Switzerland’s Federal Police Office (fedpol) quietly updated its Global Entry information portal on 7 November 2025, clarifying processing times and membership-renewal requirements for Swiss citizens enrolled in the U.S. trusted-traveller scheme. While the bilateral arrangement—launched in 2021—remains unchanged, fedpol now emphasises that security screening queues have lengthened and applicants should allow “several weeks” before their next U.S. trip.
The notice also formalises the five-year validity period and introduces a CHF 100 online payment for the Swiss pre-check, mirroring fees already charged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (US $120). Existing members reaching their renewal window are reminded that their Swiss criminal-record extract must be less than three months old and that conditional CBP approval lapses after 365 days if fingerprints are not taken on U.S. soil.
![Fedpol Updates Guidance on Swiss Participation in U.S. Global Entry Programme]()
For Swiss corporates with frequent U.S. travellers, the guidance is a timely alert. Many mobility policies reimburse Global Entry fees because the programme can cut immigration wait times by up to 70 minutes at hubs such as JFK and SFO. Travel managers should budget for the new CHF 100 charge and factor longer lead times into assignment start dates.
The update also warns that applicants with unresolved police entries will be refused, highlighting the importance of HR due-diligence checks when relocating staff with previous residences abroad. Fedpol says enquiries will be processed strictly in chronological order, signalling that peak-season surges—typically March and September—could extend timelines further in 2026.
The notice also formalises the five-year validity period and introduces a CHF 100 online payment for the Swiss pre-check, mirroring fees already charged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (US $120). Existing members reaching their renewal window are reminded that their Swiss criminal-record extract must be less than three months old and that conditional CBP approval lapses after 365 days if fingerprints are not taken on U.S. soil.
For Swiss corporates with frequent U.S. travellers, the guidance is a timely alert. Many mobility policies reimburse Global Entry fees because the programme can cut immigration wait times by up to 70 minutes at hubs such as JFK and SFO. Travel managers should budget for the new CHF 100 charge and factor longer lead times into assignment start dates.
The update also warns that applicants with unresolved police entries will be refused, highlighting the importance of HR due-diligence checks when relocating staff with previous residences abroad. Fedpol says enquiries will be processed strictly in chronological order, signalling that peak-season surges—typically March and September—could extend timelines further in 2026.
