How long does Passport Control take at Heathrow?

How long does it take to clear customs at Heathrow? On average, it takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour to clear customs and immigration at Heathrow Airport.



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For British and European passengers, the “service level agreement” that Heathrow airport has with the Border Force is that almost everyone – 95 per cent of passengers – should be through passport control in 25 minutes. For other nationalities, the time is 45 minutes.

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How do I avoid immigration queues at Heathrow? Once the check is made successfully, the gate opens automatically for you to walk through. Using e-gates helps you to avoid the queues and get through passport control more quickly. A Passenger Ambassador is available to help should you need it.

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95% of arriving passengers should be processed within 45 minutes - but as said above, there are so many variables...

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When to arrive. We recommend getting to the airport three hours before your flight if you're travelling internationally, or two hours if you're travelling domestically or to Europe.

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If you are eligible to use an e-Passport gate then we recommend that you do so. E-Passport gates are automated, where a passport reader and camera, rather than a border officer, will verify your identity and check your passport. Once the check is made successfully, the gate opens automatically for you to walk through.

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Your first stop after landing is passport control. Simply follow the exit signs when you leave the plane.

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Our FastTrack passes give you access to a dedicated lane straight to the security checkpoint. When returning from your journey, benefit from access to a dedicated lane and a faster route to Passport Control.

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We recommend getting to the airport three hours before your flight if you're travelling internationally, or two hours if you're travelling domestically or to Europe.

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Security shouldn't take more than 10 - 20 minutes but please do factor in time for unexpected events (delays in transport etc). Many long haul flights from T5 depart from B and now C gates in the satellite terminal buildings.

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What to expect on your journey to B or C Gates. If you walk, it will take you about 5-10 minutes to get to B Gates and 10-15 minutes to get to C gates. The transit train is slightly quicker but can get very busy. The transit train makes two stops.

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Currently unavailable to book
We are currently unable to offer our Fast Track service to customers online. However, please do check with your airline if you are eligible to use the Fast Track departure service provided on behalf of our airline partners.

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The aviation sector has blamed staff shortages for long queues reported at airports in recent weeks, including at Heathrow and Stansted. British Airways and easyJet have axed hundreds of flights in recent months due to ongoing staff shortages.

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It is worth noting that most airports can not guarantee that fast track security lines will be quicker. However, if you are flying during a peak time - if your flight leaves before 10am or during seasonal peaks such as school holidays - then you are more likely to experience the benefit of fast track security.

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