A Nol card is the prepaid smart card you tap to pay for the Dubai Metro, tram, RTA buses, water transport and public parking. There are four types: Silver, Gold, Blue (personal) and the Red ticket. A Silver or Gold card costs AED 25, which includes AED 19 of travel credit, and lasts five years.
The table below sets out each card side by side. Use it to pick the right one before you buy, then read on for how each card works.
| Detail | Silver | Gold | Blue (personal) | Red ticket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | AED 25 | AED 25 | AED 70 | AED 2 |
| Refundable deposit | None | None | None | None |
| Initial credit | AED 19 | AED 19 | AED 20 | None |
| Balance cap | AED 1,000 | AED 1,000 | AED 5,000 | 10 trips |
| Validity | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 90 days |
| Where to buy | Machines, counters, agents | Machines, counters, agents | RTA app or service centre | Machines, counters |
| Best for | Daily and regular riders | Gold Class travel | Students, seniors, People of Determination | Short visits, a few trips |
The card fee is not a deposit. It pays for the card itself and the RTA does not return it, so there is nothing to reclaim later. The Blue card carries a higher fee because it is registered to you, with your name and photo.
What a Nol card is and where it works
The Nol card is the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) payment card for Dubai. One card covers the Metro, the tram, RTA city buses, water buses and ferries, and paid public parking. It also works at many shops and outlets that accept it.
On the Metro you tap in at the gate when you start and tap out when you finish. The fare comes off your balance based on the zones you cross, not the number of stops. A single tap covers a whole trip, even when you change lines at an interchange such as Union. On a Silver or Blue card the daily charge is capped at AED 14, so once you reach it the rest of the day's rides cost nothing.
The card is for Dubai. It does not work on Abu Dhabi or Sharjah city transport, which use their own cards. The UAE government lists three separate systems: the Nol card in Dubai, the Hafilat card in Abu Dhabi and the Sayer card in Sharjah, per the UAE government portal. The one exception is RTA-run intercity buses, such as the E100 and E101 to Abu Dhabi, which take Nol.
How to top up your Nol card
You can top up in three ways. The quickest in a station is the ticket vending machine, which takes cash and cards. Station ticket offices and counters do the same. Some supermarkets and authorised agents around the city also sell and top up cards.
To top up from your phone, use the RTA Dubai app or the nol Pay app, or the RTA website. You pick the amount and pay by card, and the balance loads to your account. This is the easy option once your card is set up.
An unregistered Silver or Gold card holds up to AED 1,000. A registered Blue card holds up to AED 5,000. Keep at least the cost of your longest trip on the card, because the gate will not let you in without enough credit for the fare.
On a heavy sightseeing day, a Silver card caps at AED 14, after which every further ride is free until midnight. Before you buy a day pass for a packed day out, check whether pay-as-you-go would hit the cap anyway. For most single-day visitors it does, and the plain Silver card works out the same or cheaper.
Silver, Gold and Blue compared
The Silver card suits most people. It pays standard fares, needs no registration, and you can buy one in minutes at any machine. For day-to-day travel it is the default choice.
The Gold card costs the same as Silver and comes with the same AED 19 of credit. The difference is the cabin. A Gold card lets you ride in the Gold Class cabin at the front of the train, with more space and fewer people. The trade-off is the fare: a Gold Class trip on the Metro costs double a Silver fare, per the RTA Nol fares page.
The Blue card is the personal card, linked to your Emirates ID and printed with your name and photo. Because it is registered, you can block it and recover the balance if you lose it. It is also the card you need for concession fares: students and senior citizens get 50 per cent off, and People of Determination travel free. If you live here and ride often, the Blue card is worth the higher fee for the balance protection alone.
The Red ticket is a paper card for short stays. It costs AED 2 to buy and holds up to 10 single trips or 5 day passes. Its per-trip fares sit a little higher than a Silver card, so it pays off only for a handful of rides, not a long visit.
Refunds and lost cards
There is no deposit to refund. The card fee is non-refundable, so returning a card does not get you money back. What matters is your stored balance, and whether the card is registered.
An unregistered Silver or Gold card works like cash. If you lose it, the balance goes with it, because nothing ties the card to you. Treat it like a banknote and keep it safe.
A registered Blue card is different. If it is lost, damaged or stolen, you report it to the RTA, block it, and move the balance to a replacement card. The RTA runs a Nol-to-Nol balance transfer for this, through its app, ticket machines and service centres. The exact steps and any conditions are worth confirming with the RTA, as the rules around card-to-card transfers are not always clearly published.
Booking Dubai attractions you will reach by Metro?
Many top sights sit a short walk from a Metro station, so a Nol card and a few pre-booked tickets cover most visits. Popular slots sell out in winter, so book the busy ones ahead.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Fares, card prices and rules are set by the RTA and can change. Confirm current figures with the RTA before you travel.