DXB launches Smart Gates pre-check tool for faster passport control

DUBAI — Travellers passing through Dubai International Airport can now find out whether they are eligible to use its biometric Smart Gates before they reach passport control, under a new digital service aimed at cutting queues during the busiest travel season of the year.

Dubai Airports has launched the Smart Gates Eligibility Pre-Check in partnership with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai. The tool gives departing and arriving passengers instant confirmation of their eligibility, removing the guesswork that often sends travellers into manual counter queues unnecessarily.

Dubai Airports said in an announcement on X that every improvement at DXB is designed to make the journey through the airport more seamless, with the pre-check making it easier for travellers to navigate their way through the terminals.

How to use the Smart Gates pre-check

The service requires no app download. It can be reached through Pocket Flights, DXB's real-time flight information platform, or by scanning QR codes placed across the terminals and gates. To check eligibility:

●    Open the Pocket Flights portal (dxb.pocketflights.com) on a smartphone.
●    Select the Smart Gates PreCheck option.
●    Use the phone camera to scan the photo page of the passport within the on-screen frame.

The result appears within seconds. Passengers confirmed as eligible can skip the regular immigration lines and go straight to the Smart Gates, where they step onto the marked footprints, remove glasses or face coverings, look at the green light and walk through in a matter of seconds.

Who can use the Smart Gates

The biometric system, which relies on facial recognition, is open to a broad range of travellers, including UAE and GCC nationals, UAE residents, visa-on-arrival passengers, Schengen zone visitors and holders of pre-issued visas. More than nine million passengers cleared immigration through the gates in the first half of 2026 alone.

Timed for the summer peak

The launch lands at a demanding moment for the airport. DXB is in the middle of its peak summer period, with daily passenger numbers forecast to top 265,000. The airport handled a record 95.2 million passengers in 2025, retaining its position as the world's busiest for international traffic, and volumes have continued to build through 2026.

By steering more eligible passengers towards the biometric gates, the pre-check is expected to ease pressure on manual passport counters over the coming weeks.

Part of a wider smart-travel push

The tool adds to a growing set of biometric services in Dubai. The emirate's AI-powered “Travel Without Borders — Red Carpet” service has cut average immigration clearance times for eligible passengers from about 12.5 seconds to 3.4 seconds, part of a broader drive towards contactless travel across the city's airports and hospitality sector.