A Nol card is essential for travel on the Dubai Metro as no other forms of payment are taken for travel (no cash or credit cards).
There are 4 colours of nol cards that you can buy which will enable you to travel on the Dubai Metro. The Nol card is also valid for other forms of Dubai public transport: buses, tram, water taxis etc.
You can also use your Nol card to pay for parking at the RTA public car parks and parking zones. The Nol card automatically calculates the correct fare value when you check in and check out correctly.
In particular you must remember to check in an out when you travel on the buses and trams. If you don’t then you will be charged the highest fare possible for your journey (maximum number of zones).
The Nol cards can be bought at any of the Dubai Metro stations, tram stations or bus stations and are as follows:
Red Nol Card
Well rather than being a card this is more of a paper ticket. It is valid for 90 days and costs 2 dirhams to buy and you can load it up with the cost of 10 individual trips. This nol card can now be used on all 3 means of public transport – Metro, Tram and Bus. You can also add a one day ticket to the red Nol card.
Silver Nol Card
This is the best card if you intend to use the Dubai Metro or other forms of public transport on an intermittent or even regular basis, or if you need to pay for parking regularly.
The Nol silver card costs 25 dirhams to buy but that includes 19 dirhams in credits. It is valid for a period of 5 years and can be topped up to a maximum value of 500 dirhams. You can get the silver Nol card from all the Dubai Metro stations and bus stations plus it is also available in some supermarkets in Dubai.
The Silver Nol card is therefore the most useful card that you can buy, in particular if you are visiting or do not have a Blue Nol card. The cost of the card itself is 6 dirhams so it is slightly more expensive than the Red card but if you make more journeys you will soon save this money on the cost of the trips.
If you register your Silver Nol card it can also be used to buy longer season tickets.
Gold Nol Card
A Nol gold card can be used on all forms of transport. You will be charged normal rates on Dubai buses, but for the Dubai Metro and the Tram you will pay the gold class fare. This means that you will be able to travel in the Gold Class carriage.
In all other ways it acts the same as the silver Nol card. The Gold Class carriage gives a higher level of luxury and comfort than the other classes. The Gold Nol card also costs 25 dirhams with a value credited to it of 19 dirhams.
If you register your Gold Nol card it can also be used to buy longer season tickets.
Blue Nol Card
The blue Nol card is a personalised card that carries the extra benefit of security if your card is lost or stolen. You can also top up your Nol card online.
It is particularly useful for disabled, student or senior citizen travel as then you can be charged the correct reduced fare. The blue Nol card costs 70 dirham which includes a 20 dirham fare credit and is also valid for 5 years. If you are registered disabled with a Blue Nol card then all travel is free.
With a blue Nol card you can also purchase season tickets longer than a week.