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New Passport But Number Not Recognized by Global Entry Website

I received my passport about one week ago and just tried to update the passport number stored in the Trusted Traveler (Global Entry and TSA Pre) website. After I typed in the new passport number and hit "Continue", there was an error message. I was very sure that I entered the correct number, as I asked my spouse to double check it for me.

Has anybody had the same issue? If so, how did you resolve it?

Posted by
1322 posts

Thanks. Unfortunately, the only Enrollment Center in the SF Bay Area is at SFO airport, in the Arrival section.

If I cannot enter the US from Europe smoothly with Global Entry, does this mean that I have to line up in the good old fashion?

Posted by
4133 posts

A similar issue happened to us in 2019 ( A middle initial on my passport didn't match the plane ticket ) . There was an official on hand who worked it out quickly .

Posted by
8365 posts

I just did the renewal process and found it to be very touchy as far as allowing corrections. I was not updating a passport number, but found that I had to start over multiple times before I could get through the update process. Seemed like I had missed checking an "edit" box and that impacted what it wanted, but didn't point out an error.

Posted by
2734 posts

I have this exact same problem. Luckily for me there is a global entry processing location at my home airport because I had to take my l passport and everything in there. The agent could not figure out why it wouldn’t work but he was able to get the passport number in. Good luck

And yes if you don’t have global entry working you will have to line up the old fashion way. My last entry in United States the kiosks were down “nothing we can do just get in line.”

Posted by
1322 posts

Thank you again.

Carol--is the Enrollment Center in Arrivals or before your exit the secured area?

I was thinking of bringing my old passport with me just in case, but the INS never mailed it back to me (they are supposed to).

Posted by
13769 posts

"I was thinking of bringing my old passport with me just in case, but the INS never mailed it back to me (they are supposed to)."

The old one is mailed back from a different location, in my experience. I think it was 10 days or so before the old one turned up in the mail. And yes, I think it's a good idea to take both with you.

Posted by
1322 posts

Folks, I finally received my old passport two weeks ago. On Tue, I updated my Global Entry portal with my new passport number. I did not get an email from the government, but the system shows that it updated the information.

So, it took more than one month for Global Entry to recognize my passport number.

Posted by
8214 posts

I just went in to the enrollment center at the airport today and they took care of it in less than 20 minutes. The officer informed me that the website isn't really set up to change passport information because they want to see the person and passport together in their office.

Posted by
2401 posts

I updated the info in my trusted traveler profile online with new passport number and new driver license expiration date with no trouble, which was a pleasant surprise.

At some level their system must have been waiting for me to put in the new info because my profile, when expanded, indicated that there was no valid driver license on file, which seemed odd, until I realized that the expiration date on file had passed.

Posted by
8365 posts

avirosemail, the passport number was added as a new document, right, not editing or updating the existing one? Is that correct?

Posted by
2401 posts

iirc, the right-hand column of the website when logged in as yourself has two kinds of editing/input choices,
one to edit your profile and one to add/edit your list of documents included in your profile,
and I believe I added my new passport in the latter,
but some of the info, like spelling of my name, was pre-loaded in the form.

Editing to add -- I do think that the old passport number was preloaded in the form and I had to delete it in order to add the new passport number -- it seemed a little bit iffy to do it that way so it struck me as odd at the moment, but it went through fine, so far as I'm aware.

Posted by
1 posts

From my own experience, it takes about a month after your new passport is issued until you can update it on their site.

Posted by
1322 posts

Thanks, everyone. It indeed took about one month for the system to recognize my new passport.

Posted by
1 posts

The Global Entry information technology is completely broken. The point of paying for Global Entry is to avoid hassles and make things smoother when traveling. Unfortunately when a passport is renewed their IT system doesn't recognize the new document right away, or maybe never. In the meantime you don't know why it doesn't work, it just gives a cryptic message "We are unable to verify your document" and instructs to visit an enrollment center! Well, that's the opposite of convenient and certainly a hassle. Especially for infrequent travelers who are nowhere near an airport. And the enrollment centers have ludicrous hours (10am-2pm), no appointments available, or other cryptic restrictions about walk-ins.
The whole thing is absurd. Their own site has instructions to "simply" update the passport number in their system yet reading these kinds of forums you'll see that it doesn't work for most people. The "delay" is lengthening from "about a month" to at least 8 weeks. In my case I still couldn't do it online and I had to open several Support Cases with CBP which went unanswered. Only after I spent about two hours waiting on the phone on hold, did a phone representative have pity on me and offered to open an INTERNAL Case to resolve the issue. I had to submit a photo of my passport page and then WOW, issue was resolved that same day. Why make it so difficult for everybody? Today my son tried to enter his new passport number in his Global Entry account, and got the SAME ERROR. His passport was issued mid-October. It's mid-December. The Global Entry system is a DISGRACE.

Posted by
4516 posts

Yesterday the president signed an executive order to update the customer experience of federal systems. Passport renewal is among the key improvements. Perhaps there will be an improved tie-in with the Global Entry system.

"The Secretary of State shall design and deliver a new online passport renewal experience that does not require any physical documents to be mailed."

Forbes article referencing the executive order.

Posted by
4516 posts

The section of the executive order that includes the "shalls" for the Department of Homeland Security - which includes Customs and Border Patrol, which runs Global Entry - dues not include anything specific for Global Entry. The nearest possibility might be this "shall" if it includes arrivals:

(i) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall:

(i) test the use of innovative technologies at airport security checkpoints to reduce passenger wait times;