NOL Card for Tourists
The right NOL card for tourists comes down to how many trips you will make: a Red Ticket at AED 2 for a handful of rides, a Silver card at AED 25 for a week, or the AED 100 NOL Travel card that RTA sells to visitors. Metro fares run AED 3 to AED 7.50 on a plastic card and exactly one dirham more on paper. Four journeys is the point where the Silver card overtakes the Red Ticket.
Which NOL card a tourist should buy
Four cards are sold to visitors and only two of them make sense for most trips. A Red Ticket costs AED 2, holds up to 10 journeys and charges AED 4 to AED 8.50 a ride. A Silver card costs AED 25 with AED 19 of that returned as credit, and charges AED 3 to AED 7.50.
The NOL Travel card is the visitor product at AED 100, with the same AED 19 of credit as a Silver card and the same 5 year validity. RTA's fare table lists no separate rate for it, so it pays the standard AED 3 to AED 7.50 and the extra money goes on bundled offers rather than on travel.
A Gold card is the same AED 25 as a Silver card but doubles every Metro and Tram fare to AED 6 and AED 15 in exchange for the front cabin, which is worth it on a luggage run and rarely worth it otherwise.
| Card | Price | Credit on it | Fare per trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Ticket | AED 2 | AED 0 | AED 4 to AED 8.50 |
| Silver | AED 25 | AED 19 | AED 3 to AED 7.50 |
| Gold | AED 25 | AED 19 | AED 6 to AED 15 |
| NOL Travel card | AED 100 | AED 19 | AED 3 to AED 7.50 |
Based on RTA Choose nol and RTA nol Fares.
What three days of Dubai Metro costs a tourist
Take a typical stay: hotel near Burj Khalifa, two outings a day, most of them crossing two zones. Six journeys at AED 5 on a Silver card come to thirty dirhams, plus the AED 6 issuance fee. The same six journeys on a Red Ticket cost AED 6 each plus the AED 2 ticket, which lands a few dirhams higher.
Longer days change the answer. A run from Airport Terminal 3 out to Expo 2020 crosses Zones 5, 6, 2 and 1, so it is charged at the top tier: AED 7.50 on a Silver card and AED 8.50 on a Red Ticket. Three of those in one day cost more than the AED 20 all zones day pass.
For a full week, an anonymous Silver card can hold the 7 day pass at AED 110 for every zone or AED 80 for two zones. At AED 7.50 a trip the all zones version pays for itself at 15 journeys, which is a little over two long trips a day.
Where to buy a NOL card for tourists on arrival
Both Dubai International terminals on the Red Line have metro stations with ticket offices and ticket machines: Airport Terminal 3 and Airport Terminal 1. Machines take cash and cards and sell the Red Ticket, the Silver card and the Gold card over the same screen. Terminal 2 has no metro station of its own and is linked by bus from the Green Line.
Watch the top up minimums at the counter, because they are higher than most visitors expect. A ticket machine takes AED 20 or more, a ticket office starts at AED 50, and the NOL Pay app tops up from AED 5 with an online cap of AED 150 per transaction.
The clock matters as much as the card. Stations open at 05:00 Monday to Thursday but not until 08:00 on Sunday, and buying a card at the airport is only possible once the station is open. Metro timings by day shows the closing times as well.
Day passes and Gold Class for visitors
A day pass on a Red Ticket costs AED 20 for all zones, or AED 6, AED 8 and AED 10.50 for the versions capped at one zone, two zones or more than two. One ticket can carry up to 5 of them inside its 90 day life.
Gold Class doubles all of it. The all zones Gold day pass is AED 40 and single Gold rides on a Red Ticket are AED 8 to AED 17. The premium is charged against the card at check in, so a full front cabin still costs the higher fare.
| Day pass | Standard | Gold Class |
|---|---|---|
| All zones | AED 20 | AED 40 |
| Within 1 zone | AED 6 | AED 10 |
| 2 adjacent zones | AED 8 | AED 14 |
| More than 2 zones | AED 10.50 | AED 19 |
Based on RTA service 648 Travel Pass.
Leftover credit and refunds before you fly home
RTA refunds unused credit on Personal and registered cards only. An anonymous Silver card bought at the airport cannot be refunded unless you register it for AED 30, which costs more than most visitors have left on the card. A Red Ticket cannot be registered or refunded at all.
The practical answer is to load small amounts. The NOL Pay app tops up from AED 5, well under the AED 20 minimum at a ticket machine, so you can keep the balance close to zero on the last day. The refund rules spell out which cards qualify.
The other option is to keep the card. A Silver card stays valid 5 years from purchase and works for another 2 years on the balance already on it, so leftover credit is waiting for the next trip.
When a NOL card is not the answer
The AED 100 NOL Travel card is the hardest of the four to justify. It carries the same AED 19 of credit as a AED 25 Silver card and pays the same AED 3 to AED 7.50 fares, so the difference buys bundled offers rather than any travel benefit, and RTA does not publish what those offers are worth on its fares page.
Metro is also the wrong plan for some airport runs. Stations do not open until 08:00 on Sunday and close at 00:00 from Monday to Thursday, so an early Sunday flight or a late landing needs a taxi no matter which card is in your pocket.
Keep reading
NOL Card Balance Check Online 2026: RTA Dubai
Check your NOL card balance with the 10 digit tag ID, then open the official RTA page. Minimum balance AED 7.50, every method, updated August 2026.
NOL Fare Calculator 2026: Dubai Metro, Bus, Tram
Work out any Dubai Metro, bus or tram fare by zone and card type: Silver AED 3 to 7.50, Gold double, Red Ticket, concessions. Updated August 2026.
NOL Card and Dubai Metro Questions and Answers
Straight answers on NOL balance checks, tag IDs, fares, zones, passes, refunds, lost cards, expiry and how our calculators are tested against RTA.
Frequently asked questions
Which NOL card is best for tourists?
For fewer than four journeys, the Red Ticket at AED 2. Past four journeys a Silver card at AED 25 is cheaper, because AED 19 of the price comes back as credit and each fare is a dirham lower.
What does a day of Dubai Metro cost?
Two ordinary two zone trips are AED 5 each on a Silver card. A heavy sightseeing day of three or more long trips at AED 7.50 is better covered by the AED 20 all zones day pass on a Red Ticket.
Where do I buy a NOL card at Dubai Airport?
At the ticket office or ticket machine in the Airport Terminal 3 and Airport Terminal 1 metro stations on the Red Line. Machines take cash and cards, and the first top up starts at AED 20 on a machine or AED 50 at a counter.
Can I get my NOL balance refunded before flying home?
Only on a Personal or registered card. An anonymous Silver card would have to be registered for AED 30 first, which is rarely worth it, so the better plan is to top up from AED 5 in the NOL Pay app and run the balance down.
Is the NOL Travel card worth AED 100?
Only if the bundled offers matter to you. It holds the same AED 19 of credit as a AED 25 Silver card and pays identical fares of AED 3 to AED 7.50.
Can two people share one NOL card?
Not at the same time. Metro gates take one tap per passenger, and RTA lists a AED 200 fine for using another person's nol card. Two Red Tickets at AED 2 each are the cheapest way to cover a couple.