DXB Terminal 3 arrivals: exits, meeting points and where your driver waits

Which flights arrive at Terminal 3?

Terminal 3 is the Emirates terminal at Dubai International. Emirates says every one of its flights arrives and departs here. Dubai Airports also lists flydubai, United and Air Canada among the airlines using its A, B and C Gates.

flydubai is the one to watch. Its home is Terminal 2, a separate building north of Terminal 1, and only some of its flights use Terminal 3. Read the terminal on your booking, not the airline name.

Gates	Part of Terminal 3 since	How you reach the main building
A Gates	January 2013	A short airport train ride
B Gates	2008, when Terminal 3 opened	On foot
C Gates	2016	On foot, past the B Gates

The dates come from the Dubai Airports Terminal 3 fact file. Our guide to every UAE airport covers the other two DXB terminals and the six other passenger airports.

From Concourse A, B or C to passport control

Your gate decides the first part of your walk. Dubai Airports says travellers walk between the B and C Gates, then take a short ride on the airport train to the A Gates. Coming off a flight at an A gate, you ride that train towards the main building before you reach passport control.

Emirates puts the move between any two of its concourses at about 30 minutes. That figure is for connecting passengers, but it shows the scale of the building. A long taxi to a remote stand, or a bus from the aircraft, adds more.

Free airport buggies run inside the concourses. Emirates lists pickup points at the Concourse A central area, opposite gate B18 in Concourse B, and at the Concourse C entrance.

Smart gates or the passport desk

Terminal 3 arrivals has 72 immigration counters and 40 smart gates, according to the Dubai Airports fact file. Smart gates are open to UAE and GCC nationals, UAE residents and visa-on-arrival visitors with biometric passports.

First-time users are registered at passport control on arrival. Families with children, guests under 1.2 metres tall, People of Determination and anyone with a large stroller go to the staffed counters instead. Some visitors are asked for an eye scan at the desk.

Visa questions on the day go to the GDRFA office in Terminal 3 arrivals, near Entrance 1, open 24/7. Our step-by-step arrival guide explains what to have ready before you join the queue.

Baggage reclaim and customs

Terminal 3 has 14 reclaim carousels, and 4 of them take oversized bags.

Switch your phone on here. Your chauffeur’s WhatsApp message with the meeting point should be waiting, so you know where to walk before you clear customs.

What is in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall?

Once you pass customs you are landside, in the public part of the terminal. Dubai Airports lists these services at Terminal 3:

• Travelex currency exchange.
• Car rental desks for Europcar, Dollar, National and Autostrad.
• A Jumeirah hotel desk.
• The Emirates Chauffeur-drive desks, where First and Business Class passengers check in for the airline’s own car.
• The DXB Greet and Go kiosk for pre-booked pickups.
• The GDRFA visa office near Entrance 1.

Exact counter positions change, so ask a Guest Experience Ambassador if you need one desk in particular.

Where your chauffeur waits at Terminal 3

Your Assure chauffeur waits in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall, past customs, holding a board with your name. VIP guests are welcomed there personally by the chauffeur. The chauffeur messages you on WhatsApp with the exact spot inside the hall.

Send your flight number when you book, so the pickup is timed to your real landing time. Your quote states how long the chauffeur waits after landing.

From the hall you walk together to the Terminal 3 car park. Dubai Airports says there is no pick-up area at arrivals, and the car park is 2 to 3 minutes away on foot. Your chauffeur helps with your bags on the way.

Dubai Airports announced DXB Greet and Go for Terminal 3 on 9 July 2025. Licensed limousine companies send guests a QR code, guests scan it at a kiosk, and airport staff guide them to the right car. Ask on WhatsApp whether your pickup uses the kiosk or the name board. Our explainer on meet and greet at Dubai Airport compares it with marhaba fast track.

Taxis, the metro and buses from Terminal 3

• Taxi: Dubai Taxi cars wait at a rank at the terminal around the clock and run on the RTA meter.
• Ride-hailing: Uber, Careem and Bolt drivers wait at signed pickup points.
• Metro: the Red Line stops at Airport Terminal 3 station. Trains run from 5 am to midnight Monday to Thursday and Saturday, to 1 am on Friday, and from 8 am on Sunday. You may carry 2 pieces of luggage.
• Bus: RTA buses leave from stands at arrivals. Pay with a Nol card, because cash is not accepted.

A family with 4 large cases, or anyone landing after the last train, is usually better off with a car. Business Class and First Class passengers on Emirates should check whether their ticket includes Chauffeur-drive first. Emirates asks for that booking at least 10 hours before the flight.

What if you can’t find your driver?

1. Stay inside the arrivals hall. The chauffeur will not be at the kerb, because private cars wait in the car park.
2. Message the chauffeur on the WhatsApp thread from your booking, or Assure on +971 56 684 8148, which is answered 24/7.
3. Say which exit you came through and what you see around you, such as a car rental desk or the Greet and Go kiosk.
4. Do not accept a lift from anyone who approaches you. Your chauffeur knows your name and your booking.

If your bags are missing, report them at the airline’s baggage desk before you leave the reclaim hall. Tell your chauffeur on WhatsApp so the pickup can be adjusted.

Drive times from Terminal 3 to Downtown, the Marina and Abu Dhabi

Road distances and free-flow drive times below run from the Terminal 3 car park. Both directions are averaged, using the OSRM route planner and OpenStreetMap data. Weekday rush hours add time on Al Khail Road, Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Ittihad Road.

From Terminal 3 to	Road distance	Without traffic
Deira (Al Rigga)	about 14 km	27 min
Dubai World Trade Centre	about 19 km	32 min
Downtown Dubai	about 21 km	32 min
Sharjah city	about 21 km	34 min
Business Bay	about 23 km	34 min
Dubai Marina	about 40 km	48 min
Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis end	about 44 km	55 min
Al Maktoum International (DWC)	about 63 km	1 h 13 min
Abu Dhabi city	about 157 km	1 h 56 min

Terminal 3 sits further east than Terminal 1, so each drive in this table runs a few kilometres longer than the same trip from Terminal 1. Our Terminal 1 arrivals guide has the same table from the other building. For the route into the city centre, read DXB to Downtown Dubai.

Which car fits a Terminal 3 arrival?

Count the large cases before you choose the car. A 3-seat sedan takes 2 large suitcases. A Mercedes-Benz V-Class carries 6 passengers with 4 large cases, and a 13-seat Sprinter takes 6 large cases. Our guide to seats and luggage space by car lists every model, and the full fleet has photos.

For a board member or a guest off an Emirates First Class flight, the limousine service puts an S-Class or a 7 Series at the Terminal 3 car park. Exotic cars are available through our partner network, subject to availability. Guests flying in on several Emirates flights for one wedding can be met one by one: see airport pickups for wedding guests.

Book on WhatsApp with your flight number, the number of passengers and bags, and the drop-off address. Our DXB pickup page covers Terminals 1 and 2 as well, and the chauffeur service keeps the same car with you after the airport.