Smart Gates Dubai: How to Access Faster Passport-Checking Process at Dubai Airport?

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Updated May 2023

Travelling to a different country is not an easy task. It involves going through a lot of procedures that make the whole process complicated and hard. Amongst these carrying all the required and necessary documents, especially when boarding a flight is one of the toughest jobs.

Fortunately, to make this task a little easier, the GDRFA, Dubai has established around 122 Smart Gates at the Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, that help speed up the passport checking process, and eliminate the need for physical stamping at immigration, thereby allowing the eligible passengers to travel hassle-free without any travel disruption.

Read on to know more about Dubai’s Smart Gates system and how you can use it to travel without any delays.

Smart Gates Dubai airport latest news

Recently, an advanced version of Smart Gates Dubai made an appearance in the biggest annual aviation invention, which is Dubai Airport Show 2023. The event itself is embracing new technologies that help the UAE’s aviation sector to keep flying high and maintain Dubai International Airport’s top position as the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic.

The more advanced version of Smart Gates that was showcased by the Dubai-based company Emaratech is showing an advanced version of a smart gate that doesn’t require passengers to show passports or boarding passes as it uses facial identification and IRIS recognition for a seamless experience.

Smart Gates Dubai airport

The Smart Gates established at the Dubai Airport are a new technology that helps speed up the passport checking process, and eliminates the need for physical stamping at immigration, thereby initiating a contactless process.

The Smart Gates have been developed at the Dubai International Airport (DXB) Terminal 3. The airport has deployed around a staggering 122 gates throughout the airport since the beginning of 2021.

As stated by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) the Smart Gates take seconds to pass through and they eliminate the need for passengers to show identification documents at different immigration touchpoints across the airport. This is due to the Smart Gates’ fast-track biometric system that uses face and iris recognition technology to let travellers complete passport control procedures within a short span of five seconds.

Who can use Smart Gates at Dubai airport?

The following categories of people can register for the Smart Gates in Dubai:

• UAE Nationals and GCC Nationals.
• UAE Residents.
• Visa-on-Arrival passengers with biometric passports.
• UAE non-residents with certain requirements; see below for more details.

Please note that passengers are required to be registered to use the Smart Gates. All passengers who have recently arrived at DXB are likely to have been registered when they entered the immigration touchpoint.

Smart Gates age restriction

Only passengers aged 15 years and above and having a height above 1.2 metres can use the Smart Gates technology in the Dubai International Airport (DXB).

Who cannot use the Smart Gates at Dubai airport?

The following categories of people cannot register for the Smart Gates in Dubai:

• People of Determination and guests with large strollers.
• Families with children.
• Passengers under the age of 15 years or under 1.2 metres in height.

Smart Gates Dubai for non-residents

The UAE non-residents can also apply for the Smart Gates Dubai technology, provided they are eligible for the UAE visa on arrival and hold a biometric passport. Moreover, UAE Nationals and GCC Nationals can also apply for this technology. More on this below.

Smart Gates Dubai eligible countries

Apart from the UAE nationals and GCC nations, and UAE residents, the following countries qualified to get a visa on arrival to the UAE, are also eligible for the Smart Gates technology at the Dubai International Airport:

Passengers eligible to get a visa on arrival to the UAE, must have a biometric passport to avail of this service.

30-day visa on arrival

Passengers from the following countries do not require advance visa arrangements to enter the UAE and can obtain a visa upon arrival for 30 days with a 10-day grace period for an extension:

Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macau, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, San Marino, Singapore, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Vatican City.

90-day visa on arrival

Passengers from the following countries do not require advance visa arrangements to enter the UAE and can obtain a visa upon arrival for a period of 90 days:

Argentina, Austria, Bahamas Islands, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kiribati, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay.

Indian nationals can also obtain a visa on arrival to the UAE for a maximum stay of 14 days, provided they are holding a:

• a visit visa issued by the USA or
• a green card issued by the USA or
• a residence visa issued by the UK or
• a residence visa issued by the EU

Smart Gates Dubai registration

Passengers meeting the eligibility criteria for applying for the Smart Gates Dubai can register for the service at the passport control desk on arrival or departure at the Dubai International Airport (DXB).

Passengers flying with Emirates can register for the Smart Gates Dubai at Emirates Terminal 3.

How to use the Smart Gates in Dubai airport?

Passengers who have already been registered for the Smart Gates can pass through the gates by simply looking at the green light, with NO requirement of scanning any document.

Please make sure to remove anything covering your face, including masks, glasses and hats, and keep your passport and boarding pass ready in case they are required. If you are still unable to get through the smart gate, you may return to the immigration desk located behind it.