Sharjah Airport (SHJ) arrivals: immigration, the arrivals hall and where your driver meets you

What happens after you land at Sharjah Airport?

Sharjah International (SHJ) is the home airport of Air Arabia, whose coaches serve it. The airport sits 13 km south east of Sharjah city, close to the Dubai border.

The order is the same as at every UAE airport: walk to immigration, clear passport control, collect your bags and pass customs into the arrivals hall. A chauffeur booked with Assure is waiting at the end of that line.

How does passport control work at SHJ?

Sharjah Airport has smart gates for eligible passengers. The airport describes the steps. Place the photo page of your passport on the e-reader. Step into the gate and stand on the marked area. Put your luggage next to you and remove glasses and hats. Look at the camera, and the gate opens.

Everyone else uses the staffed desks. If you need a visa on arrival or have a problem with your papers, the airport’s Hala Services team can help with meet and assist, arrival visa collection and wheelchair or porter support.

Check your entry rules on our UAE visas explained guide before you fly.

Where does your driver meet you?

Your Assure chauffeur waits in the arrivals hall, past customs, holding a board with your name. The driver sends a WhatsApp message with the exact meeting point once you land.

Sharjah Airport offers premium arrival parking with a dedicated meet and greet area, so the walk from hall to car is short. We confirm the car’s position by message, because parking layouts change.

Your driver does not need the airport’s welcome permit. That permit lets a guest enter as far as the baggage claim area for AED 62.5, and it must be requested 6 hours ahead. We meet you after customs instead.

How do you get from SHJ to Dubai?

Destination	Distance by road	Free-flow drive time
Dubai Airport Terminal 1	about 22 km	about 21 minutes
Downtown Dubai	about 38 km	about 33 minutes
Sharjah city	about 16 km	about 16 minutes

Distances come from OSRM (OpenStreetMap routing), and Sharjah Airport itself says central Dubai is 15 km away and roughly 20 minutes. Traffic on the Sharjah-Dubai roads adds time at rush hour.

Two public options exist. Sharjah Taxi runs 24 hours from stands at the arrival level, metered, plus an AED 20 airport surcharge. Air Arabia coaches reach Al Ghurair Centre in Dubai for AED 20 a seat, leaving the airport between 8 am and 11.30 pm.

For a car with a fixed quote, see Assure airport transfers at Sharjah. Our guide to the Sharjah Airport to Dubai route covers the road in more detail.

Is a chauffeur better than a taxi at SHJ?

A taxi is quick if you travel light and go to one address in Sharjah. A chauffeur suits you when you land late, arrive with several bags, or go on to Dubai, Ajman or Umm Al Quwain.

• Price: the taxi meter runs plus AED 20 at the airport. Assure quotes a figure on WhatsApp before you travel.
• Meeting: the taxi is a queue. The chauffeur waits with your name.
• Flight delays: the chauffeur tracks your flight number.

Our meet and greet guide explains the name-board pickup in full. If the trip ends in Sharjah city, read about our chauffeur service in Sharjah.

What about the return leg?

Sharjah Airport runs a home check-in service in Sharjah City, daily from 11 am to 11 pm, and you can book it up to six hours before your flight. Confirm packages and prices on the airport’s own page when you book.

If you are comparing airports for a Dubai trip, the Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi airport comparison sets out the trade-offs. Going the other way, see our guide on getting from Dubai to Sharjah Airport. The UAE airports guide lists every other airport.