Since January 2026, every one of London's airports charges for a terminal drop-off — the last holdout, London City, added its charge that same month. If you're driving a friend or family member to catch a flight, this is a cost worth knowing about in advance rather than discovering at an ANPR camera.
Charges below are correct as of 2026 but are set by the airports themselves and can change — always check the airport's own site if you're driving yourself. If you book a transfer with us, the cost of the drop-off is factored into your estimate rather than billed separately.
What each airport currently charges
| Airport | Drop-off charge | Time allowed | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Heathrow | £7 | 10 minutes (Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5) | | Gatwick | £10 | 10 minutes | | Stansted | £10 | 15 minutes | | London City | £8 (plus £1/minute after 5 minutes) | up to 10 minutes | | Luton | £7 (then ~£1/min to a 30-min cap) | 10 minutes |
All figures are per drop-off entry, not per passenger, and are billed to the vehicle via number-plate recognition (ANPR) cameras — there's no barrier or ticket to keep.
How the charge actually works
- Cameras read your number plate on entry to the drop-off zone; there's nothing to collect or display.
- Payment is due online, usually by midnight the following day — miss it and it escalates to a penalty charge notice, which costs far more than the original fee.
- The charge applies per entry, so looping back if you forgot something means paying again.
- Blue Badge holders are exempt at most UK airports, though the exact process for registering this varies by airport — check in advance if this applies to you.
Why this catches self-drivers out more than pre-booked transfers
If you're driving yourself to drop someone off, the charge is an extra cost on top of parking, plus the time pressure of a 10–15 minute window while dealing with luggage and goodbyes. A pre-booked transfer avoids this entirely on the drop-off side: our driver handles the terminal approach, and if a charge applies to the vehicle, it's built into your estimated fare rather than something you're separately billed for at the barrier.
Free alternatives to a paid drop-off
- Free short-stay zones exist at some airports slightly further from the terminal, with a shuttle bus link — useful if you're not in a hurry and want to avoid the charge entirely for a self-drive.
- Pick-up (not drop-off) has separate, sometimes different, charging rules at several airports — don't assume the drop-off price applies to a collection.
- Pre-booking a transfer removes the need to navigate the charge yourself in either direction. If you were planning to drive and park instead, airport parking vs a taxi works through which is actually cheaper for your trip length.
The bottom line
- Every major London airport now charges for terminal drop-off — treat it as a standard cost of the trip, not an unusual add-on.
- Pay online by the deadline to avoid a much larger penalty notice.
- Check Blue Badge exemption rules directly with the airport if relevant to you.
- Get an estimated fare for your airport run, or read our full airport transfer comparison for the wider picture on getting to and from UK airports.
- For pickup zones and taxi vs train specifically, see our dedicated Stansted and Luton guides.