How early should I arrive at JFK for international flight?

Arrive early and come prepared
We recommend you arrive to the airport at least 3 hours before your scheduled departure for international flights. Check if your destination has travel restrictions. If your destination requires specific travel documents, remember to bring a completed copy with you to the airport.



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Security. Wait Times. Check our websites, JFK, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, to get a sense of current wait times but always allow plenty of time for the security screening. It is recommended that you arrive two hours before domestic flights and three hours for international travel but also check with your airline.

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Generally speaking, most airlines advise that you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to a domestic flight, and at least 3 hours prior to an international flight.

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The TSA recommends getting to the airport two hours before a domestic flight, but there are certain factors that could influence whether you should leave earlier or later to catch your flight.

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Due to increased testing demand, it is strongly recommended for departing international travelers to complete required COVID-19 testing prior to coming to the airport. For international flights, travelers must verify the type of test required for each trip with their airline and destination country.

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What is the recommended layover time for international flights? International flights require longer connections as you will often have to go through immigration and customs upon arrival. For international layover flights booked on one airline, two hours is often recommended to make your connection.

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What is a good connection time? Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.

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If you're a U.S. citizen or Canadian visitor, you may find it most convenient to use the Mobile Passport Control app or an automated passport control kiosk in T4. Citizens of other countries should refer to cbp.gov for full Immigration and Customs details.

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You should arrive 2 hours earlier for short-haul or domestic flights. As for long-haul or international flights, arriving 4 hours before the scheduled flight time should do the trick.

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Security processing times. At airports in the U.S., travelers may experience longer lines at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. The TSA advises arriving at the airport two hours before your flight for domestic travel and three hours before for international travel.

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If you book a 6AM domestic flight, for example, you'll need to arrive at the airport by 4AM. Depending on how far you live from the airport, this could mean getting on the road around 3AM or 3:30AM; traffic should be minimal at this time, as should check-in and security lines.

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When you're traveling outside of the United States, we suggest arriving at least 3 hours prior to your departure. You must be checked in at least 1 hour before your scheduled departure.

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Just like us after a night of good sleep, airline circulation is freshest in the morning. If your flight departs in the morning, you are less likely to be affected by delays that stack up during the day and push back or cancel departure times.

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Check-in times To check bags or check in at the airport, you must be there a certain amount of time before scheduled departure: Within the U.S. – 45 minutes. To or from destinations outside the U.S. – 60 minutes.

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