Heathrow customs

[Girl of the South]

Terminal 2 landslide (after you pass through customs and immigration) isn’t huge. There are a couple restaurants. A drug store. A place to leave luggage (for a charge). A little Marks & Spencer’s shop that sells wine, salads, pre made sandwiches, chips, candy. Stuff like that.

There are some seats but not a ton. Best place to sit is in front of the rental car agencies.

If you have a lot of time you can walk over to the Hilton Garden Inm - they have a nice restaurant in the Lower Level.

Did you say you need to get to the Bus Station?

 

[iona]

You’re right. If you need a break, food, coffee, bath room… do that first…. Then customs. Not sure how Global Entry works in UK… but customs is simple… from there you can figure it out

Just to clarify, if you’re arriving on an international flight at Heathrow when you get off the plane you won’t have access to food/coffee until you’re through immigration and customs - you’ll be kept separate from those who’ve been through security and are waiting to board. There’s bathrooms, water and (I think) vending machines but not much else. As Girl of the South mentioned above there are a few options once you’re through customs (a coffee shop and M&S in the arrivals area and a coffee shop & a pub/restaurant in the departures area before you go through security) so you’ll be ok to grab something before boarding your coach. Flexible tickets definitely sounds like the way to go!

 

[Disnsyncey]

Just to clarify, if you’re arriving on an international flight at Heathrow when you get off the plane you won’t have access to food/coffee until you’re through immigration and customs - you’ll be kept separate from those who’ve been through security and are waiting to board. There’s bathrooms, water and (I think) vending machines but not much else. As Girl of the South mentioned above there are a few options once you’re through customs (a coffee shop and M&S in the arrivals area and a coffee shop & a pub/restaurant in the departures area before you go through security) so you’ll be ok to grab something before boarding your coach. Flexible tickets definitely sounds like the way to go!

I vote flexible tickets as well, (just like is always recommended when arriving into Italy with train tickets) no need to add stress (worrying about missing a particular departure) or boredom (waiting around for hours to get on your purchased bus), take the nominal extra money as a “cost of traveling” and make your arrival much smoother by being able to board soon after you arrive….

 

[Girl of the South]

Here is a map of the T2 Arrivals. Departures are up one level. And the passageway (tunnel) to the Underground and Bus Station is down one level - I think it's actually called Level 0!



You will come in from the right - see the little CUSTOMS area and red Exit arrow? (NOTE: Global Entry does not work entering any other country besides the USA.) There is another restaurant (Cafe Nero) at the top where that green strip is - couldn't fit it in the screen cap. And a ladies room there, too, larger than the one by M&S. You want to walk out the doors straight across from the Customs to find elevators and escalators. Grab a free cart if you have a lot of stuff - although you will then have to wait for an elevator which might take a while. Go down one level. If you take the escalator you might luck out to find some 'abandoned' carts.

Walk towards the Underground/Bus Station. The entrance to the Underground will be on your right. The large elevator to the Bus Station will be on your left - a bit more discreet. The day I was there the bus station was packed, no place to sit, not much to buy. So if you want anything to eat/drink/read, then buy it in T2. From T2 to the Bus Station is about 10 minutes. There are moving sidewalks or you can walk. Long tunnel.


This is a pic just to show you what to look for - the bright yelllow orange signs. You can see on the right, a tiny mention of "hotel" (at the bottom) if you want to go eat at the Hilton Garden Inn which is through the parking lot.

 

[swimfin]

Terminal 2 landslide (after you pass through customs and immigration) isn’t huge. There are a couple restaurants. A drug store. A place to leave luggage (for a charge). A little Marks & Spencer’s shop that sells wine, salads, pre made sandwiches, chips, candy. Stuff like that.

There are some seats but not a ton. Best place to sit is in front of the rental car agencies.

If you have a lot of time you can walk over to the Hilton Garden Inm - they have a nice restaurant in the Lower Level.

Did you say you need to get to the Bus Station?

THANK YOU SO MUCH for these details! SUPER HELPFUL!! We will need to go catch the national express coach as we are going to Southampton. I believe it’s through the underground walkway from terminal two, correct? THANK YOU! Cheers!

 

[swimfin]

Just to clarify, if you’re arriving on an international flight at Heathrow when you get off the plane you won’t have access to food/coffee until you’re through immigration and customs - you’ll be kept separate from those who’ve been through security and are waiting to board. There’s bathrooms, water and (I think) vending machines but not much else. As Girl of the South mentioned above there are a few options once you’re through customs (a coffee shop and M&S in the arrivals area and a coffee shop & a pub/restaurant in the departures area before you go through security) so you’ll be ok to grab something before boarding your coach. Flexible tickets definitely sounds like the way to go!

We will be changing planes in Iceland… I can’t remember the last time we flew from the states and changed planes in Iceland before Denmark if we did our customs and things there that’s what I forget, so I’m just planning on worst case scenario that I will be getting it done in Heathrow? Cheers!

 

[swimfin]

Here is a map of the T2 Arrivals. Departures are up one level. And the passageway (tunnel) to the Underground and Bus Station is down one level - I think it's actually called Level 0!

View attachment 999369

You will come in from the right - see the little CUSTOMS area and red Exit arrow? (NOTE: Global Entry does not work entering any other country besides the USA.) There is another restaurant (Cafe Nero) at the top where that green strip is - couldn't fit it in the screen cap. And a ladies room there, too, larger than the one by M&S. You want to walk out the doors straight across from the Customs to find elevators and escalators. Grab a free cart if you have a lot of stuff - although you will then have to wait for an elevator which might take a while. Go down one level. If you take the escalator you might luck out to find some 'abandoned' carts.

Walk towards the Underground/Bus Station. The entrance to the Underground will be on your right. The large elevator to the Bus Station will be on your left - a bit more discreet. The day I was there the bus station was packed, no place to sit, not much to buy. So if you want anything to eat/drink/read, then buy it in T2. From T2 to the Bus Station is about 10 minutes. There are moving sidewalks or you can walk. Long tunnel.

View attachment 999370
This is a pic just to show you want to look for - the bright yelllow orange signs. You can see on the right, a tiny mention of "hotel" (at the bottom) if you want to go eat at the Hilton Garden Inn which is through the parking lot.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I’m so visual and this helps TREMENDOUSLY!! THANK YOU! Cheers!

 

[Girl of the South]

I am very visual too! I still like paper maps. You only need to go through CUSTOMS (the stuff you are bringing into a country) if you are staying in that country. Since you are not staying in Iceland, then that’s a no for customs.

I don’t think you need to go through IMMIGRATION in Iceland since the U.K. is not part of the Schengen Zone. (I’ll Google further but I don’t believe so.)

You will do both Customs and Immigration at Heathrow.

You DO need an ETA for the U.K. though since you are exiting the Airport and staying in England for a couple hours.

I can post the link if you need it.

Happy Sailing!!!

 

[wabbott]

We went through Heathrow last fall, and IIRC we were through customs in way less than an hour. One tip that might help is that you should use the toilet on the plane before you land. Most folks head for the restrooms at the airport first thing, so if you can skip that stop, you likely will be at the head of the line at customs.

 

[swimfin]

I am very visual too! I still like paper maps. You only need to go through CUSTOMS (the stuff you are bringing into a country) if you are staying in that country. Since you are not staying in Iceland, then that’s a no for customs.

I don’t think you need to go through IMMIGRATION in Iceland since the U.K. is not part of the Schengen Zone. (I’ll Google further but I don’t believe so.)

You will do both Customs and Immigration at Heathrow.

You DO need an ETA for the U.K. though since you are exiting the Airport and staying in England for a couple hours.

I can post the link if you need it.

Happy Sailing!!!

Oh! THANK YOU again!! I had no idea about the ETA!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!

 

[swimfin]

We went through Heathrow last fall, and IIRC we were through customs in way less than an hour. One tip that might help is that you should use the toilet on the plane before you land. Most folks head for the restrooms at the airport first thing, so if you can skip that stop, you likely will be at the head of the line at customs.

THANK YOU!!

 

[Girl of the South]

Here is the link for the U.K. ETA. They keep pushing the App but if you ignore it, you CAN just apply online. I wanted to use my desktop and not my phone. You need a photo of your passport page with your pic on it, plus another photo. It’s about $20. When I did it about a month ago, the approval was immediate. Got an email in less than a minute.

It’s valid for 2 years, unless you get a new passport, as it’s tied to the passport and not to you (if that makes any sense!).

Apply for U.K. ETA

 

[swimfin]

Here is the link for the U.K. ETA. They keep pushing the App but if you ignore it, you CAN just apply online. I wanted to use my desktop and not my phone. You need a photo of your passport page with your pic on it, plus another photo. It’s about $20. When I did it about a month ago, the approval was immediate. Got an email in less than a minute.

It’s valid for 2 years, unless you get a new passport, as it’s tied to the passport and not to you (if that makes any sense!).

Apply for U.K. ETA

It does!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I have a photo of my passport that has my picture and all my information that I use for DCL, I’m assuming that is what they’ll need as well when you mentioned my passport page. THANK YOU SO MUCH for EVERYTHING you have SHARED and HELPED me with!! Cheers!

 

[Girl of the South]

Of course! Happy to help. I was just at LHR in March - it was the day Heathrow shut down due to a power outage.

If I recall correctly, I had to redo the photo of my passport because I didn't get the two corners at the bottom where all those numbers are? It was pretty straight forward. And the first time I did it last year - it did take 24 hours. So don't panic if you don't get an instant approval. I wrote down the 'file' number just in case but it's somehow electronically paired with your passport once you get it. OH! Now I remember why I did it online - I didn't want to 'scan' my face with my phone??? Enough with the tech!

Below is a photo of where you will walk across from the terminal (all under cover). On the right are the elevators which can get quite busy (of course it depends on the day, time, etc). And you can see the escalators on the left. All those abandoned carts are because people got tired of waiting for the elevator to take them down one floor. I think a couple of them were out of order.

I felt sorry for the abandoned carts . . . made for an interesting photo. It doesn't always look like that!

 

[Girl of the South]

And here is the 'tunnel' that you'll walk through to the Bus (and T3 and Underground). This was the day the airport was closed. My hotel was the Garden Inn and the only way I could reach it (doors were all locked shut, elevators & escalators turned off) was a set of Emergency Stairs. 4 flights with my bags. Memorable but painful . . . You'll be coming in the opposite direction. And really, the Bus Station elevator is easy to miss but it is right across from the entrance to the Tube.

Have a great trip!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I can’t remember the last time we flew from the states and changed planes in Iceland before Denmark if we did our customs and things there that’s what I forget, so I’m just planning on worst case scenario that I will be getting it done in Heathrow? Cheers!

I haven't done it that way but last May (2024) we flew PLAY Airlines (which has pulled out of North America) from Copenhagen to the U.S. and PLAY uses Iceland as their connecting point. I don't know if it would be the same for you since you are doing the opposite but once we landed in Iceland we went through Customs, it was super fast and for us they just asked a question of did we cross into the France borders on X date. We did as we had gone from London to Brussels, Belgium which requires you to go through French customs in London.

Then we had to go through Customs once we landed back in the U.S. For us we both have Global Entry so it was a painless process.

Oh! THANK YOU again!! I had no idea about the ETA!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!

Both my husband and I got what likely was an automatic approval for the ETA. We used the app because it was the easiest to actually take a photo of yourself. However, a caution on the app, it kinda sucks. It crashed the first time when my husband went to the payment screen and we had to redo my information and picture but the second attempt it went through. They advise you it could take several business days, could be longer or could be an automatic approval. You would receive an e-mail that you've submitted it and then a follow up e-mail with the result. I got my e-mail stating they were processing mine at 5:03pm and my approval e-mail at 5:04pm so that to me means they did an automatic approval. I have no idea if the fact that I've already traveled through the UK, through various countries in Europe, Japan, etc had anything to do with that as they can see if something went amiss elsewhere.

We did it on August 12th and it was $22.36 USD (conversion rate at that time) per person.

We're flying Virgin Atlantic (we leave next Sunday for the UK) and so I used my e-mail address for the UK ETA that I use for my Virgin Atlantic account as I figured it might be easier if they were the same for data information but that's just me.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

For customs it can vary. When we landed in Heathrow in 2023 after flying from Athens, Greece where we landed with British Airways we had to be taken by a bus (it took two buses at least for all the passengers on the plane) to the customs terminal from the plane as the plane was not connected to any jet bridge, and then go through customs. I really don't remember how long it took though.

I'm not sure when you're going but I can try and message back here on September 8th to let you know how long our customs took, our flight at the moment is supposed to land at 12:30pm

 

[Girl of the South]

Flying from Denmark to the US, you would go through IMMIGRATION (Passport Control) in Iceland because you are leaving the Schengen Zone. You can only stay in Schengen countries for 90 days so they are very careful about noting when you enter and when you exit. Iceland is in the Schengen Zone - it's where they would mark you as having left.

From London to Belgium (did you go through the Chunnel?) would again be Schengen Zone Immigration because you are entering the Schengen Zone (sounds ominous doesn't it?). France doesn't have it's own Customs/Immigration. It's all centralized now with the Schengen Zone. And England isn't in the Zone.

Will not be the same flying from the US through Iceland to the UK. It WOULD be the same if you are flying from the US through Iceland to a country in the Schengen Zone, like France, because Iceland would be your Entry country, even though you aren't staying in Iceland. They are sort of the Border Patrol (although Iceland is kind of an odd country . . . )

Yeah, there are 'remote' gates that require bus transport. Kinda sucks . . .

There ARE 15 "Pre Clearance" locations in 6 countries that allow you to go through US IMMIGRATION (Passport Control) before flying so you only have to do Customs in the US. It's great, cuts a lot of time if you have a connection in the US. And cuts down on long lines at Passport Control in US gateway Airports.

The Pre Clearance locations are: 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.

(I just looked up SCHENGEN . . . "Named after the village in Luxembourg where the founding agreement was signed in 1985, it consists of 29 countries, including 25 EU member states and four non-EU countries. Schengen enables free movement of people, goods, and services, acting as a crucial component of European unity and a significant economic driver." Good trivia to know! )

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

From London to Belgium (did you go through the Chunnel?) would again be Schengen Zone Immigration because you are entering the Schengen Zone (sounds ominous doesn't it?). France doesn't have it's own Customs/Immigration. It's all centralized now with the Schengen Zone. And England isn't in the Zone.

I'm aware I provided that info just for the OP as an example of what a can be asked from an agent. In Iceland took IDK hmm like 1 min maybe? I was initially concerned because our connection time PLAY gave us was quite tight but they do it all the time there.

It's the French border officers you go through as the train travels through France from London but don't get bogged down by my comment again I was just saying it was a question the Icelandic agent asked me and just used as an example. That part of the story was completely and absolutely irrelevant to the OP's situation, only used as an example of a question an officer asked.

If someone goes mid- October and after of this year they are going to have a different system in London train stations to get to the rest of Europe due to the Entry/Exit system (not getting into the specifics here of Schengen zone).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah, there are 'remote' gates that require bus transport. Kinda sucks . . .

Yeah I mentioned that because that can add on time, it wasn't the end of the world in 2023 but kinda an unknown factor with respects to planning a pick up time by other transport. When we landed in Heathrow in 2024 via Virgin Atlantic we didn't have the bus situation but we also landed at like 6:30am. This upcoming flight at Heathrow lands mid-day so guess we'll see.