What is US preclearance and which airports have it?
The short answer
Preclearance means US Customs and Border Protection officers inspect you at a foreign airport before you board a US bound flight. CBP lists 16 locations in 6 countries, including Dublin and Shannon in Ireland. On arrival you skip CBP and TSA lines and go straight to your connection or final destination.
What preclearance is
CBP says preclearance places CBP officers at designated foreign airports to inspect travellers before they board US bound flights, and that the programme has operated since 1952. On arrival in the US, travellers skip CBP and TSA inspection lines and go straight to their connecting flight or final destination.
CBP says it has more than 600 officers and agriculture specialists at 16 locations in 6 countries. It also says that in 2025 preclearance processed over 22 million travellers, about 14.6 percent of commercial air travellers to the US.
The 16 locations CBP lists
CBP lists the following preclearance locations.
- Canada (10): Billy Bishop Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto Lester B. Pearson, Vancouver, Victoria and Winnipeg.
- Caribbean (3): Nassau in the Bahamas, Bermuda (L.F. Wade International Airport) and Aruba (Queen Beatrix International Airport).
- Ireland (2): Dublin and Shannon.
- United Arab Emirates (1): Abu Dhabi.
What this means for UK and EU travellers
Among European airports, CBP lists only Dublin and Shannon. A traveller flying from the UK or elsewhere in the EU to the US via Dublin would be inspected there. The UK is not on the CBP list.
Preclearance does not remove entry requirements. Visa Waiver Program travellers still need approved ESTA authorisation, which CBP's ESTA page says does not determine admissibility. CBP's page also lists addresses, operating hours and phone numbers for each site.
Checking the list
I have only quoted the list as it appeared on the CBP preclearance page when we read it. Rules and fees change, so check the official page linked below before you travel.
Sources: CBP: Preclearance, CBP: ESTA. Read 5 November 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the official page before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
What is US preclearance?
CBP says it is when CBP officers at designated foreign airports inspect travellers before they board US bound flights.
How many preclearance airports are there?
CBP lists 16 locations in 6 countries.
Which European airports have it?
CBP lists Dublin and Shannon in Ireland.
Is there preclearance in the UK?
No UK airport appears on the CBP list we read.
What happens when I land in the US after preclearance?
CBP says you skip CBP and TSA inspection lines and go straight to your connecting flight or final destination.
Do I still need an ESTA?
Visa Waiver Program travellers still need ESTA authorisation. CBP notes it does not determine admissibility, which officers decide.