Overview#
Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) is an electronic data system and Government Data Store established by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), but also demanded by some other countries.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.
Advance Passenger Information System also has a public website (https://eapis.cbp.dhs.gov) which allows small commercial carriers to transmit data to the CBP electronically.
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)
- For travellers to the US Address of the first night spent in the United States (not required for US nationals, legal permanent residents, or alien residents of the US entering the US)
