By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 4 min read
How early do Emirates, flydubai and other airlines want you at DXB?
Dubai Airports gives one rule for everyone: arrive at least 3 hours before departure. Airlines then set their own closing times, which are tighter.
| Airline | Check-in opens | Check-in closes | Gate closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| flydubai (Terminal 2, some flights at Terminal 3) | 3 hours before | 60 minutes before | 20 to 25 minutes before |
| Emirates (Terminal 3) | Confirm on your booking | Confirm on your booking | Confirm on your booking |
| Other airlines (Terminal 1 and others) | About 3 hours before | Set by the airline | Set by the airline |
flydubai’s own pages give 20 minutes on one page and 25 on another, so plan for the earlier figure. We have not confirmed current Emirates cut-offs from an official page, so use the times on your booking.
Our Terminal 3 guide and Terminal 1 guide show which airlines use each building. Send your terminal and flight number when you book.
When do check-in desks open and close?
Dubai Airports says counters open about 3 hours before the scheduled departure. Closing is the airline’s call. For flydubai it is 60 minutes before departure.
Do not aim for the closing time. After check-in you still need security and passport control, and Terminal 3 concourses A, B and C and Terminal 1’s D Gates are reached by airport train. Dubai Airports lists the train for the D Gates in Terminal 1 and the A Gates in Terminal 3. Add that ride to your plan.
Can you check in before you reach the airport?
Yes, in three ways.
- Online: flydubai opens online check-in 48 hours before departure and closes it 75 minutes before.
- City Check-in: Emirates lists City Check-in facilities for Dubai flights, including one at DIFC. Hours have changed over the years, so confirm them on emirates.com.
- Home check-in: Emirates lists a home check-in service in Dubai and Sharjah. You must book ahead.
A pre-flight check-in saves queueing at the desk. You still go through security and passport control at DXB, so the 3-hour rule is a safe default if you are unsure.
Pickup time by area: drive time plus buffer
Work backwards. Take 3 hours at the airport, add the drive and add a buffer for traffic. The drive times below run from the Terminal 1 car park, averaged over both directions, from the OSRM route planner on OpenStreetMap data. Terminals 2 and 3 are a few kilometres different.
| Pickup area | Road distance | Without traffic | Pickup time before departure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deira (Al Rigga) | about 5 km | 7 min | 3.5 hours |
| Dubai World Trade Centre | about 12 km | 14 min | 3.5 hours |
| Downtown Dubai | about 15 km | 17 min | 3.5 to 4 hours |
| Business Bay | about 16 km | 18 min | 3.5 to 4 hours |
| Sharjah city | about 17 km | 20 min | 3.5 to 4 hours |
| Dubai Marina | about 33 km | 31 min | 4 hours |
| Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis end | about 37 km | 37 min | 4 hours |
| Abu Dhabi city | about 150 km | 1 h 38 min | 5 hours or more |
The last column is our planning guide, not an airline rule. It adds a traffic buffer to the free-flow time. We agree your pickup time with you on WhatsApp. Our chauffeur car seats and luggage guide helps you pick a car for the number of bags.
Which rush hours and events slow the drive to DXB?
Airport Road, Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road all carry commuter traffic on weekday mornings and evenings. The journey across the Garhoud area is also affected by events and holidays. We have no official peak window to quote, so check live traffic on the morning of your flight. Our Dubai rush hour guide covers the patterns.
Public holidays and the days around them need extra time on the road and at the desks. Check dates in our UAE public holidays guide. A missed flight can also mean an overstay problem if your visa ends that day, which our overstay fine guide explains.
If you want to sleep close to the terminal the night before, read our guide to staying near Dubai Airport.
Departing from AUH, SHJ or DWC instead
The 3-hour rule above comes from Dubai Airports, so check each airport’s own advice before you rely on it elsewhere. The drive differs a lot:
- Zayed International (AUH): about 130 km from the DXB area, roughly 1 h 40 min by OSRM. See our Dubai to Abu Dhabi Airport guide and the Dubai to Abu Dhabi transfer.
- Sharjah International (SHJ): about 22 to 29 km from the DXB terminals, 20 to 37 minutes. See our Dubai to Sharjah Airport guide.
- Al Maktoum International (DWC): about 58 to 61 km, an hour or a little more.
Departure-day checklist
- Confirm your airline’s check-in closing time on your booking.
- Set the pickup time from the table, plus 30 to 60 minutes on a public holiday.
- Have passports, visas and boarding passes in your hand luggage.
- Check the car fits your bags before the day.
- Message your chauffeur if the flight time changes. Our DXB airport transfer page and the chauffeur service cover bookings.
Photos in this guide
Taxis at the Terminal 1 kerb at night, with the Airport Terminal 1 metro station behind, at Dubai InternationalVitorabdala / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
An Emirates Airbus A380 at a gate at Dubai International, seen through the patterned glass of the terminalJnanaranjan sahu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Gate seating and signs to the B, A, D and F Gates in Concourse B of Terminal 3 at Dubai InternationalKgbo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
