The average security wait time at Heathrow is between 10 and 30 minutes, but many people get through in less than 5 minutes outside peak hours. At Heathrow’s peak mornings (5–8 AM) and peak evenings (4-7 PM), however, you may face waits of 45 to 56 minutes at Terminal 3 and Terminal 5. Heathrow advises travelers to arrive 2 hours before domestic and short-haul flights, and 3 hours before long-haul international flights.
Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe, and security procedures often make the biggest difference in how smooth your departure will be. Since the start of 2026, the airport also operates a completely new scanning process due to its completion of a £1 billion scanner upgrade project. Here is the current wait time by terminal, along with how to plan your arrival.
Current Average Security Wait Times at Heathrow
According to Heathrow Airport, over 97 percent of travelers have been screened within five minutes throughout 2025 and beyond 2026. This is just a general figure that indicates the status quo when not at peak periods. Nonetheless, on average, different real-time tracking tools indicate that the waiting time ranges from 10 to 30 minutes, increasing to 35-56 minutes during peak times.
| Time of Day | Average Waiting Time |
|---|---|
| Off-peak (mid-morning, mid-afternoon) | Less than 5–15 minutes |
| Standard times | 15–30 minutes |
| Peak (5–8 AM) | 30–56 minutes |
| Peak (4–7 PM) | 30–45 minutes |
| Fast Track (all times) | 5–10 minutes |
These figures can differ based on various sources and on the exact traffic that any particular day carries, so these should be used only as planning guidelines. For real-time estimates, you can consult the Heathrow app or heathrow.com, as they provide actual terminal-by-terminal queue information collected from sensor data.
Security Queues By Terminal
The four terminals are not equally similar, since they have different mixes of airlines and departure banks.
- Terminal 2: Serves carriers belonging to the Star Alliance (United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines). The waiting time here is generally below 5 minutes outside the morning wave of departures.
- Terminal 3: One of the busiest ones, serving Virgin Atlantic, Delta, and other long-haul airlines. Here, one can find the longest queues during the 5–8 AM long-haul departure wave.
- Terminal 4: Heathrow’s smallest terminal by volume, housing SkyTeam airlines (Air France, KLM, Korean Air) and Qatar Airways, Etihad. Normal waiting times are below 10 minutes throughout most of the day, making this terminal the most relaxed one if you have an option on a connection.
- Terminal 5: Home of British Airways and the busiest security check operation in Heathrow. Just like Terminal 3, it receives the bulk of the morning long-haul peak, with waiting times usually going beyond 20 minutes during this period.
How Heathrow Airport Security Was Changed in 2026
By far the largest change in Heathrow’s security experience over many years occurred between 23-24 January 2026 when the airport completed installation of state-of-the-art CT scanners in all its four terminals to become the first major international airport to bid goodbye to the 100ml liquid restriction.
In the new regulations,
- Liquids, gels, and pastes may travel in a container of up to 2 liters capacity as opposed to the previous limit of 100ml
- There is no need for the clear plastic bag; the liquid remains loose within your carry-on baggage
- Laptop, tablets and other large electronic gadgets remain in your carry-on baggage while being scanned
- Baby food, breast milk and prescribed medicines remain exempt from the usual limits
- Vacuum flasks must be cleared because their double-layered structure prevents the CT scanner from scanning them
The thing to remember here is that the 2-liter limit is specific to Heathrow airport alone. When traveling through an airport that has not upgraded its scanners to the new technology yet, including all airports outside of Britain and some airports within, like Manchester, Stansted and Luton, the old 100 ml limit will apply on that flight leg.
Best and Worst Times to Go Through Security
Two time periods make up most of the waiting times at Heathrow:
- 5:00-8:00 AM: Morning long haul departing period, combined with the first batch of European short haul flights. It is the busiest time period of the day, particularly at Terminals 3 and 5.
- 4:00-7:00 PM: Afternoon/evening short haul rush hour as European flights consolidate their departures.
If you can plan it out that way, there are a few quiet hours in the middle of the day (after 9 AM and from 2 PM to 4 PM) before the evening rush starts building up.
Should I Book Fast Track?
Fast Track lane operates 24/7 from 6:00 AM till 9:00 or 10:00 PM, and it can be booked online starting from £12.99 per day or used in person (when applicable). Fast Track line clears out in 5-10 minutes no matter what time it is.
Whether it is worth paying for or not depends solely on the departure times:
- Off-Peak Departure: Normal security process is already fast (below 10–15 minutes).
- Peak Departure (5-8 AM or 4-7 PM) at Terminal 3 or 5: The Fast Track service allows saving up to 20-45 minutes, which usually makes up for its cost either for connections or just to enjoy the calmness of the journey.
- Terminal 4 at any time: The time difference between the two options is smaller due to the fact that T4 never experiences very heavy crowds.
Recommended Arrival Times at Heathrow Airport
The recommendations of Heathrow itself and many independent tracking services include the following:
| Flights Type | Arrival Time (Normal Security) | Arrival Time (Peak Hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic/Short-Haul Flights | 2 hours before | 2 hours 30 minutes before |
| International/Long-Haul Flights | 3 hours before | 3 hours 30 minutes before |
| Short-Haul Flights + Fast Track | 1 hour 30 minutes before | – |
| Long-Haul Flights + Fast Track | 2 hours 30 minutes before | – |
How to Find Real-Time Security Wait Times Before Traveling
For an up-to-the-minute estimate on your travel day:
- Heathrow’s official app or website – releases near real-time wait times per terminal, constantly updated via sensor data.
- External queue trackers – multiple independent websites compile historical and real-time data by terminal and time slot, helpful in planning weeks.
- Airline apps – several airlines, such as British Airways at Terminal 5, release live queue times through their app along with your boarding pass.
Conclusion
Security screening procedures at Heathrow Airport in 2026 have become more efficient and convenient compared to what it was in the last two decades because of the £1 billion CT scanner upgrade, which removed restrictions on carrying liquids above 100ml and allowed passengers to keep their laptops in their bags. The average waiting time at the airport is now less than five minutes for passengers who are not traveling during rush hours. However, passengers may need to wait up to 30 minutes during the 5-8 AM and 4-7 PM time slots in Terminals 3 and 5.
FAQ
The wait times vary depending on the terminal and the hour of the day, but the average wait time today at Heathrow Airport ranges between 10 and 30 minutes.
Terminal 4 is the calmest, then comes Terminal 2. The longest queues happen at Terminals 3 and 5 due to more long-haul and British Airways passengers.
Yes, as of January 2026, all four Heathrow terminals will accept containers for liquids that contain up to 2 litres of any substance in hand luggage. Without the requirement for a clear plastic bag, but it only works for your outgoing flight from Heathrow – not sure if it is the same at your return airport.
No. Thanks to new CT scanners that are already installed in all terminals, laptops and other electronic devices are not to be taken out of the bags.
According to Heathrow’s official website recommendation, one should come 3 hours in advance of the international/long-haul flight and 3 hours 30 minutes in peak hours (5-8 am and 4-7 pm).
Yes, especially during peak times for Terminals 3 and 5, when it may reduce the average waiting time of 30-45 minutes to 10 minutes or less. However, outside peak hours or in Terminal 4, the benefit is less significant.