Choose the appropriate Nol card once, stop worrying about tickets later

Types of NOL Cards and their Uses

This article is going to deal primarily with Types of NOL Cards and their Uses with respect to different categories of users – daily commuters, tourists, students as well as older adults. RTA at the moment has four main products.  

• Silver card – the regular reloadable card and most common amongst the residents.
• Gold card – Same as Silver but lets you sit in Gold Class at the Metro and Tram. 
• Blue nol card (Personal) – a named card with a photo, used for concessions.
• Red nol card (Red Ticket) – A very basic paper ticket issued to light users and tourists.

According to multiple sources, a silver nol card is what most passengers use everyday. 

Some Important Information is: 

•  It is a plastic and rechargeable card. 
•   It is usable for 5 years.
•  It costs approximately 25 – 30 AED, and often comes with 19 – 20 AED of initial credit.
•  It can be used for the Metro, Tram, public buses, most marine transit, and parking.
•  It is a better deal than a red ticket for each individual trip.

Ideal for: 

•  Public transport frequenters.
•  Tourists staying for several days.
•  Anyone interested in a single cart of travel spending. 

A silver nol card balance is secured by registering the card online to be useful for longer periods of travel.

Before starting your metro ride, make sure to Check NOL Card Balance so you never run out of credit.

The Gold card works the same way as the Silver card, but is aimed for customers who want to pay for premium seating. 

Key facts: 

•  The card is used the same way as a Silver card. 
•  The fare is higher. 
•  Gold Class is only useful if you want to travel in premium seating.

To save money, you should consider getting a silver nol and blue nol card.

You can avoid last-minute delays by checking your balance and choosing to Recharge Your NOL Card when needed.

The Blue Nol Card (Personal) is a Nol card with your name and a photo. 

Key features:

• Linked with your Emirates ID
• Issued as Adult, student, seniors, and People of Determination
• Your balance is safe (RTA can transfer it) if you lose it
• Allows you to purchase longer passes and use discount fares

RTA states that  senior citizens, students, and UAE national residents all get 50% off public transport when they use the appropriate profile on blue nol card.

Best for:

• Riders on a daily basis who don’t want to lose money if the card is lost
• Seniors, People of Determination, and students
• All who want to get discounted weekly, monthly, or yearly passes  

If you want cashback, discounts, and travel perks, don’t forget to Register NOL Plus and enjoy member benefits.

A Student Nol Card is the Blue Nol Card with Student Status under the Nol Student Package. 

Latest updates:

• Students aged approximately 6 to 23 in UAE Schools and universities are eligible
• Get up to 50% off all RTA public transport. 
• Most public transport and transit students use the RTA.
• Affiliated with ISIC so you’re able to receive flight, food, shopping, etc. discounts.

General application process (via Nol Pay):

• Install Nol Pay on your mobile.
• Log in with your UAE Pass, and access the app.
• Look for and select the option “Apply for a personalised NOL Card”
• Select the “Student” category
• Upload a passport-sized photo, a copy of your Emirates ID, as well as an enrolment letter.
• After payment of the fee, you will receive a notification for either delivery of the card, or you will have to come to a Nol Card kiosk to collect your card.

Once the card has been activated, it will automatically apply the student discount for each trip or for every travel pass, including unlimited monthly pass.

The red nol card is usually called the Red Ticket. 

Main  Details:

• Paper-based ticket
• The red nol card is bought at machines and ticket offices
• Up to 10 single trips or some simple products available
• Valid for 90 days from purchase
• One mode at a time (for example, Metro only or Tram only on that ticket) 

• tourists staying a day or two
• people who want to test the system before buying a plastic cardIt’s simple, but per-trip fares are higher than with a silver nol card.

Nol card unlimited all zones price – weekly and monthly

If you travel a lot, “unlimited” passes are where real savings show. The cost of a nol card that offers unlimited travel in all zones depends on several factors, specifically:

• The type of card you want, whether it is a Silver, a Gold card, or a concession on the Blue card
• The latest public pass tables state the duration, for how long you want the card, is it  7, 30, 90 or 365 days?

7 Day all zones prices (approx) are:

• Silver Card, approximately AED 110
• Gold card, approximately AED 220
• Concession, it’s about AED 55. It caters to students, senior Emiratis, and some residents that hold the blue card.

30-Day all zones prices are:

• Silver Card, AED 350
• Gold Card, AED 700
• Concession, it is of AED 175. It caters to students, and senior members that fall within the Blue category.

These passes give you unlimited travel within all zones for a chosen period of time. If you travel through the city on a daily basis, the nol card unlimited all zones is almost certainly cheaper compared to a pay-as-you-go card.Note: For 30, 90, or 365 day passes you typically will need a registered or blue nol card.

Whether you’re commuting daily or exploring the city, the Dubai Metro Map helps you move around Dubai effortlessly.

How you apply nol card depends on which type you want.

For Blue/Personal NOL

Application for Blue/Personal NOL can be done through RTA’s ‘Manage NOL Card’ service or Nol Pay. Simply you can:

• Visit the RTA website, or open the Nol Pay app.
• Use UAE Pass or RTA account to login.
• Select the option “Apply for Personal NOL Card”.
• Fill your personal information, then upload your photo.
• Choose one of the following categories: Adult, Student Nol Card, Senior, and People of Determination.
• Pay the application fee, which is usually about 70 AED, inclusive of the credit amount to start with and goes higher than that if you add ISIC.

For Silver, Gold and Red

For the Silver, Gold, and Red that you actually don’t “apply” for as you just buy them from:

• Ticket vending machines located in the Metro and certain Bus Stops
• Ticketing offices
• Authorized Retailers and certain shops

Subsequently, it is still possible to register the Silver or Gold card online, so that RTA can safeguard your account balance and allow you to purchase longer term passes.

Here is why you can choose: 

• If you are a tourist for 1-3 days, get the Red Nol Card for easier trips and/or buy a daily product for rides. It’s priced at $1.
• Regular rider or a new resident, and don’t have any special concessions? They can get the Silver Nol Card with pay as you go option, alternatively opt for weekly or monthly subscriptions.
• Would you just want them to have a name, photo of themselves, as well as a secure balance? Get the Blue Nol Card from the Adult Category. 
• If you are a full-time student, then you can opt for the Student Nol Card which can be added to the blue Nol Card accompanied with passes that correspond to the price of an unlimited across-all-zones Nol Card, especially if your travels take you to different parts of the city.
• Senior citizen or People of Determination? Similar setup as Blue with their own benefits and in some cases free travel. 

 These are the core of Types of NOL Cards and their Uses in daily life.

Regular commuters should always remember to Renew your NOL Card to avoid facing delays at metro gates or bus stations.

Dubai’s Nol system does look a bit complicated at first, but it is mainly just a collection of systems for various different riders.

• Silver nol card is an everyday workhorse.
• Blue nol card adds an extra level of security and extra savings.
• Student Nol Card and Senior profiles reduce the cost of travel.
• Red Nol Card is there for short-term travelers.

The price for the Nol card unlimited all zones gives an affordable, predictable monthly/weekly cost for heavy users. Before your first Metro ride, you can apply for and set up your nol card online. Once you become familiar with the types of nol cards and their uses, you can select your card, add the appropriate pass, and forget about buying tickets every time you ride.