Layover at SFO - can I meet someone at the airport?

[INXS]

Hi everyone,
I will be traveling via SFO soon and I have a friend who loves close by. I have a layover that's too short to really be worth going anywhere - 5 hours - but she might consider meeting me for lunch at the airport.
Thing is I've never really understood how it works - do I have to get an ESTA, leave the transit area, meet them, then go back through security etc etc?

I assume you are a British citizen.You need an ESTA to travel to the US as well as clearing both Immigration and customs in SF on arrival.

This is worth reading:-

www.flysfo.com/flight-info/international because this explains the transfer process at SF further. It states too that connecting passengers exit into the airport's public area and are required to clear security prior to boarding their next flight. That will take up time also.

Thank you so much Attila, that’s so helpful!

I've been through SFO a good few times recently. I assume you will arrive on international flight

On arrival

• You need an ESTA
• First you go through passport control, can take 10-20 mins
• Then it's baggage claim ... baggage typically out by time you get pass passport control
• Finally there is a customs stop, it's only a minute or two usually

SFO international terminal has a few places to eat outside security where you can meet

Getting back through security ... that can be slow ... give yourself 20 mins.

It will be no problem time wise if you can meet in the international terminal

It's taken me 2 hours to clear immigration at SFO on one occasion this year, with a long line to customs as well, so 5 hours really isn't that long tbh.

But there are landside restaurants, your friend would just need to be patient. And you'd need an ESTA anyway even if only flying into the US to transfer to another country