Picture this: sleepless, red-eye flight followed by a 3 hour layover and then another 2 hour flight. Tired, in need of a shower, some food and most importantly in need of a beach.  You land in Curaçao, your island paradise for the next week, and you can already feel the sand in your toes and a fruity, tropical drink in your hand.  You emerge from the plane, follow the pathway to immigration with your passport clutched in your hand only to see THIS…

OK … maybe a slight exaggeration…but that’s what it felt like!

[Internal Scream] Nooooooooo!!! 200 people standing between you and warm, tropical breezes.  And to make the situation even worse there were only 2…TWO(!!) immigration officers on duty to deal with two plane loads of people. My hosts were patiently waiting in the arrivals area for me and all I could do was send them a “so sorry – stuck in immigration line” WhatsApp message.

If you’ve traveled overseas regularly, you’ve likely faced this situation.  You are tired, jet lagged and in need of fresh air, but you’re stuck looking at someone’s back as you shuffle, zombie-like, towards the immigration officer. I’ve managed to sidestep this inconvenience when I arrive back in the US by securing a Global Entry card ($100 for 5 years) that allows me to skip the line and instead enter the US via an automated kiosk.  There is also a Mobile Passport app that you can load on your smart phone which allows you to use special express entry lanes at 20 US airports. But when arriving at a foreign location, my global entry card gets me no special privileges.  So I wait.

But as I wait I look up to see this….

Oh ED-Card Gates … why are you mocking me with your line-free entry?

Blissfully empty gates to the promised land!  Why am I standing in the longest queue in history (OK – slight exaggeration) while there’s another option?  I call myself a seasoned traveler, but how did I not know about this fast track option? My only barrier to entry? I hadn’t filled out an Online ED-card.

US, Canadian and EU passport holders over the age of 18 have the option to fill in an Online ED-Card (NO! not that ED…it stands for Embarkation – Disembarkation) online at least 24 hours before arrival in Curaçao. Once that’s done, you have access to the automated entry lanes. Instead of standing in line for 1 hour like I did, the process would have taken less than 5 minutes. Plus you have the added benefit of getting to throw a glance of sympathy mixed with smugness over your shoulder at those sad saps who are still waiting.

What lies on the other side of immigration.

So, please learn from my mistake. Save yourself the time and the humiliation of receiving that smug look from your better informed traveler companions as they slide their passports into the automated gate and whisk off into paradise. Before your next trip to Curaçao, visit the Online ED-Card website, read the important information, watch the demo video and then fill out the Online ED-card.  Not heading to Curaçao? Still check with your destination’s immigration policies. You may find a similar option which will save you time and get you to your destination quicker. You’ll thank me later (hopefully with a cool, tropical drink)!