Dubai: Passport control goes mobile with “Click and Travel”

In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, passport control is no longer necessarily limited to fixed counters inside airport terminals.

Dubai’s General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) announced on September 7, 2026, the launch of its new “Click and Travel” service, which authorities describe as the world’s first mobile system allowing border control officers to complete entry and departure procedures directly where passengers are located inside airport terminals.

The announcement was officially confirmed by the UAE’s WAM news agency in a statement published on September 7, 2026.

Passport control can now come directly to the traveler

With “Click and Travel,” GDRFA officers are equipped with mobile devices connected to Dubai’s immigration systems and databases.

These devices allow officers to securely access traveler information, verify identity using biometrics, and complete entry or departure procedures on the spot.

According to the GDRFA, the entire process can be completed in approximately 12 to 15 seconds.

The system is designed in particular for periods of heavy passenger traffic and for operational situations in which border control teams need to be deployed quickly throughout airport terminals. It is therefore not simply a new automated checkpoint available to travelers. Instead, immigration officers themselves can now carry out checks away from fixed passport control stations.

According to the GDRFA, this added mobility should help improve staff allocation, reduce bottlenecks and allow border control operations to respond more quickly to changing passenger flows inside terminals.

More than 31,000 procedures completed during the pilot phase

“Click and Travel” was tested before its official launch.

A pilot phase ran from May through August 31, 2026. During that period, 31,373 entry and departure procedures were processed using the new mobile system.

Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs, said the initiative reflects a shift from simply improving existing procedures to rethinking the passenger experience itself.

“We place people at the heart of the development process and harness advanced technologies to create an easier and more efficient travel experience,” he said.

According to Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, the more than 31,000 procedures already completed also demonstrate the service’s operational readiness and pave the way for its gradual expansion.

Available to all travelers at departure, but not yet on arrival

The scope of the service differs depending on whether a traveler is departing from or arriving in Dubai.

For departures, “Click and Travel” can be used for all passengers, including UAE citizens, residents and international visitors.

For arrivals, the rollout is currently more limited. The first phase applies only to UAE citizens and UAE residents.

International visitors arriving in Dubai are therefore not yet included in the initial arrival phase. However, the GDRFA plans to expand the service gradually based on operational needs.

Dubai is already considering additional mobile airport services

Dubai authorities do not intend to limit the use of these mobile devices to border entry and departure procedures alone.

The GDRFA says it is studying the possibility of adding other traveler services in the future, beyond immigration processing, subject to approved operational and security requirements.

The initiative is part of Dubai’s broader push to develop smarter airports, improve passenger flow and make border services less dependent on fixed infrastructure.