Advance Passenger Information System or APIS is an electronic data interchange system established by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
APIS governs the provision of a limited number of data elements (identification details from the passport and basic flight information) from commercial airline and vessel operators to the computer system of the destination state. Required information should conform to specifications for UN/EDIFACT Passenger List Message (PAXLST) formats.
Beginning in May 2009, private aircraft pilots must also provide the necessary information to the CBP. The regulations were put into effect in December 2008 with a 180-day voluntary compliance period.
eAPIS (electronic APIS) is a public website which allows small commercial carriers to transmit data to the CBP electronically.
When travelling to or from certain countries, passengers are required to provide advance passenger information (API) before they check in or they will be unable to fly. These countries include
- Antigua
- Australia
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- France
- Grenada
- India
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Maldives
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Panama
- Portugal
- Republic of Korea
- Russian Federation
- Saint Lucia
- Spain (except for Schengen Area passengers)
- Taiwan
- Trinidad & Tobago
- United Kingdom
- United States
and some more
The required information consists of:
- Full name (last name, first name, middle name if applicable)
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Nationality
- Country of residence
- Travel document type (normally passport)
- Travel document number (expiry date and country of issue for passport)
- Address of the first night spent in the US (not required for US citizens/nationals, legal permanent residents, or alien residents of the US entering the US)
See also
References
- "APIS: Advance Passenger Information System". U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- US Customs and Border Protection Archived August 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ICAO Facilitation Section: Advance Passenger Information (API)
- FAL-12-WP-15 FACILITATION (FAL) DIVISION — TWELFTH SESSION Cairo, Egypt, 22 March to 2 April 2004 Agenda Item 2 Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- "U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Travel". Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- "Reporting Requirements Begin December 18 for Private Aircraft Arriving or Departing United States - CBP.gov". Archived from the original on 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- eAPIS Archived October 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- "Welcome to eAPIS | Customs and Border Protection".
- aircanada.com – Travel Info – Advance Passenger Information
- ^ Which countries require Advanced Passenger Information? - FAQ (Air France, read 2018-03-09)
- ^ Advance information about passengers (Iberia, read 2018-03-09)
- Advanced Information Passenger System (SEF, read 2012-07-11)
- A.P.I.(Advanced Passenger Information|ANA
External links
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Travel / For Travel Industry Personnel / APIS: Advance Passenger Information System
- British Airways, Advance Passenger Information.
- eAPIS Online Transmission System (at cbp.gov)
- eAPIS UN/EDIFACT Implementation Guide (Specification – pdf)