Student Nol Card: Eligibility, 50% Discount & How to Apply

The student nol card is a personal Blue nol card that halves Metro, tram and bus fares for students aged 5 to 23 at a school, college or university in the UAE. It costs AED 70, or AED 95 with an ISIC student card. You apply online with UAE Pass, and KHDA-registered students get theirs in 2 working days.

The discount lasts one year at a time, so it has to be renewed every year.

Who qualifies for a student card?

RTA’s rules, mostly from its personal nol card page, are:

• Age: 5 to 23 years old.
• Study: enrolled at a school, college or university within the UAE, not only in Dubai.
• Nationality: students of all nationalities qualify.
• One at a time: you can hold only one active concession card.

Students aged 18 or over must apply themselves, using their own UAE Pass. For younger students, the official sponsor or family guardian applies on their behalf.

Visiting students on holiday don’t qualify, because the application needs a UAE Pass linked to an Emirates ID.

What the 50% discount covers, and what it doesn’t

The nol card student discount is 50% on RTA’s Metro, tram and buses. On a single trip, that means the following, based on RTA’s nol fares page:

The discount does not apply everywhere. RTA lists only the Metro, tram and buses, and excludes intercity and seasonal buses. Parking and shop payments are charged normally. Concession cards are Silver Class only, so the Gold Class cabin is not available on a student card.

Many websites say students also get half-price water buses or taxis. RTA’s terms don’t say that, so don’t count on it. Our Dubai Metro and bus fares guide has the full fare tables.

Student card price: AED 70 or AED 95 with ISIC

ISIC, the International Student Identity Card, is recognised worldwide. RTA says it brings student offers on flights, hotels, subscriptions and shops. Our view: pay the extra AED 25 only if you travel abroad or will use those offers. For transport alone, the AED 70 card does the same job.

Choose carefully at the start. RTA says switching between the standard and ISIC students’ nol card means cancelling your card, refunding the balance and applying again.

Documents: the KHDA shortcut

Your school or university decides how much paperwork you need.

If your school is registered with Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), RTA pulls your records automatically. The application is approved straight away, with no documents, and the card arrives within 2 working days of payment.

Everyone else uploads a recent official letter from the school, college or university confirming enrolment in the current academic year. RTA also accepts a valid student ID. Documents must be in Arabic or English. RTA checks them within 2 working days and delivers within 4 working days of payment.

This is the route for many university students and for schools in other emirates. Ask the student office for the letter as early in the academic year as you can.

How to apply for a student nol card online

1. Log in to the RTA website or nol Pay with UAE Pass.
2. Choose Apply for a Personal nol Card, then Self or On Behalf.
3. Select the Students category, and the ISIC option if you want it.
4. Pick your school or university, or upload the letter.
5. Enter the delivery address, then pay by credit or debit card once approved.

You must pay within 30 days of approval. Delivery is free, by Emirates Post, and the courier will ask for an Emirates ID.

Renewing the student discount every year

The card itself lasts 5 years, but the student concession is valid for only 1 year from the date of issue. RTA sends an SMS and email 30 and 15 days before it expires.

Renew it through RTA’s Renew a Personal nol Card service on the RTA website, nol Pay or S’hail, with a new letter if your school is not on KHDA. If you don’t renew, the card keeps working at standard fares. RTA says renewal fees apply each time, but its pages don’t spell out the cost of renewing only the concession, so check the amount at checkout.

Student travel passes: which one pays off?

Here is the maths, using RTA’s prices. A 30-day student travel pass only pays off at about 47 trips a month. A student making two trips a school day takes about 44, so pay-as-you-go is slightly cheaper.

The 365-day pass is different. At AED 1,335 for all zones, it pays off at about 356 long trips a year, or around 30 a month. A student who commutes every school day and crosses more than 2 zones each way should clear that, but check your term dates and zones first. For university students crossing the city every day, the yearly student travel pass is the best value on this list.

What parents should know

For a child under 18, the parent or official sponsor applies with their own UAE Pass and chooses On Behalf. Once the card arrives, link it to your account in nol Pay. RTA’s family service lets a guardian manage each child’s card and schedule automatic top-ups, which is the easiest way to keep a nol card for students topped up through the term.

RTA also has rules on children travelling alone. RTA says children under 8 should not use public transport without an adult. From 8 to 11, a parent must issue a permit first. From 12, children can use the Metro, tram and buses on their own. Check these before your child starts using the card for the school run, because the nol card student discount does not change them.

Why student applications get rejected

Based on RTA’s rules, these are the reasons an application can be rejected:

• an old letter, or one that does not show the current academic year
• a UAE Pass linked to a passport instead of an Emirates ID
• an active concession card already in your name
• no payment within 30 days of approval

RTA emails and texts the reason, and you can reapply. If the card later goes missing, our lost nol card guide explains how to block it and keep the balance.

Frequently asked questions

Is the nol card free for students in Dubai?

No. Students pay half fare, not nothing. The card costs AED 70, which includes AED 20 credit, and every Metro, tram or bus trip then costs 50% of the standard Silver fare. Free travel is only for People of Determination with a Blue card, and for young children, who don’t need a card at all.

What is the age limit for the student card?

RTA sets the range at 5 to 23 years old. The student must also be enrolled at a school, college or university in the UAE. Students aged 18 or over apply with their own UAE Pass, while a parent or official sponsor applies for younger children.

How long does it take to get the card?

If your school is registered with KHDA, the application is approved automatically and the card arrives within 2 working days of payment. For other schools and universities, RTA checks the letter within 2 working days and delivers within 4 working days of payment. The ISIC version takes 4 working days.

Can university students in Sharjah or Abu Dhabi get one?

Yes. RTA’s rule is enrolment at an institution within the UAE, so students at universities in other emirates qualify. Upload your enrolment letter, because only KHDA schools are approved automatically. The 50% discount applies on Dubai’s Metro, tram and RTA buses, not on intercity buses or other emirates’ transport.

Getting the most from a student nol card

Apply as soon as you have this year’s enrolment letter, choose the ISIC version only if you will use it, and renew before the yearly concession ends. If you commute daily, look at the 365-day pass. For the regular adult version and family applications, read our personal nol card guide. More guides are in our travel section and on the Live In Gulf homepage.