You then have to clear immigration & customs which can take anywhere from 15 minutes (on a very good day) to an hour (assuming you have to claim and recheck your luggage). Now, your outbound flight will begin the boarding process 30 minutes prior to departure.

In 2026, immigration times at London Heathrow (LHR) vary wildly based on your nationality and terminal. For citizens of the UK, EU, USA, Canada, Australia, and several other nations, the eGates have made the process much faster, typically taking 5 to 15 minutes if there are no technical issues. However, if you must see a Border Force officer (for visa-required nationalities), wait times can range from 30 minutes to over 2 hours during peak morning arrival windows when multiple long-haul flights land simultaneously. Terminal 2 and 3 are generally slightly faster than Terminal 5. To ensure a smooth arrival, travelers are encouraged to have their digital ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) ready, as this is now mandatory for almost all non-visa visitors.