RTA travel pass: How you can take unlimited trips on the Dubai Metro

Dubai: Did you know you can get unlimited trips on the Dubai Metro? All you have to do is purchase a travel pass.

Whether you are a resident who wants to regularly use the Metro, or a tourist visiting Dubai for just a day – getting a travel pass will help you travel to multiple locations on a single nol card or ticket.

The travel pass is issued by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and you can buy it online through the RTA’s ‘nol Pay’ app or at the nearest Metro station.

What is a travel pass?

According to RTA, you can get the travel pass on any nol card you currently hold – silver, blue or gold.

If you do not have a nol card, and do not wish to get one for future use, you can purchase the red ticket, which is a ‘single trip ticket’. While the red ticket is usually for a single trip, you can request the counter agent to turn it into a travel pass, which will allow you to use the Metro for up to five trips for that day.

If you have a travel pass, you can take multiple trips on any line of public transport, except for buses across Emirates

Travel pass validity

• For nol red tickets - One day
• Anonymous nol silver or gold cards – Seven days
• Registered or personalised nol cards: 30 days, 90 days, or 365 days

Three ways to purchase a travel pass

1. nol Pay app, which is Apple, Android and Huawei devices.
2. Ticket vending machines
3. Ticket office machines

How much does the travel pass cost?

When you buy a travel pass, you have to select how many zones you want to travel to.

The Dubai public transportation map is divided into seven zones. Each zone contains Metro stations, Bus stations, Tram stations, and Water bus stations. With the pass, you have the option to travel within one zone, two zones or all of them.

RTA public transport zone — RTA Public Transport Zones Map. Image Credit: Suppplied

Here is a breakdown of the cost:

The fees varies according to the zone and the validity of the travel pass.

Red ticket (regular)
One zone: Dh4
Two zones: Dh6
More than two zones: 8.50

Red ticket (gold)
One zone: Dh8
Two zones: Dh12
More than two zones: Dh17

The cost listed above is for a single trip. You can top up this ticket depending on how many trips you wish to take during the day, with a maximum of five trips.

Silver nol card

For seven days:
• One Zone: Dh50
• Two Zones: Dh80
• All zones: Dh110

For 30 days:
• One Zone: Dh140
• Two Zones: Dh230
• All zones: Dh350

For 90 days:
• One Zone: Dh330
• Two Zones: Dh550
• All zones: Dh830

For 365 days:
• One Zone: Dh1,060
• Two Zones: Dh1,770
• All zones: Dh2,670

Gold nol card

For seven days:
• One Zone: Dh100
• Two Zones: Dh160
• All zones: Dh220

For 30 days:
• One Zone: Dh280
• Two Zones: Dh460
• All zones: Dh700

For 90 days:
• One Zone: Dh660
• Two Zones: Dh1,100
• All zones: Dh1,660

For 365 days:
• One Zone: Dh2,120
• Two Zones: Dh3,540
• All zones: Dh5,340

Blue card holder (categories that receive concessions)

For seven days:
• One Zone: Dh25
• Two Zones: Dh40
• All zones: Dh55

For 30 days:
• One Zone: Dh70
• Two Zones: Dh115
• All zones: Dh175

For 90 days:
• One Zone: Dh165
• Two Zones: Dh275
• All zones: Dh415

For 365 days:
• One Zone: Dh530
• Two Zones: Dh885
• All zones: Dh1,335

How to purchase the travel pass online

For this, you will need an existing nol card. If you do not have one, then you can purchase a nol card online through the RTA website – rta.ae or go the nearest Metro station and purchase a nol card from the ticket office counter. Once you have the nol card with you, follow these steps:

1. Download the nol Pay app, and login into the application with your UAE Pass.
2. On the app’s homepage, scroll down and click on ‘Purchase Travel Pass’.
3. Next, place the nol card on the back of your phone. Remove the card after the app notifies you that it has completed the scanning.
4. After that, the app will retrieve the information from your nol card, such as the balance and transaction history.
5. Select the ‘Travel Pass’ type. The option available will depend on the type of nol card.
6. Next, choose the zone type:
• Single Zone
• Two adjacent zones
• All zones.
7. Next, select the zone or zones you want to travel on the display map.
8. Pay the ‘Travel Pass’ with credit or debit card online.
9. Once the payment is completed, scan your card again to activate it.