Dubai is changing the way some passengers pass through immigration, with a new mobile system that allows officers to process travellers without requiring them to approach a traditional immigration counter.
Called Click & Travel, the service uses handheld devices equipped with biometric verification, facial recognition and electronic passport-reading technology. GDRFA Dubai officially launched it on 7 September after testing it on more than 31,000 passengers.
The move raises an obvious question: if immigration officers can now move around the terminal with the technology needed to clear passengers, how much will the traditional passport-control process actually change?
And what does Click & Travel mean for travellers who are already familiar with Dubai’s smart gates?
Here is how the new system works.
What is Click & Travel?
Click & Travel is a mobile passport-control service that allows immigration officers to complete passengers’ arrival and departure procedures using handheld devices.
Rather than every traveller having to approach a fixed immigration counter, officers can take the device to the passenger and carry out the necessary checks there.
The system is connected securely to official databases, giving officers access to the information needed to verify a traveller and complete the immigration process.
It is designed to work alongside Dubai’s existing immigration infrastructure, rather than replace it.
How does it work?
The handheld system brings several parts of the immigration process together.
It can read electronic passports, verify biometric information and use facial recognition. Automated checks are also carried out as part of the process.
Once the passenger’s details have been verified, the officer can complete the relevant immigration procedure through the device.
The key difference is that the technology is no longer tied to a fixed desk.
How fast is it?
GDRFA Dubai says a Click & Travel transaction takes around 12 to 15 seconds.
During the trial period, the system processed 31,373 passengers, allowing authorities to assess how it performed in real airport conditions before its official launch.
Who can use Click & Travel?
The service is available to:
- UAE nationals
- UAE residents
- GCC nationals
- Visitors
It can be used for both arrivals and departures at Dubai’s airports.
Does it mean immigration counters are going away?
No.
Click & Travel is an additional way of processing passengers, rather than a wholesale replacement for conventional immigration counters.
The system gives airport staff more flexibility over where immigration procedures take place.
That could be useful during busy periods, when passenger flows need to be adjusted, or when certain travellers would benefit from being processed where they are rather than having to move to a fixed counter.
What about Dubai’s smart gates?
Click & Travel does not replace the smart gates.
Dubai International Airport already uses automated passport-control systems that allow eligible passengers to complete immigration with minimal interaction with an officer.
The new service works differently.
With a smart gate, the passenger goes to the technology.
With Click & Travel, the technology can go to the passenger.
That distinction is at the heart of the new system.
Why is Dubai introducing it?
For airport authorities, flexibility is one of the main attractions.
Passenger numbers can fluctuate considerably during the day, and airports need to be able to respond when particular areas become crowded.
A fixed immigration counter cannot easily be moved. A handheld device can.
The system therefore gives immigration teams another way to manage passenger flows and potentially reduce the time travellers spend waiting at fixed points.
Can children and People of Determination use it?
Yes.
The mobile nature of the system could be particularly useful for passengers who need additional assistance.
Children and People of Determination can be processed without necessarily having to approach a conventional immigration counter, with the officer able to bring the device to them.
When was it first tested?
Click & Travel has been in development for almost a year.
The first trial began in October 2025 at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, initially focusing on families.
A second phase began in May 2026, expanding the trial across Dubai’s airport terminals and to different categories of travellers.
Following the trial, GDRFA Dubai officially launched the service on 7 September 2026.
What does it mean for passengers?
For travellers, there is no new app to download or separate procedure they need to learn.
The change is largely behind the scenes.
Passengers may still use smart gates or traditional immigration counters, depending on their circumstances. But where Click & Travel is used, an immigration officer can complete the process away from a fixed desk.
The broader aim is to make the journey through immigration quicker and more adaptable, particularly when airports are dealing with heavy passenger traffic or travellers who require additional assistance.
Could this change the way airport immigration works?
Click & Travel is part of a wider shift towards technology-based immigration at Dubai’s airports.
Smart gates have already reduced the need for some face-to-face passport checks. Biometric technology has made identity verification increasingly automated.
Click & Travel adds another possibility: keeping the immigration officer, rather than the passenger, mobile.
For now, it is another option within Dubai’s passport-control system.
But its introduction suggests that the future of airport immigration may not be defined by how many counters an airport has — but by how easily the technology can move to wherever passengers need it.
