one holiday a year - Global Entry, without much soul-searching. This isn't just my read: CBP's own guidance says frequent international travellers should choose Global Entry, and infrequent flyers can pair PreCheck with the free Mobile Passport Control app, which takes a genuine bite out of the arrivals queue at no cost.

The one group I'd steer differently: if you're a nervous applicant with anything complicated in your history, read the Before You Apply section first - the $120 doesn't come back if you're refused.

If You Don't Hold a US Passport

This is the section the US card blogs skip, and for readers here it matters most.

Standalone TSA PreCheck is only open to US citizens, US nationals and permanent residents. If you hold another passport, the only route to PreCheck is through Global Entry (or the NEXUS and SENTRI border programs), where eligibility depends on your citizenship.

British citizens qualify for Global Entry, with an extra step: you apply first through GOV.UK, pay a £42 processing fee for UK vetting, and receive a UK Access Code to use in the CBP application. Budget for both fees and a longer end-to-end timeline.

Irish citizens are not on the eligibility list at all - Ireland isn't a Global Entry partner country as of 2026. Before that stings too much: if you fly to the US from Dublin or Shannon, you already clear American immigration before you board, at US preclearance - so the arrivals benefit Global Entry sells is one you largely already have. You land in the US as a domestic passenger. The gap that remains is PreCheck on internal US flights, and there's no program that closes it for an Irish passport alone.

I've guided readers through Dublin's preclearance for years on my Ireland Explore site, and the drill is worth knowing: after Irish security you hit a second, TSA-style screening - shoes off, belts off, the full drill - then the CBP desks, fingerprints and photo, and you're stamped into the United States with your gate called from the pre-cleared zone. When you land in Boston or New York there are no immigration queues and no customs hall - straight to baggage or your connection. Allow 60 to 90 minutes after Irish security at peak, and have your ESTA valid and linked to your current passport before you reach the zone - there's no easy fix airside.

My fuller walkthrough of the application itself is in the Global Entry guide.

Before You Apply

A few things worth knowing before you hand over the fee. The background check disqualifiers are broader than people expect: any criminal conviction, pending charge or outstanding warrant - explicitly including driving under the influence - plus past violations of customs, immigration or agriculture rules in any country. People discover a decades-old conviction the hard way, $120 later.

Processing is usually quick but occasionally isn't: most Global Entry background checks clear within two weeks, but some take twelve months or more. Don't build a trip around a pending application. For the interview, you don't need to chase a scarce appointment - Enrollment on Arrival lets you complete it at a walk-up when you next land in the US, and Enrollment on Departure desks do the same on the way out.

The catch

Neither program is a guarantee. The TSA runs unpredictable screening measures and says plainly that no individual is assured expedited screening - you can be bumped to the standard lane on any given day. PreCheck lanes also aren't staffed at every airport and terminal around the clock, so an early-morning regional departure may see you in the general queue with everyone else. And the application fees are non-refundable, approved or not. Go in with clean paperwork and modest expectations, and both programs deliver most days.

FAQ

Does Global Entry include TSA PreCheck? Yes. Full PreCheck benefits come with the $120 Global Entry membership - you don't need to buy both.

How long does Global Entry approval take? Most background checks are reviewed within about two weeks; some run to twelve months or longer, especially with any criminal history. The interview can be done at walk-up desks when arriving from abroad.

Can children use the PreCheck lane? Yes - 17 and under go through free with an enrolled adult. For Global Entry, minors are free when a parent is enrolled or has an application pending.

Can UK or Irish citizens get Global Entry? UK citizens yes, via a £42 Home Office step before the CBP application. Irish citizens aren't eligible - but Dublin and Shannon preclearance already handles US immigration before boarding.

Is there a free way to speed up US arrival? The CBP's Mobile Passport Control app is free and cuts the arrivals process at major airports. It's CBP's own suggested option for infrequent flyers.

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If your travel year involves Dublin Airport at either end, my US preclearance guide explains exactly what happens before you board - and why it changes which of these programs is worth your money.