[AndrewinHK]

I’ve had the same experience flying out of T1 on CX. Immigration absolute chaos with the worst staff I have ever experienced. As far as I was aware there is no priority lane for business class or any other passengers at T1 everyone has to go to the same lines. The staff don’t care and seem to delight in people having to wait and anxious to make there flights. Even the flight crew have to wait in long lines and fight there way through to security.

[ZKSmith]

Chaotic queues and long waits are normal during peak times, although waiting an hour sounds excessive. You were probably a little unlucky to have to wait quite so long. Departing during morning hours is far more pleasant, can usually pass through in a couple of minutes. If you travel regularly an E-gate card is definitely a good purchase, as FDOS_UK mentions.

[RichardBarr]

I completely agree with FDOS_UK.
Except i use Terminal 1 as I usually fly with Royal Jordanian to DXB.
I too find the 300 AED for the eGate well worth the expense. It makes passport control a breeze both inward & outward.

[onajetplane]

@ FDOS_UK – 19/06/2016 08:59 BST

I travel very regularly to Dubai but I thought to get the eGate card I would need some form of a residency permit (which I do not have), am I mistaken? Can I apply as a non-resident? Thanks in advance!

[FDOS_UK]

As with all things Middle Eastern, it is difficult to say precisely.

Just go and ask nicely to the peeps running the show in T1 and see what happens 😉

[onajetplane]

Ha great thanks. I am DXB later this week on BA into T1 so will give it a try!

[CrazyCanuck]

Hi onajetplane,

When you are departing, go upstairs where the airlines have their offices. There is only one escalator going upstairs. You will find the immigration office. show then your passport (assuming you have a first world passport), start the process, go back downstairs, and pay the fee, come back upstairs, punch in your details, finger printed, card printed, and you are done.

Enjoy Dubai.

[onajetplane]

@CrazyCanuck – 19/06/2016 17:20 BST

Very useful. Many thanks.

[afrance]

I wonder if they are open at silly o’clock… (leaving on the 1:15am departure this evening and it might be something useful to do!)

[afrance]

Answering my own question as the first sign of madness. Yes they are open at silly o’clock (well – 10pm) but I wasn’t able to sign up because for some reason they can’t read by finger and thumbprints. I do have a similar problem sometimes in KSA trying to get a mobile phone – maybe I don’t have good fingers!

Tonight leaving T1 was HORRENDOUS – and the little people with blue shirts really weren’t making anything any better. Concourse D is quite nice but it is horribly let down by the nightmare that is T1 on a bad day.

Ah well – time to throw myself at the tender mercy of BA106…

[SimonS1]

There have been articles in the UAE papers over the last few days asking people to arrive early. Record numbers over the next couple of weeks as schools finish, Eid starts etc.

[alainboy56]

FDOS_UK on 19/06

And the biggest problem with the e-gate card which I have held for years, is that an AD one gets problems in DXB and DWC. I always tease the Immigration guys asking them why they hate people ‘from up the road; just because they are richer than you, or have they got Bengali software in this reader, just to save money. Believe me they always see the funny side of my comments, laugh and wave me through. But it does happen so, so regularly.

[alainboy56]

But to all forum commenters here, why on earth would anyone want to fly through DXB anyway??? Get a life people. You check in in Bur Dubai, the duty free and gate areas are in Al Qusais and the aircraft is parked in Sharjah!!!! – puleeeeze!

[SimonS1]

That what I like about the UAE, Alainboy.

The guy smiles pleasantly, humours you, and waives you on your way. Then he turns to his mate at the next desk and in Arabic says ‘another effing idiot’.

At LHR they just don’t bother humouring you.

[sleak76]

Alainboy.. same problem I face.

Had eGate for years but on my last trip out of AUH, authorities there told me all eGates have been removed as it’s obsolete technology and they use iris scan barriers. To register, hand your passport while they scan you eyes. To use the barrier, your passport must be with you on entry and exit. I asked what am I to do with the eGate card? Throw it away, I was told.

Fast forward to my next trip into UAE (DXB). I asked the immigration for iris scan machines and they looked puzzled. What is that? They asked me. I started to explain what AUH told me. They shook their hands saying they still use eGates and never heard of an iris scan.

Nice! And my eGate was already destroyed!

Bottom line: different emirate uses different systems. If you plan to fly in/out DXB/DWC: keep your eGate with you. If you plan for AUH, take your passport and sign up for iris and leave your eGate at home. If you plan to use SHJ: neither eGates nor iris works so its the traditional way of passport only required.

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