Arriving at Dublin Airport from the US: What to Expect

Quick summary

• Most overnight flights from the US land in Dublin early in the morning.
• After passport control, baggage reclaim and customs, your chauffeur meets you in the arrivals hall at Terminal 1 or Terminal 2.
• Send your flight number when you book. Alan monitors it, so an early or late landing moves your pickup.
• Flying home, US Preclearance is at Terminal 2, and Dublin Airport suggests arriving 3 hours before a long haul flight.

Most overnight flights from the US land in Dublin early in the morning. Once you leave the plane, you go through passport control, collect your bags, pass through customs and walk out into the arrivals hall, where your chauffeur is waiting. This guide walks through each step, and what we are doing while you are still in the air.

Before you fly: send us your flight number

The single most useful thing you can do is send us your flight number when you book. Alan monitors flight times for every airport pickup, so if your flight lands early or late, your chauffeur already knows. You do not need to call or message us from the plane or the baggage hall. It also helps to tell us how many passengers are travelling, how many bags you have, whether anyone is bringing golf clubs, and where you are going first. That lets us send the right vehicle: a luxury sedan for one or two people, or a 7 seater MPV for families, small groups and anyone with extra luggage. If you are travelling on a US passport, you do not need a visa to visit Ireland for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days, according to the US State Department. Your passport must be valid for the length of your stay. Entry rules can change, so check the Embassy of Ireland’s website for current details before you travel.

Step 1: passport control

After you leave the aircraft, follow the signs for passport control. Rules on which lanes and eGates non EU passport holders can use are set by the Irish Immigration Service, so check its website before you travel rather than relying on what you used last time. Queue times vary with how many flights have landed together, which is one more reason to let us track your flight rather than fix a pickup time in advance.

Step 2: baggage reclaim and golf clubs

Collect your bags from the reclaim belt shown on the screens for your flight. If you are travelling with golf clubs or other large items, tell us when you book so the car has room for them.

Step 3: customs and the arrivals hall

Once you have your bags, go through customs and out into the arrivals hall. This is where your Dublin Airport chauffeur meets you, at Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. We help with your luggage from the terminal to the car, which is parked a short walk from arrivals, so there is no queue for a taxi and no search for a driver outside. One recent example: we were booked to collect a senior executive flying in from New York, due to land at 4am. In Alan’s experience, flights from New York tend to come in early, so he kept an eye on the flight tracker through the night. The flight landed an hour early, at 3am, and he was in the arrivals hall when the passenger walked through, then drove them home to Ratoath in Co. Meath.

Arriving through Dublin Airport’s Platinum VIP service

Some of our corporate clients arrive through Dublin Airport’s Platinum VIP service, a private arrival service run by the airport. Platinum is booked directly with Dublin Airport, not through us. If you are using it, tell us when you book, and we will plan your collection around it so the car is ready when you leave Platinum VIP.

What we are doing while you are in the air

Lir is based in Ashbourne, a short drive from the terminals, and operates 24/7, so an early landing is not a problem for us. While you are flying, we are tracking your flight, planning the route to your first stop, and timing the drive to the airport around your actual arrival rather than the time on your ticket.

Your first morning: hotel, meeting or straight on?

After an overnight flight, most people want one of three things.

• Straight to a hotel in Dublin. If your room will not be ready yet, ask your hotel in advance whether it can hold your bags or offer an early check in.
• Straight to a meeting. Tell us the address and meeting time when you book, and we plan the pickup and route around it, with time built in for passport control and baggage.
• Straight on to the rest of Ireland. Many visitors from the US go directly from Dublin Airport to Adare, Kerry, Galway or the Boyne Valley. We quote the whole journey in advance, with room for luggage and golf clubs, so you can sleep in the car instead of driving on the left after a night flight.

Flying home: leave time for US Preclearance

Flights from Dublin to the US leave from Terminal 2, where you complete US immigration and customs before you board, so you arrive in the US as a domestic passenger. Dublin Airport says Terminal 2 can be busy from 05:00 to 12:00 and advises leaving plenty of time to check in, clear security and complete Preclearance, and suggests arriving at your terminal 3 hours before a long haul flight. Give us your flight time and we will plan your pickup with that in mind. Our guide to US Preclearance at Dublin Airport explains each step and how early to leave.

Why listen to us?

Lir is run by its founder, Alan McLoughlin. Alan served with the Military Police Corps of the Irish Defence Forces before moving into close protection. He is a member of the International Association of Close Protection Professionals (IACPP) and is ISTI security trained. He has driven delegates for the Nigerian embassy and was part of two US presidential visits, driving members of the president’s team in the convoy. Lir is Fáilte Ireland accredited for service excellence in Irish tourism. Lir is based in Ashbourne, a short drive from Dublin Airport, operates 24/7, and Alan monitors every flight he collects.

Questions about arriving in Dublin from the US

Planning your trip? See our guide for visitors from the US, or book a Dublin Airport transfer.