How long does it take to get through customs in LAX?

Passing through immigration and customs at LAX takes between 30-90 minutes.



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How long does it take to go through security in LAX? Passing through immigration and customs at LAX takes between 30-90 minutes.

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Two to three hours is the minimum recommended time for an international layover, but more might be needed. Sally French is a travel rewards expert who joined NerdWallet in 2020.

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The recommended layover time for international flights is generally longer, as you will have to go through customs and immigration before boarding your next flight. In most cases, a 30-minute layover for domestic flights and an hour for international flights is considered a minimum, or short, layover.

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These terminals are connected airside, meaning you can transfer between them without having to enter security again. To do this, use the walkways: TBIT and Terminal 4 are connected by a walkway. Terminals 4 through 6 are connected by tunnels near the terminal center.

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Trusted Traveler Program Enrollment Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. Members enter the United States by accessing the Global Entry processing technology at selected airports.

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Trusted Traveler Programs
  1. TSA PreCheck. ® ...
  2. Global Entry. Global Entry allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the U.S. ...
  3. NEXUS. The NEXUS program allows pre-screened travelers expedited processing when entering the U.S. and Canada. ...
  4. SENTRI. ...
  5. FAST. ...
  6. Remote Interview Pilot.


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The busiest times to fly out of LAX are 9 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 6 PM. If your flights are scheduled to depart during these times, give yourself some extra time to account for longer check-in and security lines.

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If you're connecting with another airline, you may need to change terminals. If you're arriving on an international flight, you need to clear US Customs checkpoints before entering the United States and collect your baggage (even if you're in transit and have connecting flights).

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American Airlines (Check in at Terminal 4 and 5 - International Arrivals at Terminal B) Breeze Airways (Check-in at Terminal 1 - will be bused to Terminal B) Cayman Airways (Check-in at Terminal 1 - will be bused to Terminal B - International Arrivals at Terminal B)

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The General Guideline for How Early You Should Get to the Airport. 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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Connecting FROM an international flight
I wrote an entire guide on how long it takes to go through customs at LAX, but in general, plan on a layover of at least 3 hours if you don't want to stress yourself out.

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When you're connecting from an international flight to a domestic one, you'll always have to exit and reenter security as you'll need to go through customs and immigration (unless you have gone through preclearance aboard, which is rare).

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If the missed connection is the airline's fault (a delayed initial flight due to mechanical problems, for example), the airline should rebook you on the next available flight. If the next outbound flight is the following morning, the airline should either book you on another airline or provide accommodations and meals.

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If your itinerary was purchased as one ticket (as in: you have only one itinerary and one confirmation number), and the connection time was too short and you miss the second (or third) flight, you can rest easy, no matter what happens. The airline will simply put you onto the next available flight, free of charge.

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Usually, you go through customs when you exit the airport at your final destination. However, if you have a layover in a different city in your destination country, you may need to go through customs before your connecting flight.

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