DHS / eAPIS Integration

Overview

The DHS / eAPIS integration connects Portside Horizon with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS). This integration enables operators to electronically submit passenger and crew manifests to CBP (Customs and Border Protection) for international flights departing from or arriving in the United States, as required by federal regulations.

Horizon supports both Part 91 (private/non-commercial) and Commercial (Part 135/charter) submission formats, depending on the type of operation.

Submission statuses are automatically monitored and updated in Horizon.

How to Set Up the Integration

Prerequisites

• An active APIS account
• A Sender ID — This is provided by CBP and is the same one used when accessing the APIS website
• No additional interaction with CBP is necessary to enable the integration
• Administrator access in Portside Horizon

Before configuring the integration, ensure your Company Org Data is finalized:

• Org Profile: A “Person” must be configured in the Org account, including their Email and Phone Number.
• Commercial APIS (Unscheduled): Ensure the Certificate Number, Carrier Name, and Carrier Code are included.
  

***From System > Confirm the Company ORG is selected as a first step

Important: Separate integration configurations need to be set up for Private and Commercial submissions.

Configuration Steps

1. Navigate to System > Integrations.
2. Click Add Integration, select APIS, then click Next.
3. Fill in the required fields:
   • Certificate Org — If the Sender ID entered on the Certificate Org is the same one you would use to submit, select the Certificate Org here. If it is different, leave Certificate Org blank and enter the Sender ID directly in the configuration form (see below).
   • Country — Select USA
   • Account Type — Choose Private (91) or Unscheduled Commercial (135)
   • Sender ID — Enter your Sender ID provided by CBP. This is the same Sender ID used when accessing the APIS website. If a Certificate Org is selected and already has the correct Sender ID, this field can be left blank.
   • Enabled — Check this box to activate the connection
     

Enable Integration 

Access the System module


Integrations > Add Integration > [Select] APIS > Next

Separate integration configurations need to be setup for Private and Commercial submissions.

It is considered best practice to enter a specific Sender ID.

1. Select the Enabled checkbox to connect 
2. Emergency Contact
   
1. Select Contact, Phone and Email:  This information only pulls from the ORG's list of People assigned, and will include the Phone and email in the People Profile
2. This information will default when submitting APIS, it can be changed on the individual submission in the flight.
   
3. + Add Aircraft and Save 
   
1. Do not add any aircraft if you would like ALL to apply.  This might apply to aircraft that are only Private and do not apply to Commercial flying.
   

How Data Syncs Between the Two Systems

Sync Direction

What Passes Through

From Horizon to DHS (Manifest Submission):

• Passenger information: Full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, passport expiration date, country of issuance, gender, residential address
• Crew information: Full name, date of birth, nationality, passport/license data, crew position
• Flight details: Departure and arrival airports, departure date/time, flight number
• Aircraft information: Tail number, aircraft type, operator information

From DHS to Horizon (Status Updates):

• Submission status (Accepted, Rejected, Pending, Error)
• Rejection reasons and error details (if any)
• CBP confirmation numbers

How to Submit an APIS Filing

Before You Begin

Ensure the following are complete before starting the submission:

• The trip has been created with all legs
• All crew and passengers have been added to the trip
• Crew and passenger profiles are fully completed, including passport information

Step 1: Navigate to Services

1. Open the Flight Card for the leg you need to file.
2. Expand the Services section.
3. Click + Departure or + Arrival (based on your filing need).
4. Choose APIS from the service list.

Step 2: Complete General Information

1. The APIS Account will default to Private or Commercial based on the Regulation selected on the flight.
2. Confirm the correct account is selected.
3. If needed, you can replace the airports in the submission.
4. Click Next.

Step 3: Review Aircraft Details

1. Verify all Aircraft Details are accurate.
2. Review Operator Details.
3. (Optional) Select “Owner details are the same as the Operator” if applicable — this will submit Operator information as Owner details to APIS.
4. Click Next.

**Remember that Horizon will run checks against requested information and notify the user of errors prior to submission. These errors are highlighted by red highlights and exclamation points at the top of the page.

Step 4: Review Crew & Passenger Information

1. Review all crew and passenger records carefully.
2. Any missing or invalid information will be highlighted in red.
3. Expand flagged records to view and resolve specific issues (e.g., missing passport number, missing date of birth).
4. Once all issues are resolved, proceed to submit.

Step 5: Submit

1. Once all required fields are complete; and error free, click Submit.
   

**Submit will be hidden until the submission is error free

What Happens After Submission

Initial Submission:

• The status will update to Requested.
• A Confirmation Number will be generated.
• CBP processing typically takes approximately 5-10 minutes.
  
• If a submission is rejected, the person who submitted will receive an email from CBP explaining the errors and needed corrections.

Final Confirmation:

• Once confirmed by CBP, the status updates to Complete (shown in green).
• The full APIS report becomes available.

After Confirmation, you can:

• Download the report using the PDF icon
• Email the report using the envelope icon

Troubleshooting

The “Submit to DHS” option is not showing

• The eAPIS integration has not been configured for your organization. Contact your system administrator.
• Verify your user role has permission to submit to DHS.
  
• There errors present in the submission that require correction. Errors are highlighted in RED on the submission pages.

Submission fails with validation errors

• The system validates all required passenger and crew data before submission. The validation error dialog lists all blocking issues:
  • Missing passport data — Ensure all passengers have passport number, expiration date, and country of issuance entered
  • Missing date of birth — Required for all passengers and crew
  • Missing residential address — Required for certain submission types
  • Invalid airport codes — Verify departure and arrival airports are valid
• Resolve each listed issue and try again.

Submission was sent but status shows “Pending” for a long time

• If a submission stays in “Pending” for more than an hour, it may indicate a processing delay on the DHS side.
• Check the DHS/eAPIS portal directly for the most current status.

Submission was rejected by DHS

• Review the rejection reason in the submission details. Common causes:
  • Passport data doesn’t match DHS records (name format, date of birth discrepancy)
  • Expired passport
  • Submission timing (too early or too late relative to departure)
  • Aircraft not registered with your eAPIS account
• Correct the data in Horizon and resubmit.
  

An email is sent to the person who submitted the eAPIS by USCBP. This email will notify that person that a submission was rejected and why.

APIS data for a leg shows outdated passenger information

• After changing the passenger manifest on a leg, you must resubmit to DHS. The system does not automatically resubmit when passenger data changes.
• Navigate to the trip’s Services section to check the current APIS submission status per leg.

Submission statuses are not updating

• Verify the eAPIS credentials are still valid. If credentials have expired, update them in the integration settings.
• If the issue persists, contact your system administrator.

Best Practices

1. Submit well before departure — Federal regulations require eAPIS submission prior to departure. Submit early to allow time for resolving any rejections.
2. Complete passenger data early — Ensure all passengers have complete passport and personal information entered in Horizon before attempting submission.
3. Check for validation errors proactively — Use the Submit to DHS function to run validation even before you’re ready to submit, so you can identify missing data early.
4. Resubmit after manifest changes — If passengers or crew change after initial submission, you must resubmit to DHS with the updated manifest.
5. Monitor submission statuses — Check the APIS submission status in the Services section regularly for international flights. Address any rejections immediately.
6. Cancel submissions for cancelled flights — If a flight is cancelled after DHS submission, use the “Cancel from DHS” option in the Edit Trip dropdown to notify DHS.