On May 18, pilots who fly internationally will have to provide passenger information to Customs and Border Protection using a new electronic reporting system called the Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS).
Pilots must register for an online account and allow one week for the account to be approved. Passenger manifests must be filed at least one hour before departing or arriving the United States, however, they can be filed further in advance from home or wherever you have convenient Internet access. Arrival notification and coordination with the port of entry can be done over the phone.
More about how the system works is available online and in AOPA’s issue brief. You also can call the experts in AOPA’s Pilot Information Center at 800/USA-AOPA.
