DXB
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai International has three terminals. Terminal 3 is the big one used by Emirates and some flydubai flights, and it has three gate areas called A, B and C. Terminal 1 (D gates) and Terminal 2 (F gates) serve other airlines, so a connection can mean a long walk, a train ride or a bus, and it is easy to get tired or lost if your two flights are in different places. Flight times and terminals can change at short notice, so check your flight and terminal with your airline shortly before you travel and again when you land.
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Your bags go through. You only change planes.
If you have a wheelchair or other help booked, an airport attendant (dnata) should be at the arrival gate when you get off the plane. Tell them your name and show your boarding pass. If you cannot see anyone, ask the cabin crew or airport staff at the gate before you walk away. Emirates says it brings an airport wheelchair as close to the aircraft as possible. If you did not book help, tell the cabin crew you are connecting and ask if they can arrange it. This may not be possible, so it is much safer to ask your airline to book help before you travel.
If you fly Emirates and your next flight leaves from Terminal 3, do not follow the signs to Arrivals or baggage. Follow the signs to "Connections". If your bags were checked through to your final stop on the same ticket, you do not collect them in Dubai. For connections between Emirates flights, Emirates says bags are checked through when the Dubai stop is under 24 hours. If your ticket includes another airline, rules may differ. At your first check-in, ask the agent to confirm that the bag tag shows your final city.
On one ticket you normally stay in the transit area and do not go through passport control. You do go through a security check again. Emirates says there are priority lanes at security for people with disabilities. If you are not sure which lane, ask a staff member or a Guest Experience Ambassador. If you plan to leave the airport, or have a long stopover, ask your airline what you need first.
If you do not already have a boarding pass for your next flight, get it at the transfer desk or the Emirates or flydubai Connections desk. Say your name, your next flight and your final city.
Check the Emirates app for your gate or ask at the desk. Terminal 3 has A, B and C gates. You can walk between B and C gates. A gates need a short ride on the airport train. Going between concourses can take up to about 30 minutes, so ask for a wheelchair or buggy if you are tired.
Do not wander. Stay near the Connections desk or a seating area and ask a Guest Experience Ambassador or a desk staff member. They can tell you which concourse to go to first. Check the screens again every 10 or 15 minutes.
A flight with another airline may leave from Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. Follow the Connections signs and ask which bus or train to take. Ask staff before you leave the Connections area, because bus pick-up points are different for each terminal.
You collect your bags and check in again. Allow much more time.
On separate tickets you must enter Dubai: Dubai Airports says people who do not need a visa, or who hold a Dubai visa, must clear passport control, collect bags and check in again. Check the rules for your passport and your length of stay before you leave home. Some travellers need a visa or a 48-hour or 96-hour transit visa that is sponsored by a UAE-based airline and arranged before arriving. If your next flight is with another airline, ask which visa you need.
Follow the signs for passport control or immigration. There are special passport control counters and lanes for people with disabilities. Ask your airline when you book whether you can use them. At the airport, ask a Guest Experience Ambassador if you cannot see them or are not sure whether you can use them.
Pick up your bags from the baggage hall, then go through customs. Ask for a trolley or for wheelchair help with your bags. If you do not have a Dubai visa and cannot enter, ask at the transfer desk whether Marhaba Services can move your bags between flights. Dubai Airports says fees apply. Check with your airline before you travel whether separate tickets will work for you.
Find which terminal your next airline uses (for example Emirates is Terminal 3, flydubai uses both Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, and many other airlines use Terminal 1). If you fly flydubai, check your ticket or ask flydubai which terminal is yours. If your next flight leaves from another terminal, ask a staff member how to get there. The Metro links Terminals 1 and 3 only, and you pay a fare. A shuttle bus between terminals is described by some guides, but check with staff before you rely on it. Then check in again at the airline desk.
After check-in you leave the country again. You go through departure passport control and then a security check before going to the gate.
There is no official minimum for separate tickets. A sensible plan for an older person travelling alone is at least 4 to 5 hours between flights. This is advice, not a rule. If your first flight is late, the second airline does not have to wait for you.
On ONE ticket, you normally stay in the transit area and do not go through Dubai passport control. On SEPARATE tickets, you must go through passport control, collect your bags and check in again (Dubai Airports page). If you do need to leave the airport, a UAE transit visa is 48 hours or 96 hours, single entry, and cannot be extended (UAE government page, updated 28 July 2026). It is sponsored by a UAE-based airline, so you usually apply through the UAE airline you are flying with (or a travel agent or airport hotel) before you arrive. If your next flight is with another airline, ask which visa you need. Rules differ by passport, so check the rules for your passport with your airline before you travel.
Dubai has three terminals. Terminal 3 has A, B and C gates (mainly Emirates, flydubai, United and Air Canada). Terminal 1 has D gates and Terminal 2 has F gates. Inside Terminal 3, you can walk between B and C gates, and the airport train goes to A gates. Terminal 1 D gates are a short train ride from the main building. Emirates says moving between concourses can take up to about 30 minutes, and a bus runs between Concourse A and Concourse C. Dubai Metro links Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 (it does not go to Terminal 2). Some airport service companies say there is a free shuttle bus between terminals, but we could not confirm times on an official page. Ask a staff member or your airline which bus to take and when it leaves. Allow plenty of extra time, especially for Terminal 2. Walking between terminals is not sensible. Distances are long for an older person. Dubai Airports describes a round-the-clock buggy service that helps people with disabilities get between terminals and concourses to their gates. It depends on availability and has to be booked by the airline or the service provider. Ask your airline whether you can have it when you request assistance.
Ask your airline when you book, or at least 48 hours before you fly. For Emirates: use Manage a booking on emirates.com or call Emirates. A travel agent can also arrange it. Tell them you travel alone, you are connecting in Dubai, and you want to be escorted to the next gate. Ask for a wheelchair or buggy for the whole connection and ask them to confirm it in writing. The airline passes your details to the airport assistance team.
On arrival, if you pre-booked help, Dubai Airports says to make yourself known to the dnata attendants at the arrival gate. If you cannot see them, ask the cabin crew or airport staff. On departure, help starts at the kerb in Terminal 3 or at the check-in counters in Terminals 1 and 2, and goes through to the boarding gate. Terminal 2 also has an Assisted Travel Lounge in the departures area. An exact meeting desk is not stated for each terminal.
Dubai Airports says assistance is free for people of determination, but it does not say how this applies to every older traveller, so ask your airline whether there is any charge. There is a wheelchair type with space for a bag under the seat, and standard chairs in three sizes. Emirates says there are priority lanes at connections security for people with disabilities. If you are not sure whether a lane is meant for you, ask a staff member before you join it. Call or chat with your airline if your plan changes.
Dubai Airports says to find the transfer desks by following the signs, using interactive maps, or asking Guest Experience Ambassadors (airport staff in uniform). The transfer desk is where you get a boarding pass for your next flight. Emirates and flydubai also have Connections desks in the connections area of Terminal 3. Guest Experience Ambassadors can show you the special lanes for people with disabilities, which are at all checkpoints and counters, and can point you to the nearest medical centre. Ask them whether you can use these lanes. The airport website has a live chat. The Emirates app can send you gate notifications. Language support: no page we found officially says Persian, Turkish or Arabic help is available at the desks. English is the safe choice, and the three Arabic phrases above can be shown to staff on your phone.
Medical help: Dubai Airports says medical facilities and response teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and pharmacies are open 24/7. Airport medical centres exist, but we could not confirm exactly where they are. For emergencies the airport lists +971 4 504 5000. Ask any Guest Experience Ambassador or airport staff member to direct you to the nearest medical centre. Rest: Some travel guides say there are free showers in Terminal 3, but we could not confirm this on an official page. Ask airport staff, or use a paid sleepover lounge in Concourses A, B and C or Terminal 1 Concourse D (the price is not given on the official page). Terminal 2 has an Assisted Travel Lounge in departures with a calm space and noise-reducing seating. Toilets, lifts, seating and prayer rooms are listed as part of the accessible design, but exact places are not given. Free drinking water was not confirmed. Carry your own medicines in your hand bag, in their original packaging, with your prescription. If you will enter the UAE (for example on separate tickets), ask your airline before you travel whether any of your medicines need approval.
Show this to a member of staff if you cannot say it. In Arabic (English is also widely used on airport signs and by staff)
أحتاج مساعدة للوصول إلى رحلتي التالية. (Aḥtāju musā‘ada lil-wuṣūl ilā riḥlatī at-tāliya.)
I need help to find my connecting flight.
أين مكتب العبور (الترانزيت)؟ (Ayna maktab al-‘ubūr (at-tarānzit)?)
Where is the transfer desk?
أحتاج إلى كرسي متحرك، من فضلك. (Aḥtāju ilā kursī mutaḥarrik, min faḍlik.)
I need a wheelchair, please.
Print this page, fill in the lines by hand, and keep the card in your pocket.
I am traveling alone. I need help to find my connecting flight. Please show me the way, or call someone who can help me. Thank you.
أحتاج مساعدة للوصول إلى رحلتي التالية. (Aḥtāju musā‘ada lil-wuṣūl ilā riḥlatī at-tāliya.)
You can type the details here before printing. They stay on this device only.
Partly checked against official pages.
Airports change signs, gates and rules. This guide is general help, not an official instruction. Always follow the staff and the screens, and check with your airline.
Last prepared 2 November 2026.