Before the arrivals hall, there is passport control.
Every passenger on an international flight into Dubai goes through passport control before the baggage hall. For a tour leader or a family organiser, knowing what to expect lets you brief the group before landing. Here is what Dubai Airports publishes about visa on arrival, the eye scan, the Smart Gates and the visa office. We say nothing about time, because the airport publishes no figure for a group.
What this page covers, and what it does not
This page is about the immigration step only: the desks and gates between the aircraft and the baggage hall. It comes from Dubai Airports’ own immigration and visas page, read on 30 October 2026. Rules and pages change, so check the airport and your airline close to your travel date.
We do not give visa advice, we do not say how long passport control takes, and we do not describe what happens after you leave the baggage hall. For the airport’s terminal rules, see our Dubai Airport terminals for group leaders guide, and for the timing of a large party after landing, see a big group arrival at Dubai Airport.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteVisa on arrival
Dubai Airports lists the countries whose citizens can get a visa on arrival, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and most European countries, and tells passengers to confirm with their airline.
The eye scan and the Smart Gates
Dubai Airports says some visitors may be asked for an eye scan at passport control. A tour leader can mention it to the group so nobody is surprised.
The Smart Gates, at Dubai Airport and at Al Maktoum Airport, let eligible people pass in seconds. The airport says UAE and Gulf nationals, residents, and visa-on-arrival guests with biometric passports can use them, and that first-time users are registered at the passport control touchpoint. It also says guests with large strollers, families with children, and guests under 1.2 m cannot use the Smart Gates. That matters for a family trip: the adults may be eligible, while the children are not, so the family may go to the desks. The airport has a Smart Gates pre-check tool so a guest can check eligibility before travel. Use the Dubai Airports page for it.
The visa office
The airport lists the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs visa office in Terminal 3 arrivals, near Entrance 1, open 24 hours. If a passenger has a document question, that is where the airport points them.
Briefing a group before landing
- Tell everyone the sequence: aircraft, passport control, baggage hall, arrivals hall.
- Remind passengers to carry their passports and any documents the airline asked for, in hand luggage.
- Mention the possible eye scan.
- Tell families that children may not be able to use the Smart Gates, per the airport’s page.
- Agree a place to regroup after the baggage hall, and tell the group the terminal rules in our terminals guide.
- Allow for the unknown. The airport publishes no time for passport control, so do not tell the group a number.
Your written quote states the arrangements for your transfer, and you agree them before you fly. Send the flight number, the date and the party size, and we match the quote to your landing time. See also the UAE airports compared if you are choosing between airports.
Choosing the vehicle
Count passengers first and bags second. Our guide figures:
- Mercedes V-Class: up to 7 passengers and 6 bags.
- 13-seater HiAce: up to 13 passengers and about 10 suitcases.
- Mercedes Sprinter: up to 16 passengers and up to 12 suitcases.
- 30-seater mini coach and 50-seater coach for tour groups.
Keep reading
- Dubai airport transfer for groups: Vans, Sprinters, mini coaches and 50-seat coaches for groups landing at DXB or DWC, with the luggage and the split flights planned.
- Big group arrival at DXB: How to land 30 or more people at Dubai International and get them onto the right coach: flight lists, luggage, split arrivals and a group leader who is easy to find.
- Airport transfer for 2 to 6 passengers: A couple, a family of four or six friends: which private car to book from Dubai Airport, the sedan, the luxury SUV or the V-Class, and how the bags decide.
- Dubai Airport to your hotel: Metro, bus, taxi rank, app ride, hotel transfer or a driver in arrivals: how to reach your hotel from DXB, area by area.
- Airport transfer or day hire?: One airport ride and one tour day in Dubai: when two separate bookings make sense, when one driver for the day does, and what to ask for in the quote.
- Dubai Airport to Downtown Dubai: From DXB to Downtown, Business Bay and DIFC hotels: the crossings, the rush hours, the drop-off at each tower and a vehicle sized to your bags.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
Do we need a visa for Dubai?
Entry rules depend on your passport. Check the Dubai Airports immigration page and confirm with your airline.
Can children use the Smart Gates?
Dubai Airports says guests under 1.2 m and families with children cannot use the Smart Gates. Adults who are eligible may still choose the desks if they travel with children.
Will we have an eye scan?
The airport says some visitors may be asked for one at passport control.
How long does passport control take?
The airport publishes no figure, so we cannot give one. Do not plan a tight connection on a guess.
Where is the visa office?
Dubai Airports lists it in Terminal 3 arrivals, near Entrance 1, open 24 hours.
Can you help with visas?
No. We do not give visa advice. Check the airport page, your airline and the official authorities.
How do I get a price?
Ask for a fixed written quote through the booking form with the flight, the date and the party size. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
Landing in Dubai? We plan the transfer.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.