Blue NOL Card in Dubai
The Blue NOL card, which RTA calls the Personal card, costs AED 70: an application fee of AED 50 plus AED 20 of travel credit. It carries your name and photo, and that is what protects the balance if the card goes missing and what makes student, senior and People of Determination fares possible. Per trip it charges the same as a Silver card, AED 3 to AED 7.50.
Blue NOL card price and the versions of it
The standard Blue card is AED 70. RTA splits that into a AED 50 application fee and AED 20 of opening balance, so the true cost of the card itself is AED 50 and the rest is yours to spend. At the one zone fare of AED 3 that opening credit covers six rides.
Four variants cost more. A Personal Silver card printed with an ISIC student card is AED 95, a Personal Gold card is AED 80, and the special design versions run to AED 100 in Silver and AED 110 in Gold. People of Determination pay AED 0.
A replacement is charged at the full new issuance rate every time, so a lost standard card means another AED 70. Every NOL price on one page lists these fees next to the card and pass prices.
| Version | Price | Credit included |
|---|---|---|
| Personal (standard) | AED 70 | AED 20 |
| Personal Gold | AED 80 | AED 20 |
| Personal Silver with ISIC | AED 95 | AED 20 |
| Personal special design (Silver) | AED 100 | AED 20 |
| Personal special design (Gold) | AED 110 | AED 20 |
| People of Determination | AED 0 | AED 20 |
Based on RTA service 634 Request Personal nol card.
How to apply for a Blue NOL card
Applications run through the RTA website, the RTA Dubai app or the NOL Pay app under service 634, Request Personal nol card. You need an Emirates ID or UAE Pass login, a photo and a delivery address, and you pay the AED 70 at checkout, AED 20 of which lands on the card as credit.
Delivery is free and takes 2 working days for students whose enrolment KHDA verifies automatically, or 4 working days for every other application. The card arrives by post rather than over a counter, so most people buy a AED 25 Silver card to cover the wait.
One person may hold up to 5 Personal or registered cards, and only 1 of those may be an active concession card at any time. Household cards are managed from the same RTA account. Delivery covers all of Dubai, from Deira and Bur Dubai out to Dubai Marina and Mirdif.
The concessions only a Blue NOL card can hold
Half fare is the reason most people pay AED 70 instead of AED 25. Students aged 5 to 23 enrolled at a UAE school or university, residents from 60 and Social Affairs beneficiaries pay AED 1.50, AED 2.50 and AED 3.75 by zone count.
People of Determination ride free on a Sanad card, and children aged 5 or under ride free with no card at all. A student crossing more than two zones twice a day saves AED 3.75 on each leg against the AED 7.50 adult fare, which clears the AED 50 application fee inside seven school days.
The concession status is valid 1 year and has to be renewed annually, even though the card itself runs 5 years. The student card page covers KHDA verification and renewal step by step.
| Journey | Adult Blue card | Student, senior or Social Affairs | People of Determination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within 1 zone | AED 3 | AED 1.50 | AED 0 |
| 2 adjacent zones | AED 5 | AED 2.50 | AED 0 |
| More than 2 zones | AED 7.50 | AED 3.75 | AED 0 |
Based on RTA nol Fares.
What personalisation actually protects
An anonymous card behaves like cash: lose it and the balance goes with it. A Blue card is tied to your Emirates ID, so a call to 800 9090 blocks it and the money moves onto the replacement. It also holds up to AED 5,000, five times the AED 1,000 ceiling on an anonymous Silver card.
Refunds follow the same logic. RTA returns unused credit on Personal and registered cards only, through the website or app with your PIN, and pass refunds are pro rata on those cards alone. What to do with a lost card sets out the blocking and replacement steps.
A Personal card also carries one month of transaction history in your RTA account, which is the quickest way to settle an argument about a fare that looks wrong.
| Card | Price | Credit included | Fare, 1 zone | Concessions | Balance if lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | AED 25 | AED 19 | AED 3 | no | lost unless registered |
| Gold | AED 25 | AED 19 | AED 6 | no | lost unless registered |
| Blue (Personal) | AED 70 | AED 20 | AED 3 | student, senior, Social Affairs | protected |
| Red Ticket | AED 2 | none | AED 4 | no | not applicable |
| NOL Travel card | AED 100 | AED 19 | AED 3 | no | lost unless registered |
Based on RTA Choose nol and RTA nol Fares.
Passes a Blue NOL card can load
Anonymous cards are restricted to the 7 day pass. A Blue card takes all four durations, from AED 50 for seven days in one zone up to AED 2,670 for a year across every zone. Concession holders pay AED 175 for a 30 day all zones pass against AED 350 at the adult rate.
Passes cover Metro, Tram and Bus but not intercity or seasonal routes, and any travel outside the pass zones is billed at the normal fare. The 30, 90 and 365 day passes can be renewed from five days before they expire. Every pass price and its break even point sits on one page.
| Pass length (all zones) | Adult | Student or senior |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | AED 110 | AED 55 |
| 30 days | AED 350 | AED 175 |
| 90 days | AED 830 | AED 415 |
| 365 days | AED 2,670 | AED 1,335 |
Based on RTA nol Fares and RTA service 648 Travel Pass.
When a Blue card is not worth the extra fee
For an adult paying full fare who rarely loses things, the AED 50 application fee buys very little. Fares are identical at AED 3 to AED 7.50, and registering an anonymous Silver card for AED 30 produces the same AED 5,000 ceiling, the same balance protection and the same access to 30, 90 and 365 day passes for less money.
The replacement rule catches people out too, since every reissue costs the full AED 70 again. And for a visitor here for a few days none of it applies: a Red Ticket at AED 2 does the job without an application at all.
Keep reading
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NOL Fare Calculator 2026: Dubai Metro, Bus, Tram
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Frequently asked questions
How much is a Blue NOL card?
AED 70 for the standard version, made up of a AED 50 application fee and AED 20 of travel credit. The ISIC version is AED 95 and the Personal Gold version AED 80.
How long does a Personal NOL card take to arrive?
2 working days for students whose enrolment KHDA verifies automatically, and 4 working days for everyone else. Delivery itself is free.
Can I have more than one Personal NOL card?
Yes, up to 5 Personal or registered cards per person. Only 1 of them may be an active concession card at any one time.
Does a Blue card cost more per trip than a Silver card?
No. Both pay AED 3 within one zone, AED 5 across two adjacent zones and AED 7.50 beyond that. The difference is concession eligibility and balance protection, not the fare.
What is the maximum balance on a Blue NOL card?
AED 5,000, against AED 1,000 on an anonymous Silver card. Online top ups are capped at AED 150 per transaction, so filling a card to the ceiling takes several goes.
How long does the student or senior concession last?
1 year, renewed annually, even though the card itself runs 5 years. A lapsed concession puts the card back on the adult fares of AED 3 to AED 7.50.