The free option: the Drop Off Car Park
The Drop Off Car Park gives the first 10 minutes free, about 400 metres from the terminal.
A dedicated footpath takes five to ten minutes to the terminal, and a free, wheelchair-friendly bus runs from Car Park 5. The car park is barrierless: cameras read your plate. Stay longer than 10 minutes and charges apply, rising in steps to £56 for up to an hour, per the airport's August 2026 tariff.
Drivers who return to the Drop Off Car Park before an hour has passed do not get the 10 free minutes again. Plan one visit, not two.
Paying after you leave
Both drop-off areas are barrierless and must be paid within 24 hours.
Pay at the machines on site, online through Post Pay, or set up an AutoPay account that takes payment automatically. Miss the 24-hour window and a Parking Charge Notice follows. The charge follows the number plate, so it reaches the registered keeper whoever was driving.
Picking up arriving passengers
For collecting someone, the airport points drivers to Car Park 5.
Car Park 5's turn-up tariff starts at £12 for an hour, and a free bus runs every 15 minutes, day and night. You can wait there for a delayed flight without the Premium Set Down meter running. The multi-storeys opposite the terminal are closer but charge similar hourly rates.
Blue Badge drop-off
Blue Badge holders get 30 minutes free at Premium Set Down, validated at the NCP Customer Service Cabin.
The same 30-minute concession applies in several of the airport's car parks. Validate before you leave, or the standard charge applies.
Coaches
Coaches have their own access on Comet Road, at £22 per access, strictly for coaches.
Cars and taxis use the Drop Off Car Park or Premium Set Down. Coach operators should book through the airport.
The train instead
Birmingham International station connects to the terminal by the free AIR-Rail Link.
A lift to any station on the line, then the train, avoids every charge on this page. From central Birmingham, the train is often quicker than driving at rush hour.
Walking from the Drop Off Car Park
A dedicated footpath leads to the terminal in five to ten minutes.
The route is signed from the car park. For passengers with heavy bags or limited mobility, the free, wheelchair-friendly bus from Car Park 5 is an alternative. Allow the extra time on a busy morning.
Setting up AutoPay
AutoPay takes the charge automatically after each visit.
You register the car and a card, and any charge is paid without a deadline to remember. For regular drop-offs, it removes the risk of a Parking Charge Notice altogether.
A charge that keeps rising
Both drop-off areas went up by £1 on 6 August 2026.
Older guides still quote lower figures, and some show different time bands. Use the airport's own tariff page, and treat any figure older than a few months with caution.
When a flight is late
Do not wait at Premium Set Down.
Its charge climbs every five minutes after the first quarter hour. Park in Car Park 5, check the arrivals board, and walk or take the bus in when the passenger has their bags. It costs less and removes the pressure of the meter.
Taxis and hire cars
The charges apply to every vehicle, and they follow the number plate.
Ask a taxi firm whether its fare includes the set-down charge. With a hire car, pay the charge yourself within 24 hours, as rental companies often add an admin fee to unpaid charges.
Early morning departures
The drop-off areas are busiest before the first wave of flights.
On summer mornings, queues build on the approach. Have your passenger ready to step out with bags easy to reach. In the Drop Off Car Park, the free period starts when the camera reads your plate, so keep the stop short.
Passengers who need help
Park and walk in with them rather than rushing a kerbside stop.
Car Parks 1, 2 and 3 are a minute's walk from check-in, with Blue Badge bays near the exits. The airport's special assistance team can be booked through the airline for help through security.
Which option for which job
Pick by how long you will be there.
| You are | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dropping off, a few minutes | Drop Off Car Park | First 10 minutes free |
| Dropping off at the door | Premium Set Down | Right outside, charged |
| Collecting a flight | Car Park 5 | Cheaper hourly rate, free bus |
| Walking someone to check-in | Car Parks 2 & 3 | A minute from the terminal |
A checklist
Five habits that avoid a charge.
- Use the free car park. Ten minutes, once an hour.
- Pay within 24 hours. Machine, Post Pay or AutoPay.
- Wait in Car Park 5. Not at Premium Set Down.
- Validate a Blue Badge. At the NCP cabin.
- Check the tariff date. Charges rose in August 2026.
Our view on dropping off
Use the free Drop Off Car Park for goodbyes and Car Park 5 for collections.
The free ten minutes in the Drop Off Car Park cover most drop-offs, as long as you keep the stop short and do not come back within the hour. Premium Set Down is for when the door matters more than the cost. For collecting arrivals, Car Park 5 is cheaper, calmer and the airport's own suggestion, with a free bus to the terminal. Whatever you choose, pay within 24 hours, or set up AutoPay and forget about the deadline.
Buses and coaches to the airport
National Express and local buses serve the airport's bus station.
For travellers from further afield, a coach can replace the car altogether, with no drop-off charge and no parking.
Charges at a glance
Free for 10 minutes in the Drop Off Car Park; charged from the first minute at Premium Set Down.
Both are paid within 24 hours by machine, Post Pay or AutoPay. Car Park 5 is the airport's suggestion for collecting passengers.
Drop-off and pick-up at Birmingham: questions answered
Yes, for up to 10 minutes in the Drop Off Car Park, about 400 metres from the terminal.
£8 for up to 15 minutes, since a £1 rise on 6 August 2026, then rising in steps.
Within 24 hours: at the pay machines on site, online via Post Pay, or automatically with AutoPay.
You can, but you lose the free period when you come back before the hour is up.
They get 30 minutes free when validated at the NCP Customer Service Cabin.
Car Park 5, which the airport points drivers to, with a free bus to the terminal.
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