Heathrow Customs - "Arrivals from the EU" exit

Heathrow Customs - "Arrivals from the EU" exit - Young students chatting while leaving subway

At Heathrow, after collecting your baggage, there are three exits.

Green - nothing to declare

Red - something to declare (not sure of text)

Blue - arrivals from the EU

What is the blue one for? Is it if you have something to declare, and have come from an EU country? I saw no signage to tell me when I was there last week.



Best Answer

The blue channel is for travelers from the EU who have nothing to declare. If you have something to declare you should in any case go through the red channel.

The difference between travelers coming from the EU and other travelers is that some procedures like declaring cash are unnecessary and the limits, e.g. for alcohol, are much higher than when coming from outside the EU. You can basically import just about anything for your personal use. Other EU countries do not offer separate channels, however, and for the system to work it seems you would need some way to make sure that people coming from outside the EU do not simply sneak through the EU lane.

I don't have any particular insights into the reason the UK organized things in that way but the blue channel could be a way to sort out travelers that are less likely to be importing something illegally. Baggage tags from EU airports are marked with green stripes so people who go there by mistake or try to cheat (without being too clever about it) can still be spotted easily.

The only difference I could find between the UK and some other EU countries without separate channels is that in the UK, declaring cash is only mandatory if you come from outside the EU (it's EU law) whereas in France or Germany it's also mandatory if you come from another EU country. But it's not clear to me how this could explain the blue channel.




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Can you pick up from Heathrow arrivals?

The drop-off charge does not affect passenger pick-ups, which will continue to take place via the car parks. You cannot pick up passengers from the drop-off zones. Our car parks continue to operate as normal.

How long does it take to get through customs Heathrow at the moment?

Re: How long does it take to get through customs at Heathrow? Allow between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

Where do you pick up passengers at Heathrow?

Drivers picking up at Heathrow airport must use the short stay car park at each terminal as passengers are directed there through the app....Heathrow Terminal 4
  • Exit Arrivals.
  • Take the exit to the left hand side of WH Smith's.
  • Pick-up point is straight ahead, wait in the entrance to Car Park Level 1.


How do I get to arrivals at Heathrow?

Simply follow the yellow signs to Arrivals/Baggage Reclaim and you will eventually reach the Arrivals Hall. If you have arranged for someone to meet you this is where they will be waiting for you. You'll find plenty of information showing you where you are in your journey and what comes next.



UK Customs Information




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Armin Rimoldi, Castorly Stock, Tom Fisk, Kelly