How early should I arrive for Eurostar at St Pancras?

Eurostar recommends arriving 75 minutes before departure for Standard and Plus, 45 minutes for Premier, and 60 minutes if you have booked accessible travel.

When do the Eurostar gates close at St Pancras?

Ticket gates close 30 minutes before departure for Standard, Plus and accessible travel, and 15 minutes before for Premier.

Is there a liquids limit on Eurostar?

No. Eurostar has no airport-style liquids limit, although some restrictions on alcohol apply.

Do British passport holders need to register for EES at St Pancras?

Yes. The EU Entry/Exit System applies to non-EU nationals, including British nationals, on short stays. Pre-registration kiosks are at St Pancras, before the ticket gates.

St Pancras guide

Eurostar at St Pancras: how early to arrive

Eurostar's advice, the order of the checks, and the point at which arriving earlier stops buying you anything.

Updated 3 October 2026

Short answer: Eurostar asks you to arrive 75 minutes before departure in Standard or Plus, and 45 minutes in Premier. The ticket gates close 30 minutes before departure (15 in Premier), and after that you will not be let through.

The official times

Ticket	Recommended arrival	Ticket gates close
Standard and Plus	75 minutes before departure	30 minutes before
Premier	45 minutes before	15 minutes before
Accessible travel	60 minutes before	30 minutes before

These are Eurostar's published times for London St Pancras International. They ask you to arrive at the recommended time, not just before the gates close, because queues build on busy days.

What happens between the entrance and the train

EES registration, if it applies to you. Since the EU's Entry/Exit System started, non-EU nationals on short stays (British passport holders included) register their passport and biometrics. At St Pancras the pre-registration kiosks come before the ticket gates.
Ticket gates. Scan each ticket's barcode, one per person.
Security. Bags go through a scanner, much like at an airport, but with no liquids limit (some alcohol restrictions apply).
Passport control. UK exit checks, then French border control, where EES registration is completed. Because the French checks happen in London, you simply walk off the train when you arrive.
The departure lounge. Shops, cafés, toilets and seating, below platforms 5 to 10. You wait here until boarding opens.
Boarding. Your platform appears on the screens, roughly 20 to 30 minutes before departure, and everyone heads up by travelator.

Luggage, briefly

In Standard and Plus you can bring two pieces of luggage plus one small item of hand luggage; Premier allows three plus hand luggage. There is no strict weight limit per bag, but you have to be able to carry and stow it yourself. Eurostar's luggage page has the size limits.

When arriving earlier buys you nothing

Once you are through passport control, the only thing left to wait for is boarding, and everyone in the lounge boards at the same moment. Arriving well before the recommended time gets you a seat in the lounge, which on a busy day is worth something. It does not get you onto the train any sooner.

What does make a difference is knowing where you are heading when boarding opens: the platform, and which travelator suits your coach.