Published 1 November 2026 | Updated 1 November 2026 by Kate Acaster
Birmingham airport drop off is free for up to 10 minutes in the Drop Off car park, then £7 up to 15 minutes. Premium Set Down, right outside the terminal, costs £8 for the first 15 minutes. The free 10 minutes doesn’t apply if you were in the Drop Off car park within the past hour.
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What Birmingham airport drop off costs
The airport has two places to leave a passenger. The Drop Off car park is about 400 metres from the terminal. It’s a five to ten minute walk along a covered footpath. Premium Set Down is right outside the terminal doors, under a minute on foot.
| Length of stay | Drop Off car park | Premium Set Down |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 minutes | Free | £8 |
| 10 to 15 minutes | £7 | £8 |
| 15 to 20 minutes | £8 | £13 |
| 20 to 25 minutes | £14 | £19 |
| 25 to 30 minutes | £20 | £25 |
| 55 to 60 minutes | £56 | £61 |
| Each extra 15 minutes after that | £8 | £8 |
Past 15 minutes, Premium Set Down costs £5 more than Drop Off at every step up to the hour, including the rows we’ve left out between 30 and 55 minutes. Both car parks use number plate cameras, and you pay after your stay. The airport’s own overview page quotes £7 for the first 15 minutes at Premium Set Down. Its tariff table says £8, so we’ve used the table.
The Drop Off car park: free, with two catches
The first catch is the walk. It’s covered, and a free bus links the car parks and the terminal, but the airport says it picks up from Car Park 5, just across the road. The second is the one-hour rule. Come back inside the hour and the free 10 minutes doesn’t apply.
To find it, leave the M42 at junction 6 and take the A45 towards the airport. At the roundabout with the birds sculpture, carry straight on. The car park has its own entrance on Airport Way. The airport’s postcode is B26 3QJ.
“Heavy bags or small children: pay for Premium Set Down and say goodbye at the doors. Travelling light and happy to walk 400 metres: use Drop Off, and be gone inside ten minutes.”
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
Premium Set Down: when to pay for the doorstep
Premium Set Down is open 24 hours a day and is for dropping off travelling passengers only. Its address is Concorde Road, B26 3QJ. Anyone using Twilight Check-In or the day-before bag drop, who booked parking directly with the airport, gets the first 60 minutes free, then pays £8 for each 15 minutes. After checking in, show your luggage receipt or boarding pass, your parking booking confirmation and your registration number at the Customer Service Cabin in Premium Set Down.
How to pay for Birmingham airport drop off
There’s no ticket. Cameras read your number plate, and you must pay within 24 hours of leaving. Pay by NCP AutoPay, online through Post Pay, or at a pay machine in the car park. The machines take cards only.
Don’t stop on the red routes
Don’t try to drop off on the road. Red routes ban stopping, unloading and parking, even briefly for passengers. The enforcement charge is £100, reduced to £50 if you pay within 14 days. The airport tells drivers to use the Drop Off car park instead.
Picking up at Birmingham Airport
The airport recommends Car Park 5 for meeting passengers. It’s a five to ten minute walk to the terminal, with a free bus every 15 minutes, picking up from bus stops 2, 6 and 7. Charges start at £12 for up to an hour and reach £24 for two. Our guide to booking airport parking in advance covers booking ahead if you’re parking for longer.
| Length of stay | Car Park 5 |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 hour | £12 |
| Up to 2 hours | £24 |
| Up to 4 hours | £48 |
| Up to 24 hours | £67 |
Getting to Birmingham Airport by train
Birmingham International station is linked to the terminal by the free Air-Rail Link, which runs from 03:30 to 00:30 every day. It leaves from the first floor of the station and arrives on the first floor of the airport. Take the lift down to the ground floor to check in.
| Operator | Trains an hour |
|---|---|
| Avanti West Coast | 3 to London Euston, 2 to Birmingham New Street |
| West Midlands Railway or London Northwestern | Up to 3 to London Euston, up to 4 to Birmingham New Street |
| CrossCountry | 4 to Birmingham New Street, 1 to Manchester Piccadilly |
Birmingham New Street is about 10 minutes away by direct train. London Euston takes about 70 minutes with Avanti West Coast.
If you’d rather not drive, the airport also points visitors to black cabs through Complete Taxi Management UK and private hire through Minicabit. Complete Taxi Management UK takes black cab bookings online. Minicabit compares licensed private hire at fixed prices. Birmingham Airport’s taxi and private hire page lists both.
Check-in zones at Birmingham Airport
Check-in desks are split into zones. Check your airline’s zone before you leave home.
| Airline | Check-in zone |
|---|---|
| Jet2 | Zone A |
| easyJet | Zone B |
| Ryanair | Zone B |
| TUI | Zone B |
| Aer Lingus | Zone C |
| Emirates | Zone D |
Corendon, Loganair and SunExpress have no listed zone, so check the screens at the airport. More on timing: how early to arrive at the airport and whether airport fast track is worth it. Everything here comes from Birmingham Airport’s own pages, read on 1 November 2026. Flying from elsewhere? Our Manchester Terminal 2 guide, Luton airport guide and Edinburgh Airport guide cover those airports.
Birmingham Airport Drop Off FAQs
How much is drop-off at Birmingham Airport?
It’s free for up to 10 minutes in the Drop Off car park, then £7 up to 15 minutes and £8 up to 20. At Premium Set Down, outside the terminal, the first 15 minutes cost £8.
Is there free drop-off at Birmingham Airport?
Yes. The Drop Off car park is free for stays of up to 10 minutes. There’s a no return within one hour policy, so a second visit inside the hour doesn’t get the free time.
How far is the Birmingham Airport Drop Off car park from the terminal?
About 400 metres. The airport puts it at a five to ten minute walk along a covered footpath, and a free bus runs from Car Park 5 across the road.
How do I pay for drop-off at Birmingham Airport?
Cameras read your number plate, so there’s no ticket. You must pay within 24 hours of leaving, by NCP AutoPay, online through Post Pay, or at a card-only pay machine.
Can I stop on the road outside Birmingham Airport to drop someone off?
No. Red routes ban stopping and unloading, even for a drop-off. The enforcement charge is £100, or £50 if paid within 14 days.
Where do I pick someone up at Birmingham Airport?
The airport recommends Car Park 5, a five to ten minute walk from the terminal. A turn-up stay of up to an hour costs £12.
Is there a free link from the station to the Birmingham Airport terminal?
Yes. The Air-Rail Link between Birmingham International station and the terminal is free, running from 03:30 to 00:30 every day.
Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
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