For using public transport in Dubai you need a special smart card. The NOL card helps you to pay for buses, metro, trams and even taxi. It is valid for all types of transport in Dubai, and also in the nearest cities such as Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi. On the one hand it’s easy to use it, but on the other hand there are a lot of nuances. Knowing them you can save your money and make your rides in the Arab Emirates as easy and comfortable as possible.
CONTENTS
🚌 RTA card Dubai: types and fares comparison
In this table I compare the main transport cards in Dubai. There are three basic types of them: Silver, Gold and Red card.
Type | Silver | Gold | Red |
Card price | AED 25 (19 – for trips and 6 – for the card) | AED 25 (19 – for trips, 6 – for the card) | AED 2 (for the card) + fare for trips |
Fare T1* | 3 | 6 | 4 |
Fare T2** | 5 | 10 | 6 |
Fare T3*** | 7.5 | 15 | 8.5 |
Use in transport | Metro, tram, bus | Metro, tram, bus | Metro, tram |
Where to buy | Metro and bus stations | Metro station | Metro station |
Validity | 5 years | 5 years | 90 days |
*T1 – a trip within one transport zone or a trip less than 3 km if the border of two nearby zones is crossed.
**T2 – a trip from one transport zone to the next one.
***T3 – traveling around the city through three or more zones.
I don’t describe here a blue transport card, because it’s for residents only, not for tourists. Moreover it’s more expensive than other RTA cards in Dubai. The most popular and convenient card for tourists is a Silver card. So let’s talk more about it.
🚅 NOL Silver Card in Dubai for metro and buses
As you can see in the table above, the RTA Silver card is the most effective for public transport in Dubai. It costs AED 25: AED 19 is kept in the balance, and AED 6 is the price of the plastic card. Unfortunately you can’t get back the card after your holidays, so AED 6 is the final price you have to pay for it.
NOL Silver card fares:
- 3 dirhams for a journey if you are going within one zone (Т1).
- 5 dirhams the price you have to pay for travel from one zone to the next one (Т2).
- 7.5 dirhams if you are getting across three or more zones (T3). This is the maximum fee you pay for a single trip within Dubai.
These prices are valid for 2022 and cover all types of public transport in Dubai: subway, trams, city buses and water buses.
Please notice that the fare depends on how many zones you cross during your journey. There are seven transport zones in Dubai. You can see them on this route map (to view it in detail, please click on the picture).
Besides you can combine different modes of transport, but you must be done it within 30 minutes. For example, you travel on tram then take a bus to reach your final destination. After you check-out from the tram, you will have just half an hour to check-in on a bus. Then your tram and bus trips will be charged as a single journey.
👑 About NOL Gold card in Dubai
Another option is to use the NOL Gold card. It also costs AED 25 (AED 6 is a card fee and AED 19 is kept in the balance). It seems that the conditions are the same with a Silver Card. However, if you are travel in the one zone (T1) the fare is AED 6. From one zone to the next one (T2) the fare is AED 10. And for intersections of three or more zones you have to pay AED 15. So as you can see it is more pricey than using a Silver card.
But the difference in costs is compensated by a trip in a special coach for gold card holders, which has a very comfy soft chairs, so the trip is like a comfortable flight.
And one more thing: it’s always at the beginning or at the end of the train. So the city view through the window is gorgeous! Dubai underground trains are not driven by machinists, everything is automated. While we were standing at the windshield, we really felt like a rolling on a roller-coaster 🙂
Once we rode in a golden coach with a Silver card, but you must know that the penalty for this violation is AED 100 (US$ 27). The inspectors in golden jackets can enter at any station and check your RTA Gold card. Fortunately, they didn’t ask us to show them the card, so we are just lucky. But do not repeat this trick after us if you want to safe your money.
In conclusion I can say that there is no point in buying the Gold card. Its fare is more expensive than the Silver card, so for only one trip in “golden” coach better to use the NOL Red card.
🚇 Red NOL card in Dubai
The Red card is very popular among tourists who pay for one-time journey by subway. It costs just 2 dirhams, it’s cheaper than the Silver one, but the fares of journeys are more expensive: T1 – AED 4, T2 – AED 6 and T3 – AED 8.5.
It is not difficult to count that after only four trips the price of the Silver card will benefit. The difference is that you can use the Red card at any time for the gold coach. However, it is more pricy. And you have to tell in the ticket office that you want to buy a VIP-journey in advance.
You can top up the Red card in a special terminals, just like other types of RTA cards. But other RTA cards have an unlimited times of recharges, while the Red card can only be recharged ten times (meaning you can use it for ten trips).
Besides, the Red card is valid only for subway and trams, but not for buses. And you can use the Red NOL card only in the city of Dubai. At the same time, the Silver NOL card is valid all over the country.
For example, you can travel with Silver card by bus from Sharjah to Dubai, or from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and other regions of the UAE. If you are planning to see many different sights around the Arab Emirates then definitely better to use the Silver RTA card.
💵 Where to buy RTA cards
Remember that you can’t take a bus if your card balance is less than 7.5 dirhams (max fare for one journey). NOL cards can be recharged at the bus or metro stations in advance, and you can also buy them there.
My instruction on how to top up the NOL card:
1. Put the card in the machine as shown in the photo. It should be placed in a special cell, not inserted like in an ATM.
2. To recharge your card select “Card Top Up” in the menu.
3. Then enter how much money you want to put on the balance. Minimum top up amount is AED 5 and maximum is AED 500. The kiosks accept the following denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, AED 500, and coins AED 1, 50 fils.
That’s all! Very easy, isn’t it?! 😉
✅ How to check NOL card balance online
If you have visited Dubai before and already have a NOL card you can use it again. The Silver and the Gold cards are valid for five years from date of purchase.
You can check Nol card expiry date at a metro station or on the RTA website www.nol.ae by typing in the card number.
By the way, the NOL card can be used in the Zoom shop in the metro stations. We paid there for some snacks and drinks.
It’s a good option to spend money on the card balance if you’re leaving the UAE.
❓ How to use NOL card in public transport
🚊 1. Trams
You can pay the fare on the tram station with using orange terminals before and after boarding.
🚄 2. Metro
Each Dubai Metro station has turnstiles for the RTA card. You must apply the card at the entrance and at the exit of the station.
🚍 3. Buses
On the buses, fare terminals are placed by each door. To pay the fare you just need to put your card at the beginning and at the end of the journey.