Time to clear customs at Heathrow?

We're arriving at Heathrow at 9:55 PM on a Tuesday. Approximately how long should it take to get our luggage and go through customs at that late hour? We'll be booking a car to take us to our hotel, and we don't know what time to have it arrive.

Customs is just a walk through (unless you have anything to declare or the officials watching you from behind one way glass think you look suspicious). It is immigration that takes the time and that is likely to depend on how many international flights have landed recently. You should allow at least an hour from touchdown to walking out of the airport and if you want to be sure, make it a bit more. You can always have a cup of coffee while waiting. Incidentally, if your flight is delayed, don't worry. The car services have access to up-to-date flight information and will know if you are going to land later than scheduled.

Car services usually require your flight details rather than pick-up time, they monitor arrival times and they know the time-scale involved for formalities.

But as Aquilegia's post, any hold-up is likely to be at immigration and non-UK/EU passengers can usually expect to be in the arrival hall toward 90 mins after touch-down, though of course there are always exceptions.

JB :)

It's 45 minutes minimum. Can be a lot longer for non-EU passports.

Would these times estimate be the same for flight arriving at 10am? [on BA on a Thursday]

Would these times estimate be the same for flight arriving at 10am? [on BA on a Thursday]

The arrival time is irrelevant.

The arrival time is irrelevant.

Thank you. the reason I gave my morning arrival time was that at my departure airport mornings are much busier than at night. [OP had a 10 pm flight]

Thank you. the reason I gave my morning arrival time was that at my departure airport mornings are much busier than at night. [OP had a 10 pm flight]

Heathrow is full on from 6am till about 10pm. There aren't any quiet times.

It is immigration that takes the time and that is likely to depend on how many international flights have landed recently. You should allow at least an hour from touchdown to walking out of the airport and if you want to be sure, make it a bit more.

It's 45 minutes minimum. Can be a lot longer for non-EU passports.

However, I'm finding that it rarely takes me longer than 45 minutes to get out. Yesterday morning (from Hong Kong) was 30 minutes, with two checked bags - and nearly 10 minutes of that was just waiting for the jetway to be connected to the aircraft. A couple of weeks back (from Johannesburg) was about 5 minutes more than that.