Emirates will require most passengers departing Dubai to use a mobile boarding pass instead of a printed paper version, from May 15 onwards.

Passengers checking in at Terminal 3 will receive their mobile boarding pass via email or SMS. Passengers who check in online can load their boarding pass into their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, or retrieve their boarding pass on the Emirates App. The checked-in baggage receipt will also be emailed directly to passengers, or available in the Emirates App.

Some passengers may still require a physical boarding pass to be printed – for instance when travelling with infants, unaccompanied minors, passengers requiring special assistance, passengers with onwards flights on other airlines, and all passengers travelling on flights to the US.

This initiative will significantly reduce paper waste while simultaneously offering a convenient and speedy digitised check in experience for passengers departing Dubai. It will reduce the risk of lost or misplaced boarding passes.

The mobile boarding pass can be used throughout the travel journey in Dubai Duty Free, at security and for boarding, by showing the boarding pass on the phone. Emirates agents and airport staff will scan the QR code on the mobile boarding pass as passengers move through the airport and onto the aircraft.

The option to print a boarding pass is available by request to Emirates agents at check-in counters, if passengers do not have a mobile device, or if they are unable to access the information on their devices for reasons such as: running out of battery power, a system breakdown or glitch, message delivery delay, or inability to access Wifi, network or a data package.