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Original poster

How long does passport control take After landing at Heathrow?

26 replies

Pumpkinpatch22 · 12/02/2022 09:08

I am collecting someone from terminal 5 (international flight from the states). How long does passport control clearance usually take? I am trying to work out what time I need to arrive (hoping to keep parking charges to under 30 minutes!)

OP posts:
WorkingItOutAsIGo · 12/02/2022 09:13

Could be five minutes or two hours. You would be very lucky to limit parking charges to 30 minutes.

Purplewithred · 12/02/2022 09:13

You also need to factor in them getting off the plane, walking through the terminal, and picking up their bags. Assuming a UK passport, no baggage holdup and the digital passport thingy is working I'd say about ¾ of an hour? It's cheaper for them to wait for you than for you to wait for them!

Original poster
Pumpkinpatch22 · 12/02/2022 09:16

Thanks all! No, they’re not from the UK so cannot use the digital passport thing. I am debating what time to leave home, as the M25 is always unpredictable!

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DazzlePaintedBattlePants · 12/02/2022 09:18

Ha. It’s a crap shoot. Bags at T5 are a complete nightmare too. Best bet is to find someplace off airport to loiter, and have the person phone you when they have gone through passport control and got their bags.

tanstaafl · 12/02/2022 09:19

Have they got a phone?
Park in Longford and wait for them to call/text once they’ve passed through passport control.

Original poster
Pumpkinpatch22 · 12/02/2022 09:20

Is there anywhere nearby to loiter? I’m coming directly from the M25 and I believe the road leads you immediately into hearhrow!

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumpkinpatch22 · 12/02/2022 09:21

@tanstaafl

Have they got a phone? Park in Longford and wait for them to call/text once they’ve passed through passport control.
@tanstaafl what or where is Longford? 🙈
OP posts:
EileenGC · 12/02/2022 09:22

If you want to save on parking charges, the best thing to do is to go to the next town / free service area first, and park there. Monitor the flight on flightradar24 or other such website to see how early/late it's landing.

Relatives text you (or give you a phone call that you don't answer, if there are roaming charges), when they're 5-10 mins away from exiting passport control. Then you drive to LHR and park, whilst they clear the border, collect their bags, and make their way outside.

If you're not on a tight schedule I suggest leaving early and just waiting somewhere close to LHR, either in your car or in a coffee shop, if you don't want to risk being late.

notimagain · 12/02/2022 09:23

As others have said it’s random.

T5, one of the A gates on the main terminal, UK passport, e-gates, handbaggage only I’ve taken

tanstaafl · 12/02/2022 09:25

If only there was some sort of searchable online map.

Longford is a village/town just north of T5 inside the M25.

xyzandabc · 12/02/2022 09:28

I spent 12 years working at passport control at Heathrow. From landing to being out through arrivals could be anything from 30 mins to 4 hours, longer if there are any problems, no way of knowing. It's not just passport control, its the walk from the plane to immigration, immigration, baggage collection, customs.

As others have suggested, best to find somewhere nearby to park up, then let them give you a call when they are ready to be collected.

Forshorttheycallmecomp · 12/02/2022 09:30

When I do this for a pick up I either park at a nearby Tesco (I think it’s Uxbridge) or you can park in the long stay parking for (check, but I think) 2 hours for free. If I’m feeling kind I pay the arm and leg to pick the person up from the T5 carpark but now I often just tell them to get the (free, regular) bus to the long stay car park…

Original poster
Pumpkinpatch22 · 12/02/2022 09:31

Thank you @tanstaafl. I did look it up before I replied but it told me it was in Ireland! Hence why I asked as I thought that cannot be right! 😂

How long does passport control take After landing at Heathrow?
OP posts:
GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 12/02/2022 09:34

From a lot of experience, I’d say you’d be very lucky if it’s half an hour, but I’d expect at least 45 minutes.

I wouldn’t think of arriving at the airport until half an hour after landing. That is assuming that the person is going to have more than just hand baggage. And even then I’d still expect to wait for quite a while.

notimagain · 12/02/2022 09:37

@tanstaafl

Have they got a phone? Park in Longford and wait for them to call/text once they’ve passed through passport control.
Yep, in that area there’s a vaguely handy Macdonalds just off the Colnbrook bypass/old Bath road junction (near one of the two Bath road Premier Inns) that many use as an off airport “holding area”..
Seemssounfair · 12/02/2022 09:38

@Pumpkinpatch22

Thank you *@tanstaafl*. I did look it up before I replied but it told me it was in Ireland! Hence why I asked as I thought that cannot be right! 😂
Obviously, try Google longford london 🤦🏻‍♀️
GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 12/02/2022 09:38

Just to add, before leaving, always check the arrival time if you can!

Flights coming west to east across the Atlantic are often speeded up by tail winds.

A night flight I took from Boston to Heathrow once made it in 4 hours 50 minutes, a lot less than the scheduled time. I’d been planning on a nice little zizz, too, since I had to go to work soon after landing.

Soontobe60 · 12/02/2022 09:40

How long does it take you to get to the airport from your home?

Original poster
Pumpkinpatch22 · 12/02/2022 09:41

@Soontobe60

How long does it take you to get to the airport from your home?
@Soontobe60 an hour (not accounting for any M25 traffic)
OP posts:
Berengaria1 · 12/02/2022 09:49

Download the Heathrow app. It will tell you when the plane is due to arrive, when it has landed and when bags are in the baggage hall.

Soontobe60 · 12/02/2022 09:51

In that case, tell your visitor to text you as soon as they land, then set off. They’ll be fine waiting in the arrivals hall until you turn up.

notimagain · 12/02/2022 11:48

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

Just to add, before leaving, always check the arrival time if you can! Flights coming west to east across the Atlantic are often speeded up by tail winds.

A night flight I took from Boston to Heathrow once made it in 4 hours 50 minutes, a lot less than the scheduled time. I’d been planning on a nice little zizz, too, since I had to go to work soon after landing.

Fair point, worth keeping an eye on, but FWIW BA have (or certainly used to have) a policy of not arriving massively early into T5

In the case of strong tailwinds the idea was to slow down in flight if it was possible to arrive on the gate no earlier than about 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

llanfairpg3 · 12/02/2022 12:39

It is a holiday time. The Borders Agency at Heathrow are often reported to struggle at such times, even in December when they have had over 1,000 years of England being a country which celebrates Christmas.

I think the parking at Longford and moving when the person tells you they have passed passport control seems the best option.

FiveGs · 12/02/2022 13:12

What time does the flight land? Flying in from ME first thing and I've landed and got into my rental car within the hour.

That said, when we've picked up MIL who's flown in from the US at lunchtime, we waited for maybe 30 mins after she'd landed and that was last Christmas, so I think we were lucky.

Original poster
Pumpkinpatch22 · 12/02/2022 19:15

Thank you! Waited till they landed as suggested and then set off. M25 was clear!

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