Us Preclearance At Heathrow: What You Need To Know

US Preclearance allows travellers to complete immigration formalities at their departure airport, rather than on arrival. This means that when the aircraft arrives in the US, passengers can walk out of the aircraft as though on a domestic flight. While US Preclearance is available at several airports around the world, including in Canada, Ireland, the UAE, and the Caribbean, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) does not currently have US Preclearance facilities. However, there have been discussions and speculations about the possibility of implementing US Preclearance at Heathrow in the future.

Benefits of US preclearance

US Preclearance allows travellers to complete immigration formalities at their departure airport, instead of on arrival. It has been in operation since 1952 and has proven benefits for all major stakeholders in the air travel industry.

• Convenience and Time Savings: Travellers can bypass CBP and TSA inspection lines upon arrival in the US and proceed directly to their connecting flight or final destination. This is especially beneficial when multiple flights arrive simultaneously, resulting in long queues.
• Easier Domestic Connections: Preclearance allows for tighter connection windows at US airports, reducing the likelihood of missing a domestic connection.
• Cost Savings: Airlines and travellers can benefit from accessing less expensive US domestic gates and more flexible arrival times at US airports.
• Increased US Market Access: Preclearance enables the establishment of new routes to desirable US destinations, meeting growing traveller demand and providing a competitive advantage for airlines.
• New US Destinations: Preclearance allows direct flights to over 160 US airports, regardless of whether they have a CBP port of entry.
• Exclusion of Inadmissible Passengers and Prohibited Goods: CBP officers can deny entry to inadmissible passengers and prohibited goods before departure, minimizing the risk of untoward incidents on US soil.
• Flexibility for Airlines: Airlines gain considerable flexibility in operating routes where preclearance is available.

As of 2023, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) does not have US Preclearance facilities, despite being listed as a suitable site by the United States Department of Homeland Security in 2015. However, with increasing flight volumes between Heathrow and the US, the possibility of implementing preclearance in the future remains a topic of speculation.

London Heathrow's high passenger volume

London Heathrow Airport, also known as Heathrow Airport, or LHR, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, England, and the United Kingdom. Heathrow is the fourth busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic, with 84.1 million passengers from March 2024 to February 2025, and the busiest airport in Europe. It is also the second busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic and the airport with the most international connections in the world, with over 89 airlines flying to 214 destinations in 84 countries.

Heathrow's high passenger volume can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, it is the primary hub for major airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, JetBlue, United, and Delta, which operate several flights to various destinations. The airport also has a large number of airlines that have made it their base, including Lufthansa. Additionally, Heathrow has four operational passenger terminals and one cargo terminal, with two parallel east-west runways, allowing for a high volume of aircraft movements.

The COVID-19 pandemic also played a role in increasing Heathrow's passenger volume. During this time, the airport experienced a large increase in cargo-only flights operated by established carriers and cargo-only airlines. Heathrow's role as a major global travel hub was further emphasized when it was closed for 15 hours due to a power outage, disrupting the travel plans of up to 300,000 passengers and grounding more than 1,300 flights.

The high passenger volume at Heathrow has led to considerations for expansion and improvements. The construction of a third runway is under consideration due to air traffic congestion. Additionally, there have been proposals to develop new rail transport links to other parts of London and surrounding areas. Heathrow's CEO indicated that a "final" decision on these plans would be sought from the government by the end of 2025.

US preclearance locations

US Preclearance allows travellers to complete immigration formalities at their departure airport, instead of on arrival in the US. This means that travellers can then bypass Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inspections upon US arrival and proceed directly to their connecting flight or destination.

Currently, there are 15 Preclearance locations in 6 countries: Dublin and Shannon in Ireland; Aruba; Bermuda; Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates; Nassau in the Bahamas; and Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg in Canada.

The only marine preclearance location in the world is the Alaska Marine Highway terminal in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. This location opened in June 2022 and is used by the Alaska Marine Highway ferry service to Ketchikan.

In 2015, the Department for Homeland Security announced intentions to roll out preclearance to 10 new cities, including London Heathrow Airport (LHR). However, this never came to fruition, and it seems unlikely that Heathrow will receive a preclearance facility in the near future due to the huge number of passengers that would need to be processed daily.

Other locations that have been considered for US Preclearance include Belfast International Airport, and Incheon International Airport and Gimhae International Airport in South Korea.

History of US preclearance

US Preclearance, in operation since 1952, is the strategic stationing of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel at designated foreign airports to inspect travellers before they board US-bound flights. With Preclearance, travellers bypass CBP and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inspections upon arrival in the US and proceed directly to their connecting flight or destination. This saves CBP the difficulty of dealing with inadmissible passengers and prohibited goods on US soil and helps to minimise the risk of untoward incidents.

In 2015, the Department for Homeland Security announced intentions to roll out preclearance to 10 new cities, including London Heathrow Airport (LHR). However, the airport and CBP have never confirmed these plans, and it is unclear if this intention still stands. Heathrow may have too many passengers to clear every day, and implementing preclearance would require a significant undertaking in terms of resources and space.

As of 2025, CBP has more than 600 officers and agriculture specialists stationed at 15 Preclearance locations in 6 countries: Dublin and Shannon in Ireland; Aruba; Bermuda; Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates; Nassau in the Bahamas; and Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg in Canada.

In August 2009, Shannon opened an addition to its "pre-inspection" facility to allow full preclearance inspections. In January 2011, a section of the then-recently opened Terminal 2 of Dublin Airport was opened with dedicated preclearance with full CBP facilities. Both airports now allow US-bound commercial flights that use the preclearance facilities to arrive at domestic terminals instead of international terminals, allowing arriving passengers to leave US airports upon landing without further inspection.

In 2019, CBP personnel stationed abroad pre-cleared 22 million travellers, representing over 16% of all commercial air travellers to the United States.

Future of US preclearance

US Preclearance, in operation since 1952, allows travellers to complete immigration formalities at their departure airport instead of on arrival. This means travellers can bypass Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inspections upon arrival in the US and proceed directly to their connecting flight or destination. This has proven benefits for all major stakeholders in the air travel industry.

In 2015, the US Department of Homeland Security announced its intention to roll out preclearance to 10 new cities, including London Heathrow Airport (LHR). However, as of 2023, this has not come to fruition, and it appears unlikely that Heathrow will see a preclearance facility in the near future due to the large number of passengers that would need to be cleared daily.

Despite this, the idea of preclearance at Heathrow is still being discussed. In 2019, outgoing US Ambassador to Colombia Kevin Whitaker stated that US preclearance at El Dorado International Airport would be available within the next year. Additionally, the Government of the United Kingdom has expressed interest in establishing US preclearance at Belfast International Airport, although there are currently no non-stop flights between Belfast and the United States.

Looking to the future, innovative technologies such as facial recognition biometrics may be implemented to expedite passenger processing and meet the demand of rising passenger volume to the US. Preclearance facilities are also being considered in other countries, such as Jamaica, which hosted talks with the US Department of Homeland Security in 2011 regarding the potential opening of future preclearance facilities on the island.

Frequently asked questions