What are the three fast ways through Dubai passport control?
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) runs three automated options at Dubai International Airport (DXB). They sit alongside the normal counters, which stay open. In the first half of 2026, GDRFA reported 9,464,057 travellers using its digital border facilities, of whom 9,024,736 used Smart Gates and 439,321 used the Red Carpet corridor.
| Option | Who can use it | Typical time | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Gates | UAE and GCC nationals, UAE residents, and eligible visitors with a biometric passport, as reported, including visa-on-arrival and Schengen visitors and pre-issued visa holders | About 7 to 13 seconds | Residents can usually confirm online. First-time visitors are generally enrolled on an earlier entry. |
| Red Carpet corridor | Enrolled eligible arriving and departing passengers | About 3.4 seconds | Enrolment required |
| Click and Travel | Handheld checks by officers during peaks. Departing citizens, residents and visitors are covered, and arrival eligibility is being widened | 12 to 15 seconds | None, no application or fee |
Dubai Airports says anyone under 15 or shorter than 1.2 metres should not use the Smart Gates, so families with young children generally go to a counter. Other eligibility details are reported by travel guides and can change, so confirm your own status with GDRFA Dubai before you rely on a lane. The age and height rules are explained separately.
How do you use Smart Gates?
- Remove anything covering your face, including hats, glasses and masks.
- Keep your passport and boarding pass in hand in case the gate needs a manual scan.
- Walk into the gate area, follow the green light and stand on the marked spot for the camera scan.
- Step through when the biometric check completes and the barrier opens.
If you are not sure you qualify, use the Smart Gates eligibility pre-check before you reach immigration. More on the other two options: Click and Travel and the Red Carpet AI corridor.
Need the detail behind each lane? See who cannot use the Smart Gates, how the Red Carpet smart tunnel compares and what to do if you are not eligible.
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