How early should I get to YVR?
Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver, Canada · Checked Oct 25, 2026
The short answer
U.S. & International: Arrive 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes) before departure. Check-in cut-off closes 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) before departure for flights departing Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Those are blanket rules. Your real number depends on your terminal, the time of day, passport control and whether you're checking a bag. Leave By works out your exact leave time.
Source: westjet.com
Passport control on the way out
Canada has no exit passport control. The CBSA gets your exit record from the airline's passenger manifest, and you do not need to do anything. At YVR you first go through Canadian security at CATSA's E - United States checkpoint, then through US preclearance, where US CBP officers clear you for immigration and customs before you board. CBP lists the facility on Level 3 of the International Terminal, open 4:30 am to midnight. You land in the US as a domestic passenger and skip CBP and TSA lines there; CBP lists YVR as a Global Entry and Mobile Passport Control location.
More on exit checks, the EU's Entry/Exit System and US preclearance: how early for an international flight.
Security lines at YVR
CATSA posts live wait times for YVR's checkpoints, including E - United States for US flights, refreshed every 2 minutes from boarding-pass scans. The figures leave out check-in, bag drop, US customs processing and the walk to the gate. This research found no published busiest times for US departures.
Terminals and checkpoints
International Terminal - US departures (Pier E)
Air Canada, Alaska, American, Delta, Flair, United, WestJet
- US flights use the Pier E gates, E71-E88 and E90-E96
- Gates E90-E96 are in a smaller satellite building reached by a ground-level walkway
- Gates E71-E78 can switch to international use as D71-D78, so check the screens
Between terminals: YVR's main terminal has domestic piers A to C, the international Pier D and the US Pier E. US flights board at Pier E, after Canadian security and US preclearance.
Getting to YVR
Rideshare and taxi: Uber drops you at the curb of the departures area for the terminal you choose; if you do not know it, you can enter your airline instead. US preclearance is in the International Terminal.
Transit: The Canada Line runs from Waterfront Station downtown to YVR-Airport Station in about 25 minutes. The $6.50 YVR Airport AddFare applies only to trips that start at YVR-Airport, Sea Island Centre or Templeton stations, so it is not charged on the way to the airport. You can pay the adult fare by tapping a contactless credit or debit card or a mobile wallet.
Driving and parking: Dinsmore Bridge onto Sea Island closes overnight, Sunday to Friday from 10 pm to 6 am, through December 31, 2026. Traffic detours via the No. 2 Rd. Bridge, which adds about six minutes. Outside those hours the bridge is open with a 30 km/h limit.
Construction and changes in 2026
- YVR said in December 2025 that it would extend CT screening to every checkpoint in 2026, including US departures. In June 2026 it said installation at US Departures was under way.
- Dinsmore Bridge closes overnight, Sunday to Friday from 10 pm to 6 am, through December 31, 2026. Use the No. 2 Rd. Bridge and allow about six extra minutes.
Checking a bag
Air Canada: check-in and bag drop open 3 hours and close 60 minutes before US flights; be at the gate 30 minutes before departure, and the gate closes 15 minutes before. Delta and WestJet: check-in closes 75 minutes before departure at Vancouver; WestJet suggests dropping bags 90 minutes before. American and Alaska: AP reported 60-minute cutoffs for international flights. United: AP reported a 60-minute international cutoff and did not list Vancouver among its exceptions.
YVR tips first-timers miss
- Plan on 2.5 to 3 hours. WestJet asks for 2.5 hours on US flights, and Delta suggests 3 hours for departures outside the US.
- Know your cutoff. Delta and WestJet close check-in 75 minutes before US flights at Vancouver; Air Canada closes check-in and bag drop at 60 minutes.
- Fill in the Mobile Passport Control app before you reach preclearance. Global Entry also works at YVR.
- Pack liquids in containers of 100 ml or less in one clear 1 L bag. At the US checkpoint, look for a CT sign; without one, take out liquids and laptops.
- US preclearance opens at 4:30 am and closes at midnight.
- Driving in late at night? Dinsmore Bridge is closed overnight through December 31, 2026, so allow a few extra minutes for the No. 2 Rd. Bridge detour.
Leaving for YVR?
Pick your flight and where you're starting. Leave By checks live traffic, security lines and your terminal, and tells you the minute to walk out the door.
Free. No account.
Questions travelers ask
How early should I get to Vancouver airport for a flight to the US?
Plan on 2.5 to 3 hours. WestJet says 2.5 hours for US flights, and Delta suggests 3 hours for departures outside the US. Delta and WestJet close check-in 75 minutes before departure at Vancouver; Air Canada closes at 60 minutes.
Do I clear US customs in Vancouver?
Yes. US CBP officers clear you for US immigration and customs at YVR before you board. You land in the US as a domestic passenger and skip CBP and TSA lines.
What hours is US preclearance open at YVR?
CBP lists 4:30 am to midnight. The facility is on Level 3 of the International Terminal.
Can I leave liquids and laptops in my bag at YVR security?
Only on lanes marked for CT screening. CATSA lists CT at YVR's US checkpoint, and YVR said installation there was under way in June 2026. Elsewhere, take out liquids (100 ml or less, in one 1 L bag) and laptops.
Is there Canadian passport control when leaving Vancouver?
No. Canada collects exit records from airline passenger manifests. The passport check before your US flight is done by US officers at preclearance.
Sources
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Preclearance locations
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Mobile Passport Control
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Airports with Global Entry
- CATSA - Vancouver International Airport security wait times
- CATSA - Liquids, non-solid food and personal items
- CATSA - CT X-ray (airports and checkpoints, modified Apr 1, 2026)
- YVR Newsroom - From Gate to Goal: YVR ready for FIFA 2026 (June 3, 2026)
- YVR Newsroom - Security screening equipment upgrade (Dec 3, 2025)
- YVR Newsroom - Dinsmore Bridge overnight closures (Sept 1, 2026)
- Air Canada - Check-in and boarding times
- Delta - International check-in time requirements
- WestJet - Check-in
- AP via MyNorthwest - United narrows check-in window; airline comparison (May 27, 2025)
- TransLink - Visiting Vancouver
- TransLink - Pricing and fare zones
- Uber - Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
- Canada Border Services Agency - Entry/Exit initiative (July 11, 2019)
- Wikipedia - Vancouver International Airport (piers, gates and airlines)
- Wikipedia - United States border preclearance
Airport conditions change. Always follow your airline's check-in and bag-drop deadlines.