New Automated Passport Kiosks Speed Up Customs For International Travelers At SFO

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- International travelers arriving at San Francisco International Airport will be able to get through customs a little faster now thanks to new automated Passport Control kiosks.

The airport today unveiled 40 new kiosks -- touch screen devices that can scan a passport and customs declaration form. The machine then issues a receipt for the traveler to hand to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.

Checking out with the machine only takes about 90 seconds, airport officials said.

The machines are already in use in numerous U.S. and international airports, including in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego and Seattle, according to Customs and Border Protection officials.

"We are committed to improving the arrival experience for our international travelers, and these new Automated Passport Control kiosks provide an easy way to speed through the customs process," SFO director John Martin said in a statement.

International traffic at the airport grew 5.5 percent in 2014, with more than 4.4 million travelers going through customs there, SFO officials said.

People with U.S. and Canadian passports as well as international travelers under the Visa Waiver Program can use the kiosks.

The kiosks are produced by Vancouver-based Innovative Travel Solutions, which won a bid to install and maintain the kiosks for $2.45 million over three years, according to SFO officials.

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