Which nol card should a visitor buy?
RTA sells four products that a visitor can use, and the right one depends on how many trips you will make and whether you want to switch between metro, tram and bus. The prices below are from RTA's card comparison page.
| Card | Price | Included credit | Key limit | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red ticket | AED 2 | Load trips separately | One mode at a time, up to 10 journeys, 90-day validity | A few metro-only trips |
| Silver card | AED 25 | AED 19 | Standard cabins only | Most visitors |
| Gold card | AED 25 | AED 19 | Pays double fares for Gold Class | Visitors who want Gold Class every trip |
| Personal card | AED 70 | AED 20 | Registered to one named person | Eligible students, seniors, people of determination |
All the reusable cards are valid for five years and can hold up to AED 5,000. The Gold card costs the same as the Silver card to buy; the difference is that every trip on it is charged at the Gold Class rate.
Dubai Airports sells Red Line passes and nol cards at the ticket offices and vending machines in DXB Terminals 1 and 3, so you can buy a card before your first ride. RTA also lists station ticket offices, vending machines, customer happiness centres, authorised agents and online sales.
How much is a Dubai Metro ticket?
Fares depend on the number of zones your trip crosses. RTA's fare table sets these per-journey prices:
| Journey | Silver or Personal | Red ticket | Gold card | Gold on a Red ticket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Within 1 zone | AED 3 | AED 4 | AED 6 | AED 8 |
| 2 adjacent zones | AED 5 | AED 6 | AED 10 | AED 12 |
| More than 2 zones | AED 7.50 | AED 8.50 | AED 15 | AED 17 |
RTA says the fare is calculated from the number of zones you travel and deducted automatically from the card. RTA also allows transfers between buses and the metro within one journey, up to three transfers, provided each change between different modes happens within 30 minutes.
Keep at least AED 7.50 on the card when you tap in. That is the top Silver fare, so the gate knows you can pay for any trip.
Is a 7-day pass worth it?
RTA sells period passes on the Silver card. A 7-day pass costs AED 50 for one zone, AED 80 for two zones and AED 110 for all zones, with 30-day passes from AED 140 to AED 350. Gold passes cost double. RTA's fare page lists no day pass for visitors.
Divide the pass price by the Silver fare for the same zones and you get the number of trips a week needed to break even:
| 7-day pass | Pass price | Pay-as-you-go fare | Trips needed to save money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 zone | AED 50 | AED 3 | 17 or more |
| 2 zones | AED 80 | AED 5 | 16 or more |
| All zones | AED 110 | AED 7.50 | 15 or more |
A typical sightseeing week of two or three rides a day falls short of those thresholds, so pay-as-you-go on a Silver card is usually cheaper. The pass starts to pay off when you commute daily across the city, for example from a hotel near the Marina to meetings downtown, and make extra trips in the evening.
Worked example: five days, two rides a day
A visitor makes ten trips, each crossing two zones.
- Silver card: AED 25 to buy, then 10 x AED 5 = AED 50 in fares. The first AED 19 comes from the included credit, so the total spend is AED 25 + AED 31 top-up = AED 56.
- Red ticket: AED 2 plus 10 x AED 6 = AED 62, and only if every trip is on the metro, because a Red ticket covers one mode at a time.
- 2-zone 7-day pass: AED 80 plus the card, and ten trips are well below the 16 needed to break even.
The Silver card wins on price and flexibility, and any credit left over stays on the card for five years.
What are the Dubai Metro rules and fines?
RTA publishes a single list of fines that applies across buses, the metro and the tram. The ones visitors most often trip over are these:
| Offence | Fine |
|---|---|
| Travelling without a valid ticket | AED 200 |
| Not showing a nol card when asked | AED 200 |
| Eating or drinking in prohibited areas | AED 100 |
| Sleeping in bus shelters or undesignated places | AED 300 |
| Smoking | AED 200 |
| Entering or sitting in areas reserved for specific passengers, such as women's areas | AED 100 |
| Putting feet on seats | AED 100 |
Two parts of the train need the right ticket or the right passenger. RTA sets aside Gold Class cabins for Gold ticket holders, and cabins for women and children only. If you board in the wrong cabin by mistake, move at the next stop.
Tram, buses and paying by bank card
The same card works beyond the metro. RTA describes the Dubai Tram as running along Al Sufouh Road and Jumeirah Beach Road, linking the metro with the Palm Monorail, with Gold Class and women and children cabins like the metro.
Buses are stricter about payment. Dubai Airports' DWC bus page states that a nol card is required and cash is not accepted, and the same applies at DXB. Load the card before you reach the bus stop.
RTA's fare and card pages checked for this guide list only nol products for the metro, tram and bus, and say nothing about tapping a bank card or phone at the gates. Plan on using a nol card. Taxis are different: Dubai Taxi Company accepts cards, phone wallets and nol.
What to do if your card is refused at the gate
Check the balance first: a card under AED 7.50 will not open the gate, so top up at the vending machine next to it. If you bought a Red ticket for the metro and are trying to use it on a bus straight after, remember it covers one mode at a time. If the card is damaged, take it to the station ticket office rather than riding without a valid ticket, which carries the AED 200 fine.
For getting from the airport with your first card, see Dubai Airport to the city centre. If you plan to rent a car for part of the trip, the Salik tolls and car rental guide explains how road tolls are charged.