Dubai’s government has announced a network of off-airport city check-in facilities that will allow passengers to complete baggage drop, document checks and boarding-pass issuance hours before they set foot in Dubai International (DXB) or Al Maktoum International (DWC). The initiative, revealed on 28 January 2026, aims to reduce terminal congestion during the upcoming spring-summer peak when daily passenger numbers regularly exceed a quarter-million.
Under the scheme, airlines and ground-handling partners will staff dedicated counters in major business districts and residential hubs. Travellers who clear formalities in the city will proceed through a dedicated ‘fast channel’ at the airport and can go directly to security and immigration. Similar concepts operate in Hong Kong and Seoul, but Dubai is positioning its version as the largest multi-airline, multi-airport model worldwide.
Airport operator Dubai Airports says the move builds on the emirate’s smart-gate immigration system, where registered passengers clear border control in under six minutes using biometrics. Combining off-site check-in with automated immigration is expected to cut kerb-to-gate times by up to 40 percent, an important metric for corporate travel managers whose staff transit Dubai on tight connections.
![Dubai to Open City Check-In Centres, Promising Faster Airport Experience]()
Travellers should also ensure that their entry documents are in order before taking advantage of the new check-in locations. If you or your employees need assistance securing a UAE visa—whether for business, tourism, or crew transfer—VisaHQ can manage the entire application online, track status updates, and deliver approvals electronically. Visit https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/ to see requirements for more than 200 nationalities and to start an application in minutes.
From a mobility-policy perspective, the service should reduce the minimum connection time HR departments write into travel guidelines and lessen the risk of missed flights on assignment relocations. Employers should, however, update duty-of-care protocols: once baggage is accepted in the city, passengers fall under air-carrier liability rules even though they are still landside.
Pilots will start next month with Emirates and flydubai before expanding to other carriers ahead of the July rush. Use of the service will be optional and priced at approximately AED 35 (US $9.50) per passenger, a cost many companies are likely to absorb in exchange for time savings.
Under the scheme, airlines and ground-handling partners will staff dedicated counters in major business districts and residential hubs. Travellers who clear formalities in the city will proceed through a dedicated ‘fast channel’ at the airport and can go directly to security and immigration. Similar concepts operate in Hong Kong and Seoul, but Dubai is positioning its version as the largest multi-airline, multi-airport model worldwide.
Airport operator Dubai Airports says the move builds on the emirate’s smart-gate immigration system, where registered passengers clear border control in under six minutes using biometrics. Combining off-site check-in with automated immigration is expected to cut kerb-to-gate times by up to 40 percent, an important metric for corporate travel managers whose staff transit Dubai on tight connections.
Travellers should also ensure that their entry documents are in order before taking advantage of the new check-in locations. If you or your employees need assistance securing a UAE visa—whether for business, tourism, or crew transfer—VisaHQ can manage the entire application online, track status updates, and deliver approvals electronically. Visit https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/ to see requirements for more than 200 nationalities and to start an application in minutes.
From a mobility-policy perspective, the service should reduce the minimum connection time HR departments write into travel guidelines and lessen the risk of missed flights on assignment relocations. Employers should, however, update duty-of-care protocols: once baggage is accepted in the city, passengers fall under air-carrier liability rules even though they are still landside.
Pilots will start next month with Emirates and flydubai before expanding to other carriers ahead of the July rush. Use of the service will be optional and priced at approximately AED 35 (US $9.50) per passenger, a cost many companies are likely to absorb in exchange for time savings.
