Which Airports Have U.S. Customs Preclearance?

The joys of international travel can quickly evaporate when you land back in the U.S. and have to wait in a long line at customs and immigration. Luckily, this isn’t a problem at a handful of airports — some places allow you to quickly make your way home after returning from a foreign country. Here’s everything you need to know about U.S. customs Preclearance and how it works.

What Is Customs Preclearance?

Typically, when flying internationally, all passengers are required to pass through a customs and immigration screening in their arrival country. This process ensures that everyone is entering the country legally and screens for any goods and agricultural products that passengers are required to declare. 

However, airports with Preclearance stations work differently. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents are stationed at these international airports to screen passengers before they board their flight to a U.S. destination. Once passengers have passed through Preclearance inspection, they have technically entered the United States. 

The main benefit of Preclearance is that travelers don’t have to undergo customs screening upon arrival. Flights from airports that have Preclearance will land at a domestic gate in the U.S. And if passengers are connecting from their first U.S. port of entry to another U.S. destination, they will be able to make a tighter connection, since their first flight will arrive at a domestic terminal rather than an international one.  

Which Airports Have U.S. Customs Preclearance?

You may be surprised to learn that Preclearance has a long history. Its predecessor, known as “preinspection,” dates back to 1903, when passengers boarding ferries in Victoria, British Columbia, were prescreened for customs and immigration prior to their journeys to ports in the Pacific Northwest. 

In 1952, the first airport Preclearance stations opened at Canada’s Toronto Pearson International Airport and Calgary International Airport. The first year, 250,000 travelers took advantage of the program, a number that skyrocketed to 3 million by the 1970s. The first Preclearance facility outside of North America opened in Shannon, Ireland, in 1988.

As of 2025, passengers can use Preclearance facilities at the following 15 locations in six countries:

• Abu Dhabi International Airport, U.A.E.
• Calgary International Airport, Canada
• Dublin Airport, Ireland
• Edmonton International Airport, Canada
• Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Canada
• L.F. Wade International Airport, Bermuda
• Lynden Pindling International Airport, Nassau, Bahamas
• Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Canada
• Ottawa International Airport, Canada
• Shannon Airport, Ireland
• Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada
• Queen Beatrix International Airport, Aruba
• Vancouver International Airport, Canada
• Victoria International Airport, Canada
• Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, Canada

How To Speed Through Customs

While Preclearance passengers won’t have to worry about waiting at customs after their flight, they will need to plan to arrive at their departure airport with enough time to undergo customs screening before their flight. 

If you’re looking to cut down on wait times, there are a few ways to do so. The first is to sign up for Global Entry. Global Entry is a Trusted Traveler Program that operates similarly to TSA PreCheck. It allows those returning to the U.S. from abroad to receive expedited reentry to the country. At Preclearance airports, those with Global Entry head to dedicated kiosks, which take photos of travelers to confirm their identity and allow them to quickly head to a customs officer without waiting in a long line.

If you don’t qualify or haven’t signed up for Global Entry, also consider downloading and using the Mobile Passport Control app. Eligible travelers can submit their required travel documents — including passport information, a self photo, and a customs form — on the app instead of filling out a paper form, which grants them access to a dedicated line with quicker processing times.