Dubai Metro Nol Card Types, Fares and Passes 2026

The four Nol card types

The Silver card is the standard option for most travellers. It costs AED 25 at the machine (which includes AED 19 of starting credit) and works on metro, buses, tram, water bus, and RTA parking meters. This is the right card for most tourists and short-stay visitors.

The Gold card also costs AED 25 and looks identical to Silver, but it gives you access to the Gold class cabin on the metro and tram. You pay double the Silver fare per journey. It is worth carrying if you plan to upgrade regularly on long commutes.

The Blue card (officially the Personal card) costs AED 70 including AED 20 starting credit. It is registered to your name, which means the balance can be recovered if it is lost or stolen. It also unlocks discounted fares for students, seniors, and People of Determination. The Red Ticket is a paper disposable option at AED 2 per card. It can hold up to 10 trips or 5 daily passes and is valid for 90 days. It works on a single transport mode only per journey and costs more per trip than a reloadable card.

• Silver card: AED 25 total (AED 19 credit), standard class, all modes
• Gold card: AED 25 total (AED 19 credit), Gold class access on metro and tram
• Blue (Personal) card: AED 70 total (AED 20 credit), registered, discounts eligible
• Red Ticket: AED 2 per card, up to 10 trips, single mode per journey

How fare zones work

The whole of Dubai public transport is divided into zones. Your fare depends on how many zones your journey crosses, not how many stops you travel. A short trip within one zone costs less than a cross-city journey.

The Silver and Personal cards charge the same zone fares. Gold cards charge exactly double on metro and tram only. Red Tickets cost slightly more per trip than the reloadable cards, which is why they are only worth using for occasional single trips.

Transfers between metro, bus, and tram within 30 minutes use the same zone calculation. You do not pay again for the transfer if you stay within the same zone, which makes mixing transport modes on a single journey cheaper than it might look.

Travel passes explained

Passes are available for 7, 30, 90, and 365 days. You can choose between a 1-zone pass (cheaper, covers short fixed routes) or an all-zones pass (covers unlimited travel anywhere on the network).

All passes work on metro, buses, tram, and water bus. They are loaded onto your existing Nol card and activate on the first journey you make after loading, not the day you buy them.

Student passes exist at roughly half the Silver price and are available to registered students in Dubai. These require a verified Personal card linked to a student ID.

• 7-day all-zones Silver pass: AED 110
• 30-day all-zones Silver pass: AED 350
• 7-day all-zones Gold pass: AED 220
• 30-day all-zones Gold pass: AED 700

Special fares and free travel

Children aged 5 and under travel free with no card needed. People of Determination travel free on a registered Personal card. Students, senior Emiratis, and UAE citizens in social care receive a 50% discount on Personal card fares.

These discounts require the correct card type. Standard Silver or Gold cards do not unlock any of these reductions, which is why some residents carry both a Silver for regular use and a Personal card for discount eligibility.