How long does it take to get through arrivals at CDG?

If you leave the aircraft in the first group of passengers you should expect to get through immigration fairly quickly but allow yourself anything from 10 mins to 1hour.



In 2026, the time to get through arrivals at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) can vary wildly, typically ranging from 45 minutes to 3 hours. This high-fidelity variability is largely due to the full implementation of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires non-EU travelers (including those from the US, UK, and Canada) to register fingerprints and facial scans. During peak morning hours (6 AM–10 AM), when many transatlantic flights land, high-fidelity queues for passport control can be exceptionally long, as the airport’s "Parafe" e-gates were not initially fully compatible with the new biometric requirements. EU and EEA citizens generally move through a high-fidelity "fast lane" in 20–30 minutes, but for everyone else, the process has become significantly more "High-Fidelity" sluggish. Additionally, bag claim at CDG can take another 20–40 minutes depending on the terminal. For a 2026 arrival, the high-fidelity recommendation is to allow at least 2.5 hours for any ground transport connections to avoid the stress of these increasingly complex border checks.

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You should give yourself at least 2 hours to exit the plane, clear customs (especially if you are a non-EU resident) and to collect your luggage. You can then use our estimated travel times and route instructions to calculate how long it will take to transfer to from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Paris or vice-versa.

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To have some time to explore Paris, you will need to take into consideration the time it takes to leave the airport, which is a minimum of 30 minutes, and then get into central Paris, which, by taxi or train, can take anywhere between 30 to 60 minutes.

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Typically, it is recommended to schedule your pick up 30-40 minutes after your domestic flight landing time if you have check-in luggage, while 20 minutes after would be enough if you only have a carry-on.

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Charles de Gaulle Airport serves approximately 26,187,008 passengers annually, making it the ninth busiest airport in the world and the second busiest airport in Europe (behind Heathrow) in terms of passenger counts. The Charles de Gaulle airport is also the most active in the European Union.

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The Terminal 1 of CDG Airport Terminal 1 is the oldest building of Charles de Gaulle Airport, serving mostly international flights (exempt from Air France's routes handled by terminal 2). T1 is built looking like a huge octopus, spread into 5 levels.

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In most cases, you'll go through customs and immigration after your flight first arrives in a new country, but there are exceptions. For example, some countries have mutual agreements intended to help speed travelers through the process, so you may go through customs and immigration before you board.

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You'll need to clear customs and immigration. Next, you'll recheck your luggage for the domestic flight. Finally, you'll need to go through Transportation Security Administration screening. This may include a physical inspection of your luggage and personal items with a metal detector or a full-body scan.

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There could be issues with the mechanics of the jetway, or it could take a few times to line up properly with the aircraft door. Multiple aircraft could arrive at the airport at the same time and the ground crew cannot accommodate them all at the same time.

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The cost of the taxi trip between CDG and Paris is between 50 Euros and 60 Euros, depending on the route taken and the destination in Paris. In the event of frequent traffic jams in Paris and its surroundings, this price may be doubled.

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