DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai International Airport (DXB) has introduced a new digital service that allows passengers to confirm whether they are eligible to use the airport’s biometric Smart Gates before reaching passport control, helping streamline travel during the busy summer season.
The Smart Gates Eligibility Pre-Check, launched by Dubai Airports in partnership with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai), provides travellers with instant eligibility confirmation before they enter the immigration area. Officials say the initiative is designed to improve passenger flow and reduce queues at manual passport counters.
The rollout comes as DXB prepares for one of its busiest travel periods of the year. Daily passenger traffic is expected to exceed 265,000 travellers, following the airport’s record 95.2 million passengers in 2025, when it retained its position as the world’s busiest international airport for international traffic.
How passengers can check eligibility
The service is available through DXB’s Pocket Flights platform and does not require passengers to download a separate application.
Travellers can access the feature by visiting:
QR codes displayed throughout airport terminals also provide direct access to the service.
To check eligibility, passengers simply:
- Open the Pocket Flights portal.
- Select Smart Gates Pre-Check.
- Scan the photo page of their passport using their smartphone camera.
- Receive an instant confirmation showing whether they can use the Smart Gates.
Eligible passengers can then proceed directly to the biometric gates instead of joining standard immigration queues.
At the Smart Gates, travellers stand on the marked footprints, remove face coverings or glasses if necessary, look toward the facial recognition scanner and complete immigration clearance within seconds.
Supporting faster airport journeys
Dubai Airports said every enhancement at DXB is focused on creating a smoother airport experience for travellers, particularly during periods of heavy passenger demand.
The airport’s biometric Smart Gates have become a key part of Dubai’s smart travel infrastructure. During the first half of 2026, more than 9 million passengers completed immigration using the automated system.
The service is currently available to several categories of travellers, including:
- UAE nationals
- GCC nationals
- UAE residents
- Eligible visa-on-arrival visitors
- Travellers holding Schengen visas where applicable
- Holders of pre-issued UAE visas
By helping eligible passengers identify their status before arriving at passport control, authorities expect the new pre-check service to ease congestion and improve passenger movement across DXB terminals.
Expanding Dubai’s digital travel ecosystem
The launch forms part of Dubai’s wider strategy to digitise airport services and deliver faster border processing through biometric technologies and artificial intelligence.
Alongside the Smart Gates programme, Dubai has also introduced its AI-powered Travel Without Borders – Red Carpet initiative for eligible travellers, reducing average immigration processing times from 12.5 seconds to approximately 3.4 seconds.
With international travel continuing to grow, officials are expected to introduce additional digital services aimed at making airport journeys faster, more efficient and increasingly contactless for passengers using DXB.
